The following website is a great resource if your friend is going to change his name.

http://www.soyouwanna.com/SITE/syws/changename/changenameFULL.html

In particular section 3 called “Change your Records” notes this:

Some of these places (such as the Social Security Administration) will insist on seeing documentation. Others will not. Some will just need a phone call, while others will need to see you in person or get it in writing. Documentation helps with your transition between names, so the more documentation you get, the easier the subsequent changes will be.

When sending a letter, be sure to state clearly your new and old name and explain that you want them interchanged. Enclose a copy of your court order to prove you’re for real.

Also, do not immediately throw away your old identification. It may be necessary to prove who you once were. Some IDs, like your passport, may carry an A.K.A. (“also known as”), so you’re not completely free of your original name.

Anyway, they dont give a time range for how long it takes but it sounds to me like a very long and frustrating process. This said, if your friend has alot of time and is determined to get this done then it is possible.

So my answer is that its not probable but it is possible.

I don’t think your friend wants to go through life explaining WHY he did it, and believe me he will. You can’t change a birth certificate. That’s a given. Changing a transcript? all of a sudden from Al Jones to Raheem El-Shadeem? I think you get my drift. He will face more questions than I think he really wants. If its for a GOOD reason, *such as emancipation from his parents* ok. If its just to “express himself”, forget it.