Strange Names

[lilhave]

Record numbers of Brits change name in 2009



Almost 50,000 Brits have officially changed their name in the past 12 months -- and not always to sensible sounding monikers.

Odd names which can now appear on passports, credit cards and bills now include, 'Prince of Passion', ' Richie Rockstar' and 'None of the Above'

The UK Deed Poll Service say twice as many people are switching names as five years ago and while many are women reverting to their maiden name after a divorce, some are more frivolous.

Chief executive Mike Barratt said: "The record year has also produced another wonderful crop of unusual names. The eccentricity of the British public is on show again."

To celebrate this, he has even compiled a list of the top 20 weird name changes of 2009. Check them out after the link… and imagine what it is like to live life as Mr Happy Birthday.
TOP 20 UNUSUAL NAME CHANGES FOR 2009

1. Mitch Prince to Prince of Passion
Age 25 from Cumbernauld.
A professional boxer who represented Scotland in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He wanted to change his name for entertainment reasons and also thinks it is a good chat up line.

2. Colin Brewer to Happy Birthday
Age 43 from London.
Owner of a video production company who wanted a name to go with his children's names (Star, Tiger and Flame). He likes it when people say his name because it always brings a smile to their faces.

3. Darren O'Brien to Ice Man
Age 25 from Dukinfield.
A financial advisor who loves the Top Gun film. So much so, he changed his name to one of the characters.

4. Ava Payne to Ava Truly Scrumptious
Age 44 from Banbury.
A personal stylist who was fed up with her name of Payne. During childhood, she was always called Ava "Payne-in-the-neck". She loves the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and thought it would be good to change her name to Truly Scrumptious.

5. Darren Rolph to Queens Park Rangers
Age 35 from Rochester.
Works on the railways fitting double glazing. He has been a QPR fan for 15 years. He goes to as many games as possible but due to work cannot make them all, he is not a season ticket holder. He has QPR tattooed in big letters on the whole of his back, this was done about 3 years ago.

6. Adam Osen to None of the Above
Age 50 from Chingford.
A prospective MP who intents standing at the General Election next year. He feels that the way people are represented is wrong and feels that someone should take a stand and listen to what the people want. It was his brother's idea for the name.

7. Chris Hunt to Monster Munch
Age 33 from Luton.
A Monster Munch fan who eats them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He even eats them with rice and pasta. His favourite flavour is Roast Beef. Monster says "I know my name change is a bit extreme, but I make sure I eat a balanced diet and I run 35 miles a week and train in the gym three times a week."

8. Frazer Boyle to Motherwell Football Club
Age 20 from Wishaw.
A full-time student studying media. He entered a football competition on the radio and it was to see who was the most dedicated fan. He chose to change his name and won the competition.

9. Michael Bevan to Happy Days Goldfinder
Age 52 from Newquay.
Owns a summer holiday business called Cornish Goldsmith. He pans for gold and looks for buried gold using a metal detector. The name Happy Days came from people asking him "How are you?" to which he always replies "Happy Days." The Goldfinder came from his job. If he can make one person happy in a day, it makes him feel good.

10. Richard Merrison to Richie Rockstar
Age 20 from Poole.
A student studying Geography. He currently uses the name Rockstar as a screen-name and decided to change it. He choose Richie as it sounded cool. He has got his driving licence changed and national insurance number and is in the process of getting the rest changed.

11. Kellyanne Scott to Vote Joe
Age 30 from Gateshead.
Breakfast show presenter for Real Radio (Northeast). She changed her name in November 2009 in support of Joe McElderry, the X Factor winner. Her name change prompted a mass name change at Real Radio's offices in Gateshead on 10th December, where 75 people changed their name to Vote Joe, including Joe McElderry's mum and gran.

12. William George Knox-Gore to Elvis Arron [sic] Presley
Age 63 from Swansea.
A huge Elvis fan and has all of his records, films, lots of photos and clocks. Unfortunately, he never got to meet his idol. He thought by changing his name it would help keep his music alive and would be a great personal tribute to him.

13. Gemma Katherine Lewis to Sunderland AFC Lewis
Age 38 from Gateshead.
A die hard Sunderland fan and currently has 8 tattoos on her back and thought that the next step would be to change her name.

14. Alan Tunnard to Aston Martin
Age 37 from Southampton.
A delivery driver who is a fanatical James Bond fan and collector of Bond cars and autographs. He has been called Aston since he was 12 and thought a change to Aston Martin would reflect his love Aston Martin cars.

15. Mark Pinion to Dolph Ziggler
Age 21 from Dorking.
A sales consultant whose work colleagues love his new name. He was out on a Friday night having a laugh and came up with the name Dolph. He has a friend called Wrigger and came up with Ziggler.

16. William Bryan to Will Funk-Dog Perez
Age 24 from Cannock.
Recently made redundant and decided to start a college course with a new name. The name Funk-Dog was a nickname from the age of 14, Perez is a family name and Will is short for William.

17. General Ninja Ant to Camo u Flage (Anthony Bailey prior to being
General Ninja Ant)
Age 42 from Southend-on-Sea.
A fitness instructor who needed a new name. He is heavily interested in military, hence the name. He has had the top of his head tattooed camouflaged. His room is painted camouflaged and his bedding is all camouflaged. He attends most military shows.

18. Cain Whitehouse to Cain Manchester United Whitehouse
Age 22 from Oxford.
A carpenter who has always been a Man Utd supporter and goes to all of their home games. He is season ticket holder and thought it would be a good idea to show his support to his favourite team.

19. Kevin Davis to Kevin Elvis Aaron Presley Davis
Age 51 from Feltham.
Another huge Elvis fan and has all of his records, tapes, and lots of memorabilia. He has a large tattoo of Elvis's face on his back with "Love Me Tender Love Me Sweet" underneath.

20. Edward Renard to Danny Becks Beckham
Age 16 from Wandsworth.
A student and a massive fan of David Beckham. He has his books and his fragrances and football shirts with number 23 and the name Beckham on the back. He tries to dress like David Beckham and always has his hair styled the same. He follows Beckham's career and is very interested in what he does outside of football.