Floridians seeking to change their legal name can take comfort in the fact that changing one’s name has a long history rooted in the Hebrew Bible. A great article in the Jewish Encyclopedia titled “Shinnuy Ha-Shem” (which translates roughly as “Changing the Name”) discusses biblical name changes.
In the book of Genesis we learn that forefather Abram changed his name to Abraham, and foremother Sarai changed her name to Sarah.
Many of us remember Pee-Wee Herman from the Groundlings and children’s programming and movies in the 1980’s. More recently, you may have seen Paul Reubens, the man who plays Pee-Wee, appear on various TV shows, including the Blacklist, Portlandia, and Reno 911.
But, what you may not know is before Paul Reubens was Pee-Wee Herman, he was Paul Rubenfeld.
If you live in Tampa Bay, Greater Sarasota, or elsewhere in Florida and you are looking to change your legal name, Family Diplomacy: A Collaborative Law Firm can help you. Whether you seek to correct your birth certificate, honor a loved one, or turn a new leaf in life, Family Diplomacy will sit down with you and set a plan for moving forward.
Malcolm Little became Malcolm X. Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali. Cat Stevens became Yusuf Islam. All three changed their names to reflect their Muslim identity and cultural beliefs.
And if you wish to change your legal name to reflect your identity and beliefs, section 68.07 of the Florida Statutes sets out how you may do so.
With Pope Francis’ visit upon us and the recent celebration of the Jewish New Year, many Floridians are looking inward and have decided that they want to turn over a new leaf. For some, that may include a decision to adopt a new legal name.
Fortunately, Florida has procedures that permit most adult residents to change their name.
Some states are very restrictive in their requirements to change a person’s legal name. Fortunately, Florida is relatively permissive, and Family Diplomacy has successfully represented dozens of clients to help get their name legally changed.
What follows is a step-by-step guide on how someone can request a change of name in Florida.
Bubba the Love Sponge is a nationally syndicated radio show host based out of Tampa Bay. He was born Todd Clem, but in the 1990’s he legally changed his name. The following is from Bubba987.com: 
In 1999 Clem legally changed his name to the trademarked Bubba the Love Sponge®, a nickname given to him by a former fellow DJ which appears as such on his passport and driver’s license. BTLS’ name recognition and popularity grew as the Bubba the Love Sponge® Show became syndicated throughout the US, and he became a top-rated media figure operating out of the Tampa Bay area.
You don’t have to be a celebrity to change your legal name.
In Florida, as in most other jurisdictions, women can restore their maiden name as part of the divorce process. However, for a lot of reasons, many women keep their married name.
Sometimes it is so they can maintain the same last name as their minor children, making it easier to communicate with school and healthcare officials. Sometimes it is related to their employment, and they do not want to disrupt an earned reputation by altering their name. And sometimes it is because they simply did not know they had the option to restore their name in divorce proceedings.
So, after divorce, is it too late to restore a maiden name?
A couple of weeks ago, the Washington Post reported that an army soldier convicted of leaking classified materials had changed her legal name from Bradley Manning to Chelsea Elizabeth Manning. Ms. Manning’s name change has come after her public acknowledgment that she is transgender.
So could Chelsea Manning have been granted a name change in Florida?
There are many athletes who, for various reasons, have changed their legal names.
Basketball star Ron Artest changed his legal name to Metta World Peace to “inspire and bring youth together all around the world.”
Football player Chad Johnson became Chad Ochocinco in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, reflecting his jersey number, 85.
