▁of ▁the ▁very ▁earliest ▁preced ent - setting ▁US ▁federal ▁court ▁cases ▁involving ▁common ▁law ▁name ▁change . ▁A ▁woman ▁who ▁had ▁changed ▁her ▁last ▁name ▁to ▁one ▁that ▁was ▁not ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁original ▁surname ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁claim ▁control ▁over ▁her ▁inheritance . ▁The ▁court ▁ruled ▁in ▁her ▁favor . ▁This ▁set ▁forth ▁many ▁things . ▁By ▁common ▁law , ▁one ▁may ▁law fully ▁change ▁their ▁name ▁and ▁be ▁" known ▁and ▁recognized " ▁by ▁that ▁new ▁name . ▁Also , ▁one ▁may ▁enter ▁into ▁any ▁kinds ▁of ▁contract s ▁in ▁their ▁new ▁adopted ▁name . ▁Cont ract s ▁include ▁employ ment ▁( see ▁Co pp age ▁v . ▁Kansas ▁ 2 3 6 ▁U . S . ▁ 1 ), ▁and ▁one ▁can ▁be ▁recognized ▁leg ally ▁in ▁court ▁in ▁their ▁new ▁name . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁in ▁Er ie ▁Exchange ▁v . ▁Lane , ▁ 2 4 6 ▁M d . ▁ 5 5 ▁( 1 9 6 7 ) ▁the ▁Maryland ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁held ▁that ▁a ▁married ▁woman ▁can ▁law fully ▁adopt ▁an ▁assumed ▁name , ▁even ▁if ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁her ▁birth ▁name ▁or ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁her ▁law ful ▁husband , ▁without ▁legal ▁proceed ings . ▁ ▁Common ▁options ▁ ▁Use ▁husband ' s ▁family ▁name ▁In ▁the ▁past , ▁a ▁woman ▁in ▁England ▁would ▁usually ▁assume ▁her ▁new ▁husband ' s ▁family ▁name ▁( or ▁surname ) ▁after ▁marriage ; ▁often ▁she ▁was ▁comp elled ▁to ▁do ▁so