word or words used to distinguish an individual are known as his name. His family name, the name of Ins father, is the surname ; the other names being called " christian." The surname can be changed at any time, at the will of the owner, where there is no fraudulent or criminal intent, either by merely relinquishing it and adopting another without any special form. It may also be changed by royal licence, or by executing a deed poll, or by advertising the change, or by both of the two last mentioned modes. The formal modes are always the most useful on account of their availability as evidence. An illegitimate child having legally no father, has also no sur name, and acquires one by reputation only ; there is, however, no reason why he should not adopt the surname of either his mother or his natural father. A man can take, as a general rule, any surname he pleases, for no one has such a property in his ovvn name as to prevent another nia.n assuming it. The exception to the rule occurs in a case where a man has a TRADE NAME (q.v.), whether his own originally or an assumed one; then, under certain circumstances, he can prevent another man taking that name. A name has been said to be "the very being of the constitution" of a corpora tion or company, and though a company acquires a legal name upon registra tion there is nothing to prevent it acquiring by reputation a subsidiary or additional trade name. Neither its legal nor its trade name can be assumed
by any other company. A christian name—one conferred at baptism— differs from a surname in that it cannot be changed, unless, perhaps, by a bishop at confirmation. In contemplation of law a man can have only one christian name, and accordingly the foreign practice, when there are more than one, of compounding them, is the more correct one. A man is not allowed to deny that a name he may have used in a contract under seal is not his own.
It often happens that property is given under a will or settlement upon condition that the recipient assumes a specified surname and arms, or a sur name only. In such cases the will or settlement very frequently indicates the mode in which the assumption shall be made ; where this is so the recipient must act in accordance with the indication. When a Royal Licence is obtained the following are the Stamp duties.
Grant or Licence under the sign manual of His Majesty to take and use a surname and arms, or a surname only.
In compliance with the injunctions of any will or settlement . £50 0 0 Upon any voluntary application • . 10 0 0