Birth Name Question

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My name page is listed as "Timothy Collins" and my birth name is listed as "Timothy G. Collins". My question is, if I decided to change my main listing to Timothy G. Collins, could I then remove the birth name? It would just be duplicate info and I think it would be pretty redundant for my page to say "Timothy G. Collins was born as Timothy G. Collins".
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Timothy Collins

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Posted 6 years ago

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bluesmanSF, Champion

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I don't know, but suspect, it would drop off.  You could submit a request to delete it and add explanation that it's redundant because of the name change. That "bio" is a computer generated one based on data from your page.  So, the easiest thing to do to be assured of that change is to write and submit a bio yourself that would replace the one there.

See the guideline for Mini-Biographies
(Edited)
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Timothy Collins

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Yeah that's true about the bio, but I still think it would be redundant to have the name & birth name be the same thing. I'll try and see if they'll remove it once I change the name page. Cuz I know IMDb doesn't like to remove true info but maybe they will because the same info will already be there. Thanks for your quick reply.
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bluesmanSF, Champion

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Do it in the same submission so they can see it's just being cleaned up.

Good luck! You're welcome!
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Timothy Collins

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I have one more question on this topic. Is it possible to change your listing name without adding the 'preserve previous name' attributes. I do not want those (as Timothy Collins) attribute next to all my credits. I was not always credited as Timothy Collins so they wouldn't all be accurate anyway. I asked to skip over that part once in the past and IMDb did it anyway.
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gromit82, Champion

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If you were not usually credited as Timothy Collins, you can un-check the box that says "Preserve previous name on existing credits. i.e. '(as Timothy Collins)'". (I can't guarantee that the attribute or lack of attribute will be processed correctly, but it ought to be.)

But once your name correction goes through, you should submit corrections to any attributes as needed so that the correct version of your name will be associated with each of your credits, including (as Timothy Collins) for any films where you were in fact credited under that name.
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DavidAH_Ca, Champion

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As the Submission Guide: Names states :
The primary name for a person in the IMDb is the one by which they are most often credited.
They are willing to change the Primary Name to a name that has not yet been seen on screen if you "will be using a different name for all future credits", but do not want it changed away from your 'stage name'.   Changing your Primary Name just to affect another item in your Biography section will be seen as basically submitting inaccurate data.

If you were credited on screen differently than your Primary Name, that needs to be indicated in the credits with the appropriate (as ...) attribute. If you change to a Name that has not been used in an on-screen credit, then every credit will need to have an (as ...) attribute; it doesn't matter what you wish it to look like. 

IMDb lists credits as they appeared on screen; your IMDb credits must reflect that.
(Edited)
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Timothy Collins

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Thank you for your replies. If I do decide to change my main listing name it would be because that's how I'd want to be credited from now on, not to change bio information. I have been toying with the idea of using my middle initial for differentiation.

I was just wondering if the previous name attributes were required and you've answered my question. Thank you.
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bluesmanSF, Champion

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Yep.  Besides, if you change how IMDb describes on screen credits, your credits could endlessly be corrected back to the "as..." credit (or worse, end up getting moved off your page to a new page in the old name).

You're welcome!