Comedian Ellen Degeneres (left) and actress Portia de Rossi pose backstage after Degeneres won the award for Favorite Talk Show Host at the 35th annual People's Choice awards in Los Angeles January 7, 2009. (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Comedian Ellen DeGeneres' spouse Portia de Rossi has filed a legal request to change her name to "Portia Lee James DeGeneres," according to a court document.

The request was filed on August 6 in Los Angeles, but the document, which was posted on the Internet by E! Online, shows that de Rossi signed it in late March.

The couple were married in California in August 2008, during a time when same-sex marriage licenses were being issued. A subsequent law passed by California voters banned gay marriage in the state, but just last week, a federal judge in California declared that ban unconstitutional. The judge's decision is being appealed in a higher court.

De Rossi, who has starred in TV shows such as "Nip/Tuck" and "Arrested Development," previously changed her name, at age 15, from Amanda Lee Rogers to her current De Rossi.

DeGeneres is the popular host over her own daytime talk show.