[elric]

It's interesting how different countries treat "names" in different ways. In the UK, for instance, changing your name is super easy. You tell the government your name is now Foo Bar, and you're done. They'll update their pointers and issue new documents.

In Belgium, changing your name is virtually impossible. The king (ostensibly) has to grant permission; you need to provide a "valid reason". This never made sense to me.