New Immigrants

Sometimes new immigrants to English speaking countries choose an English name to use because make it easier to acclimatize and communicate in their new community.

Having an English name can also make it easier to apply for education or employment.

Why Do Some Adults Change Their Names?

Most of my clients are expecting new babies. However, there are increasing numbers of teenagers and adults legally changing their names.

What is causing this?

With the increase of trendy names and name spelling in recent years, some teens are changing their names either because they don’t like the one that was chosen, or how it was spelled, or they have discovered that a trendy name can inhibit them academically or professionally.

More and more young people are exploring their gender identities and changing their birth names to reflect this.

Some people have the same first and last name of a public figure, celebrity, athlete or media character. Imagine the endless jokes that men named Dwayne Johnson, and women named Lisa Simpson must get! People with these names sometimes change them to end all the unwanted attention.

Sometimes another person with the same name becomes famous for a negative reason. People with the same name as famous criminals do not want to be associated with the crimes and choose to change their name. Alternatively, the families and friends of famous criminals may change their names to conceal the connection.

If you are a teen or adult that would like assistance in altering your name or choosing a new one, I will provide you with the same name craftmanship as those expecting a delivery from The Stork.

How To Change Your Name in Canada

The process of changing your name in Canada differs between the provinces. The minimum age for the applicant ranges from 16-19, and most provinces require police checks and fingerprints to be taken. Please check your provincial website for the requirements in your area.

In Ontario, there are two options available to those who want to change their name.

The first is called name assumption. This option allows someone to “assume” their partner’s surname upon a legal marriage. The individual can obtain government issued ID with their partner’s name or a combined version of both names on it. This option is not a legal name change, it is basically a government recognized nickname. If the couple separates, the process to revert to their birth surname is much easier than a legal name change.

The second option is a legal name change where a new birth certificate will be issued in the new name and the individual can obtain new IDs. To use this option the applicant must be 18 or older. To change the name of a minor, all parties that hold guardianship over the child must agree, including the child if they are 12-17.

For members of the First Nations, Inuit, or Métis communities, there are also options to use a single name or reclaim an indigenous name.

Resources

Change your last name | ontario.ca
Change name | ontario.ca