Florida Statutes 2.01 provides:
Common law and certain statutes declared in force.—The common and statute laws of England which are of a general and not a local nature, with the exception hereinafter mentioned, down to the 4th day of July, 1776, are declared to be of force in this state; provided, the said statutes and common law be not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States and the acts of the Legislature of this state.
In re Adoption of Long, 56 So. 2d 450 - Fla: Supreme Court 1952 states:
The use of the assumed name gives us little concern. After all, a name is but the designation of a person, a means of identification, and there can be no doubt that Mary Alice Long was thoroughly identified both as the mother of the child and the signatory of the consent agreement, and she was therefore bound. National Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Saffold, 225 Ala. 664, 144 So. 816. Farnum v. Bankers & Shippers Insurance Company of New York, 281 Mass. 364, 183 N.E. 718. One may adopt a name different from his true one, and his contracts under the assumed name will be binding if unaffected by fraud. Lord v. Cummings, 303 Mass. 457, 22 N.E.2d 26. The mother's purpose is so obvious as to dispel any idea of fraud. She was about to bear an illegitimate child, and she chose this method to secure anonymity.
Isom v. CIR. COURT OF TENTH JUDICIAL CIR., 437 So. 2d 732 - Fla: Dist. Court of Appeals, 2nd Dist. 1983 states:
At common law a person could adopt another name at will, absent a fraudulent, criminal, or wrongful purpose. Moskowitz v. Moskowitz, 118 N.H. 199, 385 A.2d 120 (1978). The codification of this common law right was intended primarily to aid the individual's right to a name change at will, giving the advantage of a public record to document the change. 57 Am.Jur.2d Name § 11; In re Application of Knight, 36 Colo. App. 187, 537 P.2d 1085 (1975); 79 A.L.R.3d 559. In keeping with the common law tradition, in Florida a person may adopt a name other than his or her own as long as no fraudulent or wrongful purposes are involved. See Adoption of Long, 56 So.2d 450 (Fla. 1952).
Smithers v. Smithers, 804 So. 2d 489 - Fla: Dist. Court of Appeals, 4th Dist. 2001 states:
While there is a name change procedure set forth in section 68.07, Florida Statutes (1999), names are the subject of both common law and statutory law.
Jordan v. Robinson, 39 So. 3d 416 - Fla: Dist. Court of Appeals, 4th Dist. 2010 states:
At common law, "a person could adopt another name at will, absent a fraudulent, criminal, or wrongful purpose." Isom v. Circuit Court of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, 437 So.2d 732, 733 (Fla. 2d DCA 1983). Section 68.07 is a "codification of this common law right ... intended primarily to aid the individual's right to a name change at will, giving the advantage of a public record to document the change." Id.; see Smithers v. Smithers, 804 So.2d 489 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001) (recognizing that absent a fraudulent purpose, a court may not order a person to change her name without her consent).
Affidavit