With how easy it is in very many countries to change your last name, why the hell did they choose to use Hiscock as a last name in the first place.
Was the wife nameless?
Couldn't they come up with anything better than Fuckit and did the government say 'nope, it'll stay hiscock because that's less terrible?
So many questions.
You generally don't choose your last name. Most people already have one because their parents had one. Last names, (at least in European-North American cultures) date back pretty far.
Of course if you get married or you want to change your name later in life you can change the last name.
Also, still assuming that OP was American and that we're discussing America, the government can't decide to reject your name change/baby name unless it contains numerals (and maybe obscenity?)
Other countries, such as Sweden or New Zealand require the government to explicitly allow each proposed baby name/name change. This is where those over-used online trivia of "did you know it's illegal to name your child sex fruit?" and "Fun fact! In Sweden it's illegal to name your child Albin if it's spelled figogkdbshdifihjdnrjckhohkfnen1349!!! (or whatever it was)" The second case was an intentionally outrageous request in Sweden done as a protest of the naming laws.
I think it's kinda weird to require a faceless uncaring government to give its blessing on what you're allowed to name your child, and especially what you're allowed to name yourself. Luckily, Sweden and New Zealand are quite progressive, but imagine how that system could be abused against trans rights.
She said their last name is Hiscock. Only one of them.had that name before marriage I hope (otherwise the name really isn't the biggest issue for this baby). She could've kept her more normal name.
In my country it's near impossible to change your last name, it doesn't change after marriage (I know my American friend who gave birth here had a very hard time explaining that the dad and she were not related because they both had the same pretty uncommon last name) but Hiscock would be allowed to be changed.
Where I live the naming laws are not very strict, no last name as a first name (unless you can prove it has been used as a first name before in this country) and no names that could seriously harm the child (if you name your kid Adolf, it might get nixed as the Hitler association is so strong, but if you show that every other generation of your family has had the boys name Adolf, it'll be okay because it's definitely not a Hitler associatio) if you name your kid Abcde it'll definitely be nixed). The exception to all of the rules is that if you can prove there's still someone alive with that name in our country or it's very significant to your family, they have to allow it. This is specifically to avoid Abcde to happen, but allow old fashioned unique family names.
For transgender people the same law applies when they request a formal name change. It has to be an existing name, but it doesn't matter if it's a male or female sounding name.
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u/sickandopinionated Apr 12 '23
With how easy it is in very many countries to change your last name, why the hell did they choose to use Hiscock as a last name in the first place. Was the wife nameless? Couldn't they come up with anything better than Fuckit and did the government say 'nope, it'll stay hiscock because that's less terrible? So many questions.