This blog is about why Anna and I chose our last name instead of defaulting to a family surname. You probably are getting the idea that we do things on our own terms and this was no different. Up until this July my name was Justin Smith and now it is Justin Holladay.
It’s not that I don’t like the name “Smith”, which is the most popular surname in America. According to the 2000 census there were 2.4 million Smiths, with Johnson a distant second at 1.9 million people. Though, the reason we chose our own last name is not because it is too common, which is also a perfectly fine reason to pick another last name.
My family growing up was not very strong and I had thought about changing my name many times since high school and in college I discovered the concept of “Chosen Family”. The idea that we can create family out of friends and non-blood relationships resonated with me deeply. If getting married is the ultimate way to choose your family, why not show another tangible sign that the road we are forging together is new and completely our own? We have started a brand new family, free from any baggage and with the privilege of creating new traditions.
The process was a little confusing, but by July I was a new man! The most frequently asked question we get is why we chose “Holladay”. There isn’t some deep reason . We chose Holladay because it is fun to write and say! I love the way all the loops come together in cursive and Anna can’t wait to send out our first holiday cards with “Happy holidays from the Holladays!”
In most places in Georgia you can go to your local court house and find the Superior Court office. Here you can find the Petition of Name Change form and fill it out and submit it. You will be given a court hearing date about 30 days from then. Place an ad in the classifieds of your local paper announcing your intention to change your name (the court will tell you how to do this), which will run four weeks. After the notice has run in the paper you simply return to the courthouse on the appointed hearing date and you will speak with the judge, wait, and leave with your official Decree of Name Change!
The whole process cost me ~$200 and a month of time. If you are interested in the doing something like this yourself find your local Superior Court, download the documents and get started!
Happily,
The Holladays
