Middleton, Application of
| Decision Date | 01 October 1969 |
| Parties | Application of Robert Lee MIDDLETON for Leave to Change His name to Kikuga Nairobi Kikugus. |
| Court | New York City Court |
George D. Covington, New York City, for petitioner.
Petitioner is an American-born citizen over 25 years of age and is a student attending college in the City of New York. The petitioner states that as a student of Africa and its culture he has chosen a name based on its heritage. In addition, he stated that he intends to instruct the world as to the attitudes and behavioristic patterns of the African people, and therefore would like to assume the name of KIKUGA NAIROBI KIKUGUS.
It is common knowledge that Nairobi is the capitol of the African nation, Kenya. However, upon this Court's investigation as to the meaning of the words Kikuga and Kikugus, for which we owe the Kenyanese Embassy and the Afro-American Institute our thanks for their cooperation, no special significance or meaning can be found for these two words.
The contention urged by the petitioner to support his application for a change of name is unfounded. The petitioner need not assume a name so unlike his own in order to teach or instruct others in African heritage. His present name, Robert Lee Middleton, is a fine American name, and one which any individual should be proud to bear. The petitioner's father proudly bore the name Middleton and the petitioner's mother's maiden name of Sinclair is another honored American name. The petitioner should be proud not only of his American citizenship but of his name, his forbears, and his American ancestry as well. The petitioner need not change his name to teach any subject either in this great country or in any other country.
Many universities in the United States have recently commenced programs and studies devoted to the African heritage, their administrators and directors are learned American men and women who are proud of their dual heritage and are pursuing fields of study appropos to education, background and academic interests without resort to such subterfuge as changing their patronymics. The petitioner's stated purpose for changing his name will tend to mislead those he would like to instruct as to the attitudes and behavior of the African people.
This Court, in the Matter of Green, 54 Misc.2d 606, 283 N.Y.S.2d 242; Matter of Jama, 51 Misc.2d 9, 272 N.Y.S.2d 677; Matter of Wing, 4 Misc.2d 840, 157 N.Y.S.2d...
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People v. Jones
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