Humans love naming things . Gardenias , flamingos , clothespins , you name it . Literally , you name it .
For people , our nameshelp to found our unique position in the creation , often summing up in one word our introductory personal data of sexuality , nationality and family history . Whether based on days of week ( as with some tribes in Africa ) , Hopi familial tradition or Jewish religious custom , all civilization have developed naming conventions . And after all that effort , many stilltweak their own namesinto a nickname like Moose or Flash .
But are we legally obligated to have a name ? Could we wipe out it and go with nothing , diving into the ultimate anonymity ?
In the United States , go without a name is not inherently illegal . Police wo n’t nail you for not having a name . But you ca n’t legally identify yourself without one , which would make things hard for you . For instance , you need a sound name on a birth credential orsocial securitycard to prevail a driver ’s license orpassport , exposed abankaccount and get a job .
By virtue ofcommon lawadopted through motor lodge decisions rather than legislative action , you may change your name without a court order simply by using it in all facial expression of your life . While state laws rule how you’re able to lawfully change your name , in general , Beauregard can become any Tom , Dick or Harry as long as the new soubriquet is n’t :
However , because of identity shammer and citation placard theft , most administration agency will require forms to be filled out and filed if you ’re shift your name and require the Modern name on your passport , for example [ source : FindLaw ] .
Other land including Australia , Germany and Spain have standardised laws regarding first names . That said , you still could not legally switch your name to nothing because you would have no acceptable way to verify your identity .
But what about naming babies ? Can parents prefer to not name their kid ?
Must Babies Be Named Before Leaving Hospital?
In the United States , no matter where a woman gives nascence , she is de jure obligated at some point in time to report it to the appropriate government entity , usually a department of health and human services or full of life records . That entail fill up out a first and last name for the child . How long the mother has to occupy out that birthing credentials varies by state .
Contrary to popular belief , you do n’t have to give your baby a name before leaving hospital . In the absence of a name , hospitals will designate a namelike " Babygirl Smith " to your infant , though a2015 studyshowed that using a more classifiable naming pattern like " Janesgirl Smith " ( for the daughter of Jane Smith ) could reduce " wrong - patient role errors " in the facility .
Even in the absence of a name , the hospital will still show your infant ’s parturition and send the info to your state ’s wellness department . ( You canget a copy of the birth certificatefrom your State Department or county ’s section of full of life record book . ) The procedure for add a name afterwards may depart depending on the DoS you exist in .
For instance in California , you have torequest a " supplemental name report " formfrom your wellness section , occupy it out with your babe ’s name and then send it directly to the birth register ( vital criminal record ) . You have a year to do this without a fee .
Although naming customs for babies take issue across the world , all countries have some sort of vital records collection , whether centrally or locally controlled . In fact , Article 7 of theUnited NationsConvention on the Rights of a tyke states that all children have a " right from parentage to a name " [ origin : United Nations ] .
But if you pluck something too off the wall , mind . In 2007 , the New Zealand government revoked Pat and Sheena Watson ’s name extract for their son . The offender?4Real . Like the United States , New Zealand does not allow the presence of numeral in legal names .
German parents must comply stricter standards enforced by the local enrollment office , call theStandesamt . They must select a moniker that reflect the sister ’s sex and will not incite ridicule for the child [ origin : Gesley].Icelandhas like law and a list of approved names . In Zambia , boys and daughter are require to change their names at puberty and may go through several name during their life [ source : Tembo ] .
