Change of Name

Change of Name

Any changes to your legal name of record requires the following:

• one of the following: a certified copy of your birth certificate, valid (current) passport, a marriage license issued by a county or city clerk, a divorce decree from a court of law, or a court ordered name change
• a second piece of identification in the form of a government-issued photo ID

You can bring your official documents in person to the Student Services Center located at Tresidder Memorial Union, 2nd floor, or mail notarized copies of your documents with a cover letter explaining the change. If you choose to mail the certified documents, you must sign the cover letter and include your Stanford student ID number or social security number, and date of birth. Mail should be sent to:

Office of the University Registrar
Stanford University
630 Serra Street, Suite 120
Stanford, CA 94305-6032

International students who wish to change their name of record must first consult with the Bechtel International Center.

Correct an Error in Primary Name of Record

Students who need to correct an error in their primary name of record at Stanford University must present the following documents:

• birth certificate or current, valid passport
• a second piece of identification in the form of a government-issued photo ID

See above for submission instructions.

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Marriage

Students who wish to change their name due to a recent marriage must present the following documents:

• original marriage license bearing the official filing stamp from the county or parish in which the license was issued
• a second piece of identification in the form of a government-issued photo ID

See above for submission instructions.

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Divorce

Students who wish to change their name due to divorce need to present the following documents:

• original divorce decree that includes a specific decree granting restoration of the maiden name. The decree must be signed by the presiding judge and bear the county filing stamp
• a second piece of identification in the form of a government-issued photo ID

If you choose to request this change via mail, you need only include a certified copy of the first page of the decree, the page containing the name restoration order, and the page bearing the judge's signature. See above for submission instructions.

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Court Order

Students who wish to change their legal name for personal or other reasons, must present the following documents:

• original court order for the name change signed by the presiding judge and bearing the official county filing stamp
• a second piece of identification in the form of a government-issued photo ID

See above for submission instructions.

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Preferred Name

Students may request that their "Preferred Name" be different from their legal name of record. The "Preferred Name" is used for services such as email. Examples: change a legal name of "Mary Jane Poe" to "MJ Poe", or "Frederick Andrew Wright" to "Andy Wright".

Note that the diploma name should match the primary name of record. Click here for information on the diploma name.

To change a "Preferred Name," submit a Student Service Center Help Ticket.

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