02/06/2026
🍊❓𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 “𝙊𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚” 𝙩𝙤 “𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚”: 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩?
A “𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 is a word or combination of words by which he is known and identified, and distinguished from others, for the convenience of the world at large in addressing him, or in speaking of or dealing with him”.
Under the Philippine laws, the Courts may allow change of given name through a Petition for change of name under Rule 103 of the Rules of Court provided that the following grounds are present:
✅ when the name is ridiculous, dishonorable or extremely difficult to write or pronounce;
✅ when the change results as a legal consequence of legitimation or adoption;
✅ when the change will avoid confusion;
✅ when one has continuously used and been known since childhood by a Filipino name and was unaware of alien parentage;
✅when the change is based on a sincere desire to adopt a Filipino name to erase signs of former alienage, all in good faith and without prejudice to anybody; and
✅ when the surname causes embarrassment and there is no showing that the desired change of name was for a fraudulent purpose or that the change of name would prejudice public interest.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court notes that changing of name is not a matter of right but a privilege, thus “𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙟𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚”.
⚖️ 𝘚𝘰, 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 "𝙊𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚"𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 "𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚"?
ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘꜱ. However, one cannot simply change a name simply because of personal preference of another name. As discussed, the law requires more than that–the existence of legally recognized grounds and a proper and compelling reason, including proof that the continued use of the official name would be prejudicial.
𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:
Rule 103 of the Rules of Court;
Santos vs. Republic, G.R. No. 250520, 5 May 2021.
𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦? 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱. ✉️😃😉
