In the United States, unless you’re a woman who has just gotten married, changing your name can be a difficult and lengthy ordeal depending on what state you live in. But in the UK, it’s a much simpler process and a record 85,000 people underwent name changes in 2015, including one man who will now forever (or, until he changes it back) be known as “Bacon Double Cheeseburger.”
The 33-year-old man formerly known as Simon Smith had a very good reason to become Mr. Double Cheeseburger, as he says that “a name is the least important part of your personalty — it’s given to you by someone else.” Also, it was the first thing he came up with. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(For the record, his 32-year-old fiancée says she refuses to become “Mrs. Double Cheeseburger.”)
While most had more serious reasons to change their name, such as same sex couples who’d gotten married or those who identify as transgender, a lot of people besides Bacon Double Cheeseburger did it just for sh*ts and giggles, such as these newly-monikered individuals:
- Penelope Pitstop
- Bruce Wayne
- Bowser ijustwannadrift Moore
- Mr. and Mrs. Amazing
- Queens Park Rangers
- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (British footballers)
- Sarge Metalfatigue
- Simply MyLove Poet
Those in the UK who want a new identity need only £33 and 10 to 15 minutes to fill out an online form, and later have your official documents signed by a witness when they arrive via post. So… not “acquiring a firearm in the United States” easy, but pretty damn easy nonetheless.