I've recently been asked what my legal name is. Maybe it's because I haven't been dealing with the authorities all that much (immigration forms only ask for my name as per passport) and find this strange.
Looking it up on the web came up with a few interesting answers. Answers dot com tells me that it's a name used for official purposes and not a nickname. What if my nickname was my legal name? And what if I'd like to use another name for official purposes? I guess Wiki's explanation is pretty clear. It's the name that appears on your birth certificate and/or marriage certificate. Women have the luxury of taking on their spouse's family name when they get married, most western women do. I haven't met a guy who took on his spouse's family name yet!
It's not that difficult to change your name in some countries, as long as you're not changing your name to avoid responsibility or to deceive anyone. These days, I can choose to call myself 'The Retired Girl'.
The only thing you can almost never change is the name that appears on your birth certificate. Parents have to put in a lot of thought when they name their kids. Someone with the 'wrong' name could end up having the worst life.
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