Legal Name Changes

A man was arrested recently in Madison, Wisconsin for possession of a small amount of marijuana and a knife. His name is Beezow Doo-Doo Zoppitybop-Bop-Bop, legally changed October of 2011 from Jeffrey Drew Wilschke... One may wonder, "Why change a name?" While that personal decision could stem from a variety of motivations, from the inane to the intensely personal, a more pertinent question might be "What constitutes a 'legal' name change?"

In the United States, what exactly are the laws regarding this subject?

1. You can’t change your name just to escape money you owe, or the law.
2. You can’t choose a name that would intimidate, offend, or be considered obscene.
3. You can’t choose a racial slur.

This is pretty much as far as established precedent goes in delineating what one may choose to call oneself. Other issues may be in play depending on your state, such as a preference against numbers (8 vs. “Eight”) etc.