Citizens of the UK have the right to change their name at any time, provided that it is not their intention to deceive another person, e.g. avoiding bankruptcy by becoming someone else.
You can change any part of your name, add or remove names or just rearrange them.
All you have to do is start using your new name; there is no actual legal process to it.
However, organisations such as the DVLA or the passport office will require evidence of your name change. A marriage certificate is usually sufficient if this is why you are changing your name. Otherwise, you will need to have a deed poll drawn up by the UK Deed Poll Office.
Confused as to what a Deed Poll is? Here we go.
Deed Polls
A deed poll is a legal document formally stating what you have changed your name from and what you have changed it to.
You can legally change your name without one, but a deed poll is the most widely accepted form of evidence of a name change.
When you sign a deed poll, you are legally obligated to:
- Expect all people to address you by the new name
- Abandon the use of your former name
- Use only your new name
Like any legal contract, a deed poll for a change of name should be written by a solicitor or can be ordered online. This will ensure that it is recognised by all the relevant parties, government bodies and other organisations. It also ensures that you don’t have any trouble applying for a passport, driving licence or any other documentation using your new name.
For some organisations, a letter from a responsible person such as a GP or solicitor will be sufficient evidence of a name change. It is possible to make a public announcement in a newspaper or to use a statutory declaration.
What restrictions are there?
While it is technically possible to change your name to anything you want it to be, solicitors or online websites will not normally issue deed poll documentation for name changes which:
- Don’t include at least one surname and one forename
- Are impossible to pronounce
- Include numbers, symbols or punctuation marks (except hyphens for double-barrelled surnames or apostrophes for names such as O’Brien)
- Are vulgar, offensive or profane
- Promote racial or religious hatred or any other criminal activity
- Promote the use of controlled drugs, including slang names for them
- Mock other people, groups or organisations
- May result in others believing you have honour, title, military rank or academic award, (i.e. you can’t change your name to Doctor, Admiral, Professor etc.)
A change of title can be added to a deed poll for a name change. If you want to change from Mrs to Miss, or if you are a transgender person wanting to change from Ms to Mr, or vice versa, no evidence is required for this.
You need to prove your entitlement to any academic, military or noble titles before you can have them added to a deed poll.
Having a title rejected will not affect your right to change the rest of your name.
Copyright
Names are not protected by copyright. If you want to change your name to David Beckham, you can. As long as you are not trying to pass yourself off as the famous football player or use the name for other fraudulent purposes.
There is also no way for a divorced person to stop their previous partner from using their surname unless they deceive others into thinking they are still married.
Final Word
Changing your name in the UK is not impossible. In fact, it is effortless if done through an online website. Keep the tips mentioned in this article and ensure a smooth name change process!