Family & Safety

An adult may want to legally change their name. There are many reasons to change a name, including:

• Changing a name after marriage to your new spouse’s last name,
• Going back to your name before marriage, after a divorce,
• Religious reasons,
• Gender affirmation,
• Avoiding an abuser, and
• Simply not liking your current name.

In Illinois, there is a process to legally change your name starting with filing a case in court requesting to change your name. If the judge grants the name change, you can take the order to different agencies, organizations, and businesses to update your legal documents and records.

Learn more about Adult name change common questions.