Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-04-01

history of father who desired to name his
child Beelzebub. When the boy was brought
to church to be christened, the bishop refused
to beStOW the name upon him, say e that it
was not fit name to be sanctioned by the
church.
These are extraordinary cases. but hundreds
of children are chstened every year with weird
names handed down as family herloomS.
boy labeled Adelbert, Aquilphar or AlphonSe
may remain to in - nursery, but when he
gets GU tat school he almost always demands
a nickname for himself ana gets it by force or
strategy. large number of petitions for
/ changes in given names are based on the plea
that the person is not known to his friends by
the name he has to use for legal and public
purposes.
The process of changing an undesirable
name is simple. Here in Washington all you
have to do is to file a petition with the SUI
preme court of the District of Columbia, stat
ing that it wastes too much of your friends
time to call you by your proper NAME or
whatever reason you may have for the change.
You must swear that you are not Abandoning
your old name to avoid debts or any demands
against you. Thell you have notice of the
change of name printed in a local newspaper
once week for three weeks. At the end of
that time if nobody comes forward to object
and nobody ever doeS-the court formally
grants your petition, and you go forth with
whatever name you have picked out. ConSid-
ering how easy it is, we wonder that there are
so many people with names that are unmelo-
dious, to say the least.
The lawyer mentioned earlier In this letter
tells as his favorte story the old British anec-
dote of couple named Rose, who chriStened
their little girl Wild. "This combination" he
says, twas voted verv pretty by the romantic
mid Victorians. But when Wild Rose grew up,
she met and married a man named Bull, and
Wild Rose became Wild Bull, to the horror of
her aesthetic friends"
| "The record does not show whether she
Lou, %o4O +bA 81
at was not so easy in Victorian England as
now"
Tell us another" we suggested
81 can't vouch for the truth of this one"
he said reflectively, 'but Eve heard of a girl
whose parents were named Bride, and who
was christened June. This girl grew up and
married man named BugI hardly believe
that tale, though.
"You know" he said, 'ft isn't necessary
even to have the court grant petition to
change a name. Anyone can alter his name at
any time, and it is not an offenSe unless the
person has intent to defraud, or is assuming
an alias for purposes of crime"
"That so?" we murmured ave know man
named Julian who has always wanted to be
named Mike. He'll be glad to know"
The attorney shook his head. II wouldn't
advise anyone to wake up in the morning and
say, well, think I'll change my name today
to something distinguished or sporting
change of name require readuStment of rela-
tons with friends, acquaintance and business
associates Sometimes it makes trouble.
81 know a case where two firms almost
came to blows. An Official in one of the firms
changed his name. Soon after, he called at the
office of the other firm and sent in his card
The president glanced at it. Never heard of
him. Tell him l am busy he told the office
boy. The visitor regarded the message as an
insult to his firm, and it was months before the
matter was Strengthened out"