State and territory governments are responsible for the registry of births, deaths and names of residents.
They see many reasons why people want to change their name.
NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Assistant Registrar Ben Finn explains, They may be changing their name to escape domestic violence or start afresh and have a new life. Somebody might have been born with a name like Giovanni and then have used an Anglicised version of that name such as John throughout their life and then when they go to apply for a passport the organization might turn around and say we require a change of name to establish that Giovanni and John are the same person; or it may be difficult to pronounce, it may have other associations that they feel are connected to that name.
Some people change their name to avoid discrimination against their ethnic background.
The NSW Migration Heritage Centre says at the outbreak of World War One many German families in Australia changed their names to stop harassment from the government and community.
Having a multicultural name is currently a concern for some people seeking work.
The Australia@2015 Scanlon Foundation Survey reported experiences of migrants who felt their job applications were rejected solely on the basis of ethnicity and assumed religion.
Participants said after not getting a response to a job, they anglicised their name and received responses with the new name.
The Victorian Government is addressing the issue of discrimination in the job market through an 18-month anonymous resumes trial called Recruit Smarter.
The pilot initiative aims to stamp out workplace hiring biases by omitting personal details, including the applicants name.
Victorias Finance and Multicultural Affairs Minister Robin Scott says people in the job market can be prejudiced against a persons name without realizing it.
Minister Scott admits that changing your name to improve your job prospects should not be happening.
And he says its important for the job market to develop an attitude of non-bias towards the diversity of names in Australia.
If a person wishes to change their name in Australia they must lodge a legal name change application form with Births, Deaths and Marriages in their state or territory.
NSW Assistant Registrar Ben Finn says those who are over 18 and eligibile can apply but rules change across the country.
Requesting the name change can be done in person or online.
For an application to be considered the person must provide specific reasons for wanting to change their name.
For more information on how to apply for a change of name contact the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry in your state or territory or visit www.australia.gov.au .
