I am interested in the process by which notable individuals changed their names. Obviously in many cases it was because they inherited a title, but there are other examples that may be interesting. Specifically, why and how did the Wesley family change to Wellesley in the late 18th century? Was it to avoid confusion with the famous dissenting preacher? What was the official procedure (if any) for a family such as this to change their name?
Also why did Arthur Wellesley choose the name 'Wellington' for his title, out of all the possible places he could have selected? If he had chosen a location connected to his family, he could have been 'The Duke of Dangan'. 😃As an aside, does anyone know of an individual who had more changes of name than Henry Bayly Lord Paget Uxbridge Anglesea?