CHANGING OF NAMES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 10 December 1912, Page 4

CHANGING OF NAMES.

i case occurred at Auckland last week in which a young man was charged with having committed a breach ot the Marriage Act by marrying under another name than his own. In the courso of his summing up his Honor Mr Justice Chapman made some interesting remarks on names. Jle reminded the jury that to get to the oricrin of names they had to go hacic to the time when the missionaries baptised their savage ancestors and gave them Christian names. The-changing of a Christian name was very rare, and if one came across an instance one generally suspected some illegitimate reason. With regard to the surname the case was different. Contrary to what was generally thought, no man was born with a surname. People onlv got their surnames "by repute. Inconsequence, by.English law, winch differed' from French law, a man was still' at liberty to change his name, should he desire to do 90. The change was usually effected by advertising in the local papers. There were other methods adopted by wealthy people, such, for instance as invoking the aid of the Court; or obtaining a Royal license. The law on the matter of names was stated in few words. As, in the first instance, they were arbitrarily assumed, they could be changed, if'the oerson desired it. Change of name did not mean haying one •nn.tne in Auckland, another in Tarana.kr and another in Marlborough. Such' names were called aliases. 41ml as such were very well known, in Police Court proceedings.