Namen und Recht in Großbritannien aus rechtswissenschaftlicher Sicht

Abstract

British personal names from a linguistic perspective. ‒ On the Continent, names have been heavily regulated since the 19th century. In Great Britain, on the other hand, acquiring and changing a name are governed by custom rather than law, although some legal rules exist for the names of legal entities. In its first part, this article considers how natural persons acquire (1.1.) and change (1.2.) their name in Great Britain. It also discusses three – potentially conflicting – interests that might be affected by a change of name, i.e. the interests of the public and in particular the state; the interests of other persons bearing the same name; and the interests of parents in the case of a minor child’s change of name (1.3.). In its second part, the article deals with the names of legal entities (2.). It concludes with a short resumé.