Name change - Two countries, two names

[lampropoulosa]

Hi, I'm new to these forums. I was born in Greece with a long name. My family and I lived in Greece till recently, when I moved to the US to study. I have had US citizenship through birth (my parents), however when my grandfather first came to the US a long time ago he shortened the last name, so as a result I have a different name on my US passport than I do on my Greek passport. Due to this reason, this makes everything very complicated for my personal, social and business life, and I'm confused about my identity and which name to use, and when. I consider my Greek name to really be mine, since I grew up with it, and I don't like the shortened one. Furthermore, I feel like I lose my cultural identity by shortening it. When someone sees my name, I want them to know where I come from. If I do return (which I plan to) I would like people to know that I grew up using my one and only name, that I was born with in Greece. Lastly, I don't want our family name to get lost. My question to you is: How do I change my US name, from the shortened one, back to the longer, original Greek one? Who do I contact? Embassies, consulates, social security offices? Do I need to go to court? Do I need a lawyer? This is all too confusing for me and your help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Alex

 

[König]

If you were residing in the USA, it would be relatively easy to do in a court. Once you arrive to the USA, you can try to do it this way, but because you have not really resided in the USA long enough (no Social Security Number, no driving licence, etc), I am not sure if the court will approve your petition.

Mu advise would be to contact the US embassy or consulate in Greece regarding your question.