In a family law context, people usually change their names when they marry and when they divorce. The provincial Name Act also allows people to change their names just because they feel like it, without the necessity of a marriage or a divorce. It is not illegal to use an alias in British Columbia although you will not be allowed to obtain government identification or to make certain legal transactions, like the transfer of property, using an alias. An alias is a name other than your legal, registered name. People often use aliases just because that's how people have come to know them, like a nickname, or because their real name is too hard for English-speakers to pronounce or spell easily. Most people who want to legally change their names do so because they were adopted, married or divorced. Others do so for purely personal reasons. I remember reading a change of name notice for a fellow with the unfortunate name of Donald Duck. You can apply to have a legal, registered name which differs from your birth or married name under the provincial Name Act . This is a purely paper process and a hearing before a judge won't be necessary in most cases. Section 4 of the act sets out who may apply for a change of name: (1) Subject to this section, a person who has attained the age of majority or, if the age of majority has not been attained, is a parent having custody of