Wood

BACKGROUND

On April 12, 2023, representing herself, appellant Samantha E. Wood filed a petition for change of name. The petition was on the Judicial Council Form and sought to change her name to Candi Bimbo Doll, and asserted this basis for the change: “This is an identity I have pursued well over a decade; I have already embraced it and taken numerous, permanent steps to secure it. The name is the last thing left. I promise I know what I’m requesting.” The petition was signed under penalty of perjury. No opposition was filed to the petition. No hearing was held.

1 On July 14, 2023, the trial court entered an order denying the petition, which order provided in its substantive entirety as follows: “Petitioner requests to change her name to ‘Candi Bimbo Doll.’ Petitioner here asserts that she has pursued the identity for well over a decade, has ‘already embraced it, and taken numerous steps to secure it. The name is the last thing left.’ “A person has a common law right to change their name to ‘Candi Bimbo Doll’ without the necessity of any legal proceeding. (California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) 1279.5(a).) A CCP 1276 proceeding to change a person’s name merely provides a…