Resources > Glossary > Name Change

Glossary of Notary Public, Mortgage, Signing Agent, and Loan Signing Terms.

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Common Terms 1   Common Terms 2

Name Change

Function: noun

If a notary changes their name, they should check to see what their state's notary laws regarding name changes of notaries. Sometimes, the notary can continue using their existing commission provided that they sign the way their name is on their commission. In other states, it might be necessary to inform the notary division and/or county clerk where their commission is based, or to start a completely new commission with a new seal.

It is common for signers or borrowers to use a particular name variation on the loan documents that might differ from a name variation that is on their identification or Title. In such cases, it is often a remedy to use a Signature Affidavit and AKA statement. That way, the borrower can sign using any of their name variations and the loan still has a chance of going through. Many lenders do not like the idea of using name variations since it makes it harder to resell the loan, so documents often have to be redrawn using the name variation that the borrower is comfortable using. Marriage is the most common reason that people change their names, so notarizing ladies on loan documents who have recently been married or divorced will likely have some name variation issues.