Name change generally refers to the legal act by a person of adopting a new name different from their current name. The procedures and ease of a name change vary between jurisdictions. In general, common law jurisdictions have loose procedures for a name change while civil law jurisdictions are more restrictive.

Reasons for changing one's name:

Marriage or civil partnership.

Adoption, or marriage of a custodial parent

Divorce or estrangement of parents

mmigration / adaptation of the name to a different language or script

To avoid a stalker or harassment

Religious conversion and/or deconversion, ordination or return to lay status

To choose a surname associated with a hobby, interest, or accomplishment

o receive an inheritance conditional on adopting the name of the deceased

To replace a name which might be considered undesirable with a more desirable one

To dissociate themselves from a famous or infamous person

To dissociate themselves from a family black sheep

To dissociate themselves from an ethnic origin

Commercial sponsorship

To change to a fictional character's name

To make their name more attractive or "catchy" so as to increase their chance of success

To change the legal name to the one used in everyday life

To remove superstitious consequences of the old name

To better fit one's gender identity, or as part of one's gender transition

Evidence of a change of name can be in a number of forms, such as a marriage certificate, decree absolute (proof of divorce), civil partnership certificate, statutory declaration or deed of change of name. Such documents are mere evidence that a change of name has occurred, however, and they do not themselves operate to change a person's name. Deeds of change of name are by far the most commonly used method of providing evidence of a change of name other than changing a woman's surname after marriage.