# Surname changed legally

**URL:** <https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/surname-changed-legally/7472>\
**Category:** RootsMagic\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [May 15, 2023, 12:18am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/surname-changed-legally/7472 "2023-05-15T00:18:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bills012](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/51bf81/32.png) [@Bills012](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/Bills012)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 12:18am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/surname-changed-legally/7472/1 "2023-05-15T00:18:49Z")

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I have two brothers in my tree that legally changed their surname to Young from Pulaski.  
Not from adoption or anything like that. They just wanted to change it. How do I show this?

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**Author:** ![Rwcrooks](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.rootsmagic.com/rwcrooks/32/1151_2.png) [@Rwcrooks](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/Rwcrooks)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/surname-changed-legally/7472/2 "2023-05-15T00:22:36Z")

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Alternate Name fact…….

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**Author:** ![cweese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@cweese](https://community.rootsmagic.com/u/cweese)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 1:44am UTC](https://community.rootsmagic.com/t/surname-changed-legally/7472/3 "2023-05-15T01:44:27Z")

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Or describe what happened in the note for the person’s name or the alternate name. Or use the miscellaneous fact or create a custom fact if it is not just a one off thing. Several ways to do it.