Massachusetts Name Change Center
The Massachusetts Name Change Law Center is a resource on changing your name in Massachusetts.
Start Your Massachusetts Name Change Today!
Visit our dedicated Massachusetts Name Change Law site to buy forms to legally change your name in MA. Our name change kits include:
All the forms you need. Filing instructions
also included.
100% Court Approval Guarantee.
FREE Will, Power of Attorney & Living Will.
Attorney
authored and approved.
Courts and Community Resources
MediationGlossary of Family Law Terms
Massachusetts Bar Association
Massachusetts Judicial Branch
Probate and Family Court Department Jurisdiction and Information
MASS State Statutory Resources
Chapter 210. Adoption of Children and Change of NamesMassachusetts Name Change Law
Chapter 210: Section 12. Petitions for change of name.
Section 12. A petition for the change of name of a person may be heard by the probate court in the county where the petitioner resides. The change of name of a person shall be granted unless such change is inconsistent with public interests.
Chapter 210: Section 13. Notice and certificate; decree; entry; conditions precedent.
Section 13. The court shall, before decreeing a change of name, request a report from the commissioner of probation on the person filing the petition and, except for good cause shown, require public notice of the petition to be given and any person may be heard thereon, and, upon entry of a decree, the name as established thereby shall be the legal name of the petitioner, and the register may issue a certificate, under the seal of the court, of the name as so established.
No decree shall be entered, however, until there has been filed in the court a copy of the birth record of the person whose name is sought to be changed and, in case such person's name has previously been changed by decree of court or at marriage pursuant to section one D of chapter forty-six, either a copy of the record of his birth amended to conform to the previous decree changing his name, a copy of such decree, or a copy of the record of marriage; provided, that the filing of any such copy may be dispensed with if the judge is satisfied that it cannot be obtained.
Chapter 210: Section 14. Annual return of changes.
Section 14. Each register of probate shall annually, in December, make a return to the commissioner of public health and the commissioner of probation of all changes of name made in his court.