An unemployed cabinet installer, Douglas Allen Smith Jr, perhaps with a bit too much time on his hands, legally changed his name last month to Captain Awesome. He says he was inspired by a character on NBC's Chuck—Dr. Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb.

It wasn't totally smooth sailing for Awesome, however: He had to swear before the Oregon judge who granted his request that he wasn't changing his name for fraudulent reasons. The judge, however, is allowing Awesome to sign his name as < :) >, reports the Associated Press. But Awesome's bank isn't buying it. They say it is too "forgeable."

On another note, a New Zealand girl was made a ward of court in 2008 so she could alter her name to something more unusual. The child, then nine, had been named "Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii" but hated her bizarre moniker and had asked friends to call her simply "K."

Another man from Derby, England, packing as many pop culture references as possible into his new name was the goal in 2008. Aron Brown, then 25, was one of a record 46,000 Brits to change his name that year and chose the new moniker "Aron Mufasa Columbo Fonzerelli Ball In A Cup Boogie Woogie Brown."

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