How often do SCJP questions change?

I would like to change my name, but have some questions and need help...?

• I really need answers that are well thought out but I am almost afraid to ask this because I worry about being judged. I love my family, but I have been unhappy with my birth name ever since I can remember. My first, middle and last names are NOT me. I have struggled to accept the name, but I just don´t have any peace and can´t settle down because I feel like I am living my life as a person and name that I´m not. Like I said,I love my family but I absolutely HATE my full name. It´s more than I hate it...it´s been making me unhappy all my life. I can´t settle down and just enjoy my life because I feel like I´m being forced to be someone I´m not. I feel like I´m really a different person and name inside than my birth name. The first name and last name don´t go together... they just sound ugly together, like a fat person. I´m not a Sara, or a Williams. I´m not putting USA down, but I want a last name that reflects my ethnic heritage. I´m mostly Irish and have Spanish ancestry, and I don´t like having an American last name because I feel like I´m being forced to deny my heritage. Those two names together sound like a fat plain looking girl. What I hate most about the name is that it´s too common! All my life I´ve been lost in the crowd. How many does the world need? It REALLY bothers me that so many people have the same exact full name, and Í always got confused with someone else. It bothers me so much when I go somewhere and they say, ´´we have a lot of people with that name.´´ I don´t have ANYTHING to identify just me! I don´t have any sense of identity. A name should be something to cherish but how can you cherish a name that gets you lost in the crowd? Even a character in a movie has the same name...the girl from Labyrinth... it´s a great movie but we all know that the girl was a *****, and ugly physicalyl and emotionally. Like I said, you hear that name and picture a plain looking fat girl..:( there are a couple businessses in my town in USA with that same FULL name. It just makes me feel bad about myself... like I´m less ofan individual. Every time I go anywhere, I get mixed up with someone else. I´m always getting calls aobut someone else´s bills or getting someone else´s mail. I´m always hearing, ´´that´s a common name.´´ I´m a musician, and I want to do more than just play music as a hobby, and the name is a detriment. Furthermore, it´s so annoying to have such a common name! When people say, ´´ we have a lot of people with that name,´´ I just feel like I´ve been slapped. I want to have a name that says that God made only me. I want a special name to uniquely identify only me. People have told me just to live with it and I have struggled to do that but the feeling of restlessness and that something is missing just won´t go away. I know that it won´t solve ALL my problems but I would feel a million times better if I could change my name. Like I said, the first and last names sound horrible together. My middle name is AWFUL!!!! I love my parents but will never forgive them... marleigh?? I asked them why they picked that out, and they said that it´s upscale to pick out a family name. I want a feminine girl´s name for a middle name. Marleigh is just a hideous name... I think most people would agree. I would like to change my name, but there are some problems... I realize that I´m gonna be unhappy until I do something about it, but I don´t know what to do! I´m so scared that the judge will deny my request... and that I´ll be stuck with this name forever! I don´t want to go through life miserable. If your request is denied, what recourse do you have? I am sick of being forced to live my life with a name that isn´t me. I worry that my friends will hate me, or think I´m strange, or just a selfish person. I worry that people I work with won´t understand, and think I´m a bit off. I LOVE my family and don´t want to hurt them... the name just sucks. I have struggled to accept the name because I love them but I have realized that I´ll never ahve any peace in my soul until I change it. I did some research and found out that one of my Irish ancestors was nathaniel King. What´s uncanny is that I LOVE the last name King. It´s fairly uncommon,and it´s beautiful. It´s not as uncommon as VanAllen or Delavega, but for some reason I ALWAYS felt like my last name was supposed to be King. I think its more than a coincidence. I would like to change my middle name to Michelle. Michelle was my French name (when I was learning French) and one of my favorite songs. And it´s a classic girl´s name. I don´t feel like a Sara but I´mnot sure whether to change my first name. What would my friends call me? I don{t wanna be a different person in their eyes. Thanks if you can help me.

• Answer:

  Uh....uhmmnnnn... er, geeze ! I think you're troubled about more than your name, hon. But you can consult with a lawyer, (don't think he'll charge you anything just for a couple minutes...) or go and inquire from a receptionist at the courthouse... God bless.