Preferred or Chosen Name
We value the diversity of the Johns Hopkins community and strive to create an environment where all students, staff and faculty can fully and genuinely participate in the academic and work experience. In that spirit, Johns Hopkins supports all of the members of its community to use their preferred or chosen name where possible. A chosen or preferred name is the use of a name, usually a first name, that is different from a person’s legal name. There are many reasons that a member of our University community might use a name that is not their legal name. For example, a person may wish to use a chosen or preferred name:
- As a reflection of gender identity;
- As a nickname or to by by their middle name; or
- As a westernized or Americanized name that is either in place of or a version of their native language name.
By empowering the community to use their preferred or chosen name we endeavor to continue to foster a safe academic and work environment. For more information on preferred name options at JHU, see: Chosen Name at JHU.
Legal Name
We recognize and acknowledge the circumstances which may require an individual to update their legal name. Please follow the instructions below to do so.
Employees
Please work with your department administrator, department HR manager, or divisional/school-level HR leader. You will need to submit proof of legal name change (such as a court document, marriage certificate or social security card bearing your new legal name) and then your administrator/HR manager will perform the necessary actions to update your legal name in payroll.
Students
Please use the SEAM Online Form. Select “Records and Registration” and then “Update my student information” from the list of topics. This contains information on how to update your biographical information including legal name.
Multiple Affiliations
If you have more than one affiliation and would like to change your legal name, you will have to contact your administrator for each affiliation. To view your affiliations, log into myJH and click on ‘myProfile, icon, located in the upper right corner. Each tab beyond ‘myProfile’ represents a unique affiliation.