Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-03-14
DON'T LIKE
YOUR NAME?
CHANGE TT
Bv FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.

BY FREDERIC j. HASklN.
New York City, March 13.--One
Of the convenient features about
living in the United States is that
you can change your name here as
often as you like without getting
into legal difficulties. No one has
to go through life squirming under
the burden of a ridiculous name
because his parents were unkino
enough to bestow it upon him. He
can simply discard it and take an
other-two or three others, at in
tervals--if the spirit moves him.
No one will object, except perhaps
the parents whose judgment has
been questioned. Certainly the
law will not stop him.
There is a great deal in name,
Will Shakespeare to the contrary
not withstanding. A rose would
unqestionably lose some of its
beauty if it were called a turnip,
and there are names which obvi.
ously detract from the glamor and
dignity of a human personality
A woman would have to be eX-
tremely beautiful to live down the
effect of the name Lizzie Buzzard--
which Is one selected at random
from the telephone directory--and
man would have to be scintillat-
ing indeed to overcome the general
| impression created by the name
Peter B. Bull, another telephone
subscriber. Business men, especi-
ally retailers, cannot afford to have
long and complicated names;
which explains why so many immi-
grants eliminate a syllable or two
from their names after residing in
this country awhile.
1t is not uncommon for people
to apply to the courts for permits
sion to change their names, but ii
Is not compulsory. They do so
only as an extra precaution in case
distant relatives should leave them
llegacies, and it should become
necessary for them to prove, be
yond the question of doubt, that
they were once the owners of the
names mentioned in the wills. This
privilege of repudiating a displeas.
ling cognomen is one of our many
Iinheritances from English common
law, and one which is not enjoyed
by most European nations, where y
change in name is certain to excite
the suspicion both of the police and
the passport authorities.
Unaware OF Privilege.
Many people keep the names
they have inherited not because
they have any special affection
for them, but because they dc
not realize how easy it would be
to get rid of them. They are
under the impression that they
would have to take the matter tc
court when. as matter of fact
all they would have to do would
be to make the announcement
The possession of the name.
changing privilege was definitely
confirmed in New York state II
the case of Smith versus United
States Casualty company wher
Judge Vann, who handed dowr
the opinion. quoted some histor.
ical examples to substantiate it
"a predecessor Of Honore de
Balzac," he wrote, was born {
Guez, which means beggar, ant
grew to manhood under tha'
name. When he became conscious
of his powers as a writer, no die
not wish his works to be publish
ed under that humble name, 81
he selected the surname of Balzat
from an estate that he owned
"Voltaire, Moliere, Dante, Pc
trarch, Richelieu, Loyola, Erasmus
and Lineaus were assumed names
Napoleon Bonaparte changed hi
! name after his victories had luret
him toward a crown and ht
wanted a grander name to aid hi'
daring aspirations. The Duke O
wellington was not by blood {
, Wellesley, but a Colley, hi!
grandfather, Richard ColIey, hav
ing assumed the name of a rela
tive named Wesley, which wal
: afterward expanded to Wellesley.
Further instances Of interesting
adopted names are contributed