Getting a legal name change in Alabama requires the filing of a petition with the Probate Court in the county where you reside. Section 12-13-1 of the Alabama Code states that the Probate Court has jurisdiction regarding all name change petitions in Alabama.
The Alabama Code required that a petitioner file "a declaration in writing, signed by him, stating the name by which he is known and the name to which he wishes it to be changed." (See, Code of Alabama).