| HN Mirror

> Is Prince's legal name [Insert Symbol Here], or is it 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince'?

He never changed his legal name, only his stage name.

Governments won't let you legally change your name to just anything. If the computer systems they use to generate drivers licenses and passports can't accept your new name, you can't have it. While the rules vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, very often, bureaucrats and/or judges have to review and approve your new name, and they will reject names that are unpronounceable, cannot be written in the standard alphabet, are offensive, or are just plain too weird. English-speaking countries generally speaking are relatively liberal on choosing names; some European countries are much more restrictive, even telling parents "you can't name your child that because it is not on our list of approved names".

Actually, some states here in Australia ban the use of "Prince" as a name (e.g [0]). That's because it is considered a royal title, not a name. So if Prince had been born in Australia (Prince was not just a stage name, it was his legal first name) he could never have been called that. However, although you can't legally call your child that, it still can be your legal name if you immigrate from a jurisdiction in which that name is allowed. (Interesting hypothetical: what if Prince had moved to Australia and had a son that he wanted to call Prince Jr? Probably the bureaucracy would have denied it, but you can appeal to the courts, and there's a chance the courts might decide it would be legitimate to make an exception in such a case.)

[0] https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/births/naming-your-child/naming-r...