h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Someone on the 'How do I...' page was asking about changing their middle name; I've got a related, yet subtly different, question

What is, and isn't, acceptible in a name? More specifically:

Is there a minimum length? (Including no name at all!)

Is there a maximum length? (Every word in the English language, in order?)

Can you use weird characters? (Numbers, perhaps? )

Does it have to be pronounceable? (Zflgkh, maybe?)

Just wondering...

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There's that guy who was called Prince, then the artist formally known as Prince and that symbol. He's now generally known as Symbol. Can you change your name to a symbol? and is there any limit to the amount of times you can change your name?

As far as I know There is no legal requirements regarding changing the name you are known by in the UK as long as its not for illegal purposes, ie avoiding ceditors, escaping arrest or carrying out a deception crime.
With regard to registering it, presumably it must be capable of being written down and these days it probably has to be put into a computer, so that might provide TAFKAP (The Artist Formally Known As Prince)with a problem if he moved here.
On pronouciation, any collection of letters is pronouncible, try some of the anglicised versions of african names or you can just make it up.

Any lawyers out there to provide a definitive answer??

Just don't try this in France. They're much more legalistic over what you can name babies, so probably don't like adults going for the weird stuff either.

There is a documented case of someone changing his name to "Natwest are b*st*rds" so that all the computer generated letters they sent him would start thus.
(I believe that what you call yourself would be subject to libel laws if you wrote it down and incitement if said out loud so for practical purposes nothing rude or slanderous would be allowed).

It was Yorkshire Bank plc, and as I recall they were w**kers, but the same goes.

Apparently you can be called anything you like, so long as it doesn't contravene other laws such as libel etc. Copyright is only a problem if you try to pass yourself off as the company involved, or if lawyers deem that confusion might arise. So call yourself Coca Cola by all means, but don't start selling fizzy drinks.

Having an incredibly long list of first names is not illegal, but generally registrars will try to make you cut it down to a smaller number: I read one story in the paper a while ago about a couple who wanted to give their daughter 365 Christian names - I think the registrar eventually knocked them down to 50 or so.

I've read that in Portugal, you have to have a first name from an approved list. If you don't, you can't have full Portuguese citizenship...

Hmmm, two conceptually similar, factually different and mildly amusing anecdotes... my 'Urban Myth' detector just melted...

I don't suppose either of you could provide any evidence about these people with bank-insulting names? *grin* Hate to be such a sceptic here but, well, that's me...

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I read in the paper the other day about someone being given a middle name which inluded a number.

It really was Yorkshire Bank, and it really did happen about 18 months ago - it made all the papers and several TV news programmes at the time.

Whether they really are w**kers or not, I couldn't say.

You are correct.
Natwest were involved in the "silage spreader" incident where a disgruntled farmer covered the bank in......

I have a friend in the US who teaches a kid called ez$. It has something to with extra welfare benefits...

I don't know of any restrictions on name changes here in Oz and I've changed my name twice so I expect they would have told me if there were any. Maybe they just knock you back if they don't like what you've chosen.

Someone has changed his name to [email protected], I can't remember what.

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I heard of something similar. A caravan park owner was told that he had to name the three streets in the park and signpost them, so he named them "Politicians", "Waste" and "Money"

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For anyone still interested in the potentially illegitimate parentage of Yorkshire Bank , you can read a nice precis of the facts on the Guardian website, here:-
http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3926244,00.html

Hmmm... you've *almost* convinced me... except there are several well-documented cases of newspapers printing urban legends which, in fact, are entirely fictional.

*grin* I guess it's futile to ask for the name of the person involved...

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According to the Guardian, his name is Michael Howard, although nowadays he probably responds to "Yorkie" for short.

I'm not surprised he changed his name then - wasn't Michael Howard that wet Tory MP?

The Michael Howard I know isn't. But then I suppose there are a multitude of the fellas.

He's probably better than John Howard

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