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KM
Master March 2015

Can you change your first name?

KM, on October 8, 2014 at 1:43 PM

Posted in Community Conversations 50

I'm curious, can you change anything about your first name when you change your last name? I don't want to change my actual first name, just the spelling. It's phonetically pronounced K-ear-sten. Most girls I know with my name spell it Kiersten. My parents just decided to make my life annoying by...

I'm curious, can you change anything about your first name when you change your last name? I don't want to change my actual first name, just the spelling. It's phonetically pronounced K-ear-sten. Most girls I know with my name spell it Kiersten. My parents just decided to make my life annoying by spelling it Kirsten, which is supposed to sounds like Ker-sten. I've already had contracts messed up because the vendor assumed my name was spelled Kiersten...because, well, it's supposed to be!

50 Comments

  • L + R
    Master September 2014
    L + R ·
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    I've never seen the Kiersten spelling, that's neat. All girls with your name that I know, had it spelled like yours.

    Yes, you can change your name, but not with your marriage license/SSA application. You'll need a judge to court order that you can change your first name (even if it's just the spelling). It'll cost some money, too. In my county, it costs $140 to do that. Then that's if the judge sees validity in you wanting to change your name, they keep the fees regardless. If it's granted, they'll have you put an ad in the paper for three weeks basically saying that you're changing your name from A to B so that any creditors can still contact you easily. After that, you take your receipts to the courthouse proving you placed the ad, get the order stamped, then it's valid. Then you must file take that (again, if you're already married and did the last name change) with the SSA administration, get your license changed, etc.

    Also, you can easily get your Birth Cert here: vitalchek.com

    It's safe, fast, and valid. I've ordered like 5 birth certs over the years with them.

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  • Janeen
    Master January 2015
    Janeen ·
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    Hahaha, I live to serve kochbride.

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  • LB
    Master May 2014
    LB ·
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    You can try.

    You **don't** have to go through a legal name change to use another name or variation of your name, but people will try to tell you that you do. Some of those people might be people at the SS office or DL bureau and that's where you'll encounter difficulties. The truth is that you can use any name you want provided you're not trying to defraud anyone, but it's easier said than done.

    I use a nickname variation of my birth name and it's occasionally a problem for me with "official" documents and/or I get listed twice, as two separate people and then have to deal with bureaucrats. I don't have the patience for the latter part so I fly and file taxes (and get paid) under the official first name but nobody calls me that or knows me by that like, ever.

    Good luck.

    ps. FWIW, I always saw your name as being K-ear-sten (not Ker-sten); maybe it's a regional thing?

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  • Kate
    Master May 2012
    Kate ·
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    I don't know logistics of changing a first name, but just wanted to say: if you're changing your first name, please tell us you're changing your middle name to Michelle. It would set many minds on ww at ease lol

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  • LB
    Master May 2014
    LB ·
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    @Jenn, LOL. Hilarious.

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  • Chantel
    Master May 2014
    Chantel ·
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    I have no idea about it.. I just wanted to say that the whole time I read your name as Kiersten and not Ker-sten. I always thought the way you spelled it was the proper way for that name. Then again, never knew many people with eithet name. But when I was young I read Thr American Girls books and always thought her name was pronounced the same as yours. Just do like some people and just start signing your name with an e in it.

    ETA: i agree with Jenn! Michelle would be phenomenal

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  • MrsDean
    Master April 2015
    MrsDean ·
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    Kirsten, I changed the spelling of my first name (from Michelle to MaShelle) years ago when I lived in Michigan. All I had to do was complete the form at the county/city office, pay the fee and publish a notice in the local newspaper for 4 weeks or so. That was it. I got an order from the court of the official name change and ordered a new SS card. The only thing that still has the original spelling of my first name is my birth certificate. Easy breezy!

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  • MrsDean
    Master April 2015
    MrsDean ·
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    I vote for Michelle as the middle name too!!!!!

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  • JaKLyn
    Master November 2015
    JaKLyn ·
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    My mom filled out my birth certificate paper work while hopped up on the epidural still. She apparently forgot how to spell my name, and for the life of her she couldn't figure out how to write a lower case K or L. So instead of the intended Jacqueline my name is spelled JaKLyn. There are actually baby pictures of me in my crib and room and you can see were they had my name hung up above the crib... only it was the french version of the spelling and not the medication induced spelling I ended up with.

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  • Hailey
    Super October 2014
    Hailey ·
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    Just wanted to say that I have been pronouncing your name as Ker-sten in my head, so I understand your beef!

    My sister's SIL is named Chelsea... pronounced Chels-uh. She's considered changing her name for change the spelling, too.

    Feel for you!

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  • kalamityjen
    VIP August 2015
    kalamityjen ·
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    The rules probably vary by state. On the CA marriage application it says all you need to do to change your last name is fill it out on that form but it states that you can't change your first name that way. There are other name change forms (and probably fees) that you have to do for that.

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  • A&G
    Master August 2014
    A&G ·
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    It should be the same as changing your last name. I'm in the process of changing my name and so far it asks for my current name and then it asks for my new name, which makes me write out my first name again. Seems like I could change my first name there if I wanted and it would get changed officially.

    But I guess this varies between provinces/states and countries.

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  • Elle
    Master March 2015
    Elle ·
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    This is something i need to look into because my legal name isnt elle but only the social security office, the irse, and dps call me by my legal name. Even when my mother middle names me she says elle

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  • Mrs. F-u-...
    Master December 2014
    Mrs. F-u-... ·
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    LOL Janeen!

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  • KM
    Master March 2015
    KM ·
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    Okay let's clear a few things up:

    1. I do have a new copy of my birth certificate already, so that's all good.

    2 sorry Koch, I'm going to ruin Mildres for you guys. My REAL middle is name Micheline. It's my mothers first name and she would murder me if I changed it, and the she would die herself from the butt hurt. Plus I don't mind it. I go by Michelle sometimes because it's the American variation of the name.

    3. My dad, who was the one who named me thinks it's a good idea. Thanks dad...it would have also been a good idea 25 years and 3 days ago. Ass.

    Edit: and 4. I HATE KRISTEN. Especially when people on here spell it Kristen. I mean, come on...it's right in front of you!!!

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  • Rebecca
    VIP June 2015
    Rebecca ·
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    Not that it helps your frustration, but Kirsten (or Kersten) is a northern European form of "Christina". In Danish, it's pronounced "KEER-stin", and in Germany "Kerstin" and "Kirsten" are pronounced like "KEER-stin" or "KARE-stin". Make me wonder if your parents had traveled or knew someone by the name and liked the original pronunciation, vs. anglicized?

    I found this on Legal Zoom with generic process steps to change a first name, as a starting point. http://info.legalzoom.com/change-first-name-legally-20158.html

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  • KM
    Master March 2015
    KM ·
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    My dad named me after an ex girlfriend...ha

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  • SunshineJenn
    Master August 2014
    SunshineJenn ·
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    You could be Princess Consuela Bananahammock.

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  • Rena S
    Super March 2015
    Rena S ·
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    I changed the spelling of my first name just by using the spelling I wanted on everything that came up ....I did this as a teen... now the only thing that has the real spelling is my birth certificate . When I applied for a passport and they noted the discrepancy they advised me to use the new spelling because all my other ID ( drivers license etc) had the new spelling

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  • Rena S
    Super March 2015
    Rena S ·
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    My dad named me after an ex girlfriend too!! I've always hated my name

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