I changed mine a decade ago in NY, it was a requirement then. The judge almost denied my name change because he couldn't comprehend why someone would change their name for non-marital reasons.
Having legal recognition as a trans person is a lot easier now, but it's still not perfect and requires so many layers of additional bullshit bureaucracy that cis people don't have to deal with.
They're terrified of being treated the same way they treat minorities and women