Answers
Every answer, by topic
One question per page, answered in the first paragraph and then in full, with the sources beside it. Start with the guides, or search for the question in your own words.
Start here
Deed poll: the complete UK guideA deed poll is a legal document that proves a change of name. Signed in front of witnesses, it binds from that day, never expires and needs no registering.
Every legal way to change your name in the UKEvery legal way to change your name in the UK, compared: marriage, divorce, deed poll, statutory declaration, the Scottish record, a court order and adoption.
How long does a name change take in the UK?Your name changes the day you sign the deed poll, and ours is posted the same working day. Then each organisation: a passport usually takes three weeks.
How to change your name in the UKHow to change your name in the UK, start to finish: when a certificate is enough, making and signing a deed poll, and the order to tell organisations.
UK name change laws: what the law says about changing your nameThe laws on changing your name in the UK, listed: the common law freedom, the 1989 Act that makes a deed poll binding, the Children Act, enrolment and Scotland.
Unenrolled deed poll: what it is, and how it differs from an enrolled oneAn unenrolled deed poll is one you sign before witnesses and keep, usable at once. Enrolled vs unenrolled, side by side: cost, time, privacy and acceptance.
The deed poll itself
Adding, removing or moving a middle nameA deed poll can add, remove or reorder middle names. For a passport, dropping a middle name needs only two documents showing use; adding one needs a deed poll.
Can I call myself Lord or Lady?A deed poll changes a name, not a title, so it cannot make you a Lord or Lady. What HM Passport Office and DVLA accept, and what bought titles really are.
Can I change my name back?Changing your name back after a deed poll takes a new one. For a maiden or birth name, the passport office asks for a signed statement, not a decree.
Can I change my name if I have a criminal record?Yes. A criminal record does not stop a change of name, but the record stays with you. The police, licence and probation rules, and what DBS checks ask for.
Can I change my name online in the UK?Partly. Order the deed poll and tell HMRC, many banks and the electoral register online, but sign the deed on paper and change your driving licence by post.
Can I change my name to anything I like?GOV.UK's rules for a new name: pronounceable, no numbers or symbols, nothing offensive, and no change to capitalisation or titles. HM Passport Office adds its own.
Can I have just one name?Yes. GOV.UK's name rules never require two names, and HM Passport Office prints a single name with XXX as the forename. How it works, and the snags.
Can I use AI to write my own deed poll?Yes. A chatbot can draft the words, because the law cares how a deed poll is signed. What HM Passport Office checks, what to correct, and GOV.UK's free wording.
Can a deed poll be backdated?No. The date on a deed poll is the day it is signed as a deed in front of witnesses. If you used the name for years first, other evidence covers those years.
Can a deed poll change my title?No, and it does not need to: a title is not part of your legal name, so you tell each organisation which to use. DVLA changes one by the same process as a name.
Can a whole family change surname together?Yes, one deed poll per person. Adults sign their own; a parent signs a child's, with everyone with parental responsibility agreeing.
Changing only your first name, or only your surnameA deed poll changes any part of your name: a first name alone, or a surname alone. What the passport office asks for, and the small changes it allows.
Changing your name after converting to a religionNo law requires a new name on conversion, and no religious body issues one. If you choose a new name, a deed poll records it, and organisations do not ask why.
Deed poll template, form and wording: what is free and what worksGOV.UK publishes deed poll wording free. What a valid deed must contain, the risks in Word and PDF templates, a child's deed, and when paying is worth it.
Do I need a deed poll for a stage name or pen name?No. You can perform or publish under any name without a deed poll. Where Equity, PRS for Music, PPL, PLR, HMRC and your passport still use your legal name.
Do I need the government to change my name?No. An adult changes their own name, usually by deed poll, and no department approves it. GOV.UK gives guidance, not an application; enrolment is optional.
Do I need to register my deed poll?No. A deed poll is valid once signed and witnessed, and there is no register of unenrolled deed polls. Enrolment with the High Court is optional and costs £53.05.
Does a deed poll expire?No. A deed poll records a change of name made on the day it was signed, and that record does not run out. Organisations may also ask for recent proof of use.
Does a deed poll have a reference number?No. An unenrolled deed poll has no official number. An enrolled one is identified by its enrolment date and Gazette notice. What to write when a form asks for one.
How do I choose a deed poll company?No deed poll company is official, and GOV.UK's wording is free. How to check a company before you pay, the warning signs, and your rights if it goes wrong.
How do I choose a new name or surname?You can choose almost any name. The checks worth making first: GOV.UK's rules, spelling and initials, passport length, family names, work records, trying it out.
How many certified copies of my deed poll do I need?One for each organisation that keeps a copy, plus a spare or two. Count providers, not accounts: banks, lenders, pensions, employers and solicitors.
How many people change their name in the UK?Nobody counts UK name changes. Enrolled deed polls by year from The Gazette since 2012, with marriages, gender recognition and YouGov polling.
How many times can I change my name?GOV.UK sets no limit on name changes. What the passport office asks for after several changes, and the limits on recording them in Scotland and NI.
How quickly can I change my name?Your name changes the day you sign a deed poll. A passport in the new name takes a week at best, with Fast Track; the 1 day Premium service cannot take one.
How to change your surname in the UKChanging your surname takes a marriage certificate, your divorce papers or a deed poll, depending on why. Which one you need, and who to tell after.
How to enrol a deed pollEnrolling a deed poll with the High Court: who can apply, forms LOC020, LOC021 and LOC027, the £53.05 fee, the Gazette notice and how long it takes.
I changed my name years ago without a deed pollUsing a name for years is lawful, but organisations want evidence. How the passport office treats a name with no deed poll, and how to make one now.
Is a change of name deed the same as a deed poll?Yes. A change of name deed, a deed of change of name and a deed poll are one document. Its legal status, what it looks like, cost, registration and child versions.- Is an unenrolled deed poll legally binding?Yes. An unenrolled deed poll is binding because it is signed as a deed in front of a witness, under the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989.
Is my deed poll still valid if I move house?Yes. The address on a deed poll records where you lived when you signed it. Moving does not affect the deed, and there is nothing to update or sign again.
Is my middle name a forename?Yes. On UK official forms your forenames are your first name and every middle name; only the surname is separate. How passports, HMRC, NRS and banks use the words.
Is there an official UK deed poll office?Only one: the High Court's Deed Poll Office, which enrols deed polls for £53.05. Every website called an office, registry or department is a private company.
Name change myths, and the factsFourteen common beliefs about changing your name in the UK that are wrong, from the Premium passport service to deed poll registers, each with its official source.
Statutory declaration of name change: what it is and when to use oneA statutory declaration of name change is a statement you declare true before a solicitor, notary or JP. Who takes one, what it costs, and who accepts it.
UK name change report 2026: the figures and the rule changesEnrolled deed polls by year, every 2026 rule and fee change, what 24 banks and 73 organisations ask for, and official timescales. Checked 23 October 2026.
What changed in UK name change rules in 2026Every 2026 change that affects a UK change of name, newest first: passport and court fees, birth re-registration, right to work, offenders, and what is coming next.
What is a certified copy of a deed poll?A copy of your deed poll certified as a true copy, which most organisations accept and keep. What it is not, and why HM Passport Office and DVLA want the original.
What is a deed poll certificate?No government office issues a deed poll certificate: the signed deed poll is the document. What it looks like, Scotland's record, copies and replacements.
What is my legal name?Your legal name is the one you use for all official purposes, proven by your documents. It includes every middle name, and marriage changes it only if you choose.
When can I start using my new name?The moment your deed poll is signed and witnessed. GOV.UK says a signed deed poll can be used straight away as proof of a new name; nothing is registered first.
Who can change their name in the UK?Anyone aged 16 or over, without giving a reason. Under 16, a parent applies and everyone with parental responsibility agrees. The exceptions GOV.UK sets out.
Why do people change their name?No reason is needed to change your name in the UK, and none is recorded. The reasons people give, and the document each one usually needs.
Why is it called a deed poll?A deed is a signed, witnessed document; poll is an old word for cut straight. A deed by one party was cut evenly, unlike an indenture between two.
Signing and witnessing
Can a deed poll be signed digitally or over a video call?No. HM Passport Office requires wet signatures, and the Law Commission says a deed's witness must be physically present. What you can still do online.
Can a married couple both witness my deed poll?Two people from one household can both be independent of you, but two witnesses at one address is the arrangement organisations look twice at. Use two households.
Do I need a new signature after changing my name?No law makes you change your signature. Your deed poll is signed in both names; then your passport, driving licence and bank each take the new one their own way.
Do I need one witness or two for a deed poll?The law needs one attesting witness; GOV.UK's wording names two, our deeds have space for two, and two is what organisations expect. One is still valid.
Do I need to send my signed deed poll to anyone?No. A signed deed poll is complete and is not filed anywhere. The original goes to HM Passport Office and DVLA, which return it; certified copies go to the rest.
How to sign and witness your deed pollWho can witness a deed poll, who cannot, the order to sign in, what to write, the four mistakes that get deeds refused, and what happens the moment it is signed.
Who can witness a deed poll?Any independent adult aged 18 or over who knows you: a friend, neighbour or colleague. Not your partner, a relative or anyone at your address. No solicitor needed.
Children and young people
Can I change my child's first name?Yes. Within 12 months of registration the birth register can record it; after that it takes a child deed poll agreed by everyone with parental responsibility.
Can I change my child's surname without the other parent's consent?Not by deed poll. GOV.UK requires everyone with parental responsibility to agree or a court order. The route is a specific issue order on form C100, £270.
Can grandparents, guardians or the council change a child's name?Only people with parental responsibility can agree to a child's new name. What grandparents, guardians, foster carers and councils can and cannot change.
Can my ex change our child's surname?Not without your consent if you hold parental responsibility. What the passport office and schools do when you object, prohibited steps orders, and what to do next.
Changing a baby's name after the birth is registeredIn England and Wales a baby's first names can be changed on the register within 12 months, for £44, but not the surname. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.
Changing a child's name after a parent diesAfter a parent dies, a child's name changes only if everyone who still holds parental responsibility agrees. Who that is, and what the passport office asks for.
Changing a child's name after adoption or under special guardianshipAn adoption order gives the child the names in the order, entered in the Adopted Children Register. Special guardians need written consent or the court's leave.
Changing a child's name after divorce or separationDivorce does not change who must agree to a child's new surname: everyone with parental responsibility, in writing if a court has said who the child lives with.
Changing a child's name in Northern IrelandTo change a child's name in Northern Ireland: a child deed poll, or a change recorded by GRONI. Everyone with parental responsibility agrees, or a court decides.
Changing a child's name in ScotlandTo change a child's surname in Scotland: a child deed poll, or NRS's form 23 record. NRS and the passport office want both parents to agree, or a court order.
Changing a child's name when the other parent is absentIf the absent parent holds parental responsibility, their consent is still needed. The two routes are a court order, or an enrolled deed poll that a judge approves.
Changing a child's surname to the mother's or the father'sBy deed poll, with everyone with parental responsibility agreeing. Since 13 July 2026, re-registering a birth after the parents marry keeps the child's surname.
Changing a stepchild's surnameMarrying a stepchild's parent is not enough. Everyone with parental responsibility, usually including the other birth parent, must agree, or a court must order it.
Changing a trans child's nameA trans child's name changes like any child's: by deed poll, with everyone with parental responsibility agreeing. A passport gender marker is a separate request.
Changing your name as a care leaverWho must agree while you are in care, what changes at 16 and at 18, what your personal adviser can help with, and which councils say they pay.
Changing your name at 16 or 17Yes. At 16 or 17 you can make your own deed poll without a parent's consent, and the passport office accepts it. The exceptions, enrolment, and what changes at 18.
Does a child have to agree to their own name change?Under 16, the rules ask for the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility, not the child's, but courts weigh the child's wishes. From 16, theirs counts.
Does my child need a new deed poll when they turn 18?No. A deed poll made for a child stays valid, and HM Passport Office accepts it from an adult with evidence the name is in use. A new deed is optional.
Giving a child a double-barrelled surnameGive it at birth registration, or change to it later by child deed poll, with everyone who has parental responsibility agreeing. Hyphen or space is your choice.
How a court decides a child's nameOn the child's welfare, which the law puts first: the welfare checklist, what the leading judgments say about surnames, and how far a child's own wishes count.
How do I change the name on my child's passport?A new name means a new child passport, not a renewal. What HM Passport Office asks for, whose consent it needs, the cost, Fast Track and travel while you wait.
Specific issue orders: asking a court to decide a child's nameA specific issue order lets the family court decide whether a child's name can change. You apply on form C100 after a MIAM; the fee is £270, and it takes months.
Travelling abroad with a child who has a different surnameYou can travel with a child who has a different surname. Get permission from everyone with parental responsibility and carry the full birth certificate.
Updating a child's name at schoolA school records a pupil's legal name and the name used at school. In England, a new surname needs written consent from everyone with parental responsibility.
Using form C100 to change a child's nameForm C100 asks the family court in England and Wales to decide a child's change of name. What each section asks, the MIAM, the £270 fee and what happens next.
What age can you change your name in the UK?From 16 you can change your own name by deed poll, without a parent's consent. Under 16 a parent decides, with everyone's agreement. The rules at every age, UK-wide.
What can I name my baby? First names and surnames at registrationAlmost any name, and any surname your baby is to be known by. Who registers and chooses it, the 42-day deadline (21 in Scotland), and what a passport cannot show.
Who has parental responsibility?The birth mother always has it. Fathers, second parents and step-parents depend on marriage, the birth register and its date, an agreement or a court order.
Marriage, civil partnership and divorce
Can I change my name on my passport before the wedding?Yes, up to 3 months before: HM Passport Office issues a post-dated passport in your new name, valid from the ceremony, and cancels your current one.
Can I change my name while separated, before a divorce?Yes. You can change your name while separated, without a divorce or your spouse's agreement. What the passport office, banks and a deed poll each need.
Can I drop one half of my double-barrelled surname?Yes. Your own surname back after a divorce may need only your marriage certificate and divorce papers. Dropping any other half is a change of name: a deed poll.
Can I keep my maiden name as a middle name?Yes, by deed poll. HM Passport Office treats a maiden name kept as a middle name as a new forename, which a marriage certificate cannot evidence on its own.
Can I keep my married name after divorce?Yes. Keeping your married name after a divorce or dissolution needs no document and no new passport, and you can still go back to a former name later.
Can I take my partner's surname without getting married?Yes, by deed poll. Only a marriage or civil partnership certificate changes a surname by itself; without one, each partner who changes makes a deed poll.
Can a husband take his wife's surname?Yes. The marriage certificate is the evidence for a husband as for a wife; GOV.UK's rules do not depend on which spouse changes. When a deed poll is needed instead.
Can we combine our surnames into a new one when we marry?A meshed or blended surname is a new name, so the marriage certificate does not cover it. Each of you who takes it makes a deed poll; double-barrelling needs none.
Changing your name after a civil partnershipYour civil partnership certificate lets you take your partner's surname or double-barrel, with no deed poll. When you need one, and going back after dissolution.
Changing your name after marrying abroadA marriage certificate from abroad works like a UK one: the original, with a certified translation if needed. The passport, DVLA, banks, and when a deed poll helps.
Changing your name when you are widowedKeeping your married name needs nothing. Going back to your maiden name uses your certificates or a deed poll; enrolling asks for the death certificate too.
Do I have to change my name when I get married?No. Marriage does not change your name in the UK: keep it, take your spouse's, double-barrel or use both, with no deadline. Passports, Mrs or Ms, and children.
Do I need a deed poll after getting married?Not to take your spouse's surname: GOV.UK says the marriage certificate is the evidence. A deed poll is only for a name the certificate does not show.- Double-barrelling your surname after marriageHM Passport Office accepts the marriage certificate for a double-barrelled surname, so the passport needs no deed poll. Some organisations may still ask for one.
Going back to your maiden name after divorceYour marriage certificate and decree absolute usually restore your maiden name. If an organisation refuses, or the divorce is not final, a deed poll does it.
Gender identity
Can I go back to my birth name after adoption?Yes. An adult who was adopted can take back a birth name by deed poll. Your adoption certificate stays your birth record; how the passport and records follow.
Can I take my mother's maiden name, or a step-parent's surname?Yes. From 16 a deed poll lets you adopt any surname, a mother's maiden name or a step-parent's included, with nobody's consent. Under 16 is different.
Can I use a different name without changing it legally?Yes, if it is not to deceive. How a preferred, professional, stage or pen name works with payroll, HMRC, banks, DBS and passports, and when to make it official.
Changing a name from another languageA deed poll can change, shorten or translate a name from another language, or restore one. How UK passports spell names, and keeping two countries' papers alike.
Changing the gender marker on a passportNo Gender Recognition Certificate is needed: HM Passport Office asks for a medical professional's letter and proof of use. Normal fee. M or F only.
Deed poll or Gender Recognition Certificate?A deed poll changes your name and needs no evidence; a Gender Recognition Certificate changes your legal gender. No certificate is needed for a passport or bank.
Mx and other gender-neutral titlesMx is not part of your legal name and cannot be set by deed poll: you tell each organisation the title you use. What banks and the passport office do with Mx.
Who can see my former name?Anyone you show your deed poll to sees both names. What passport, tax and credit records keep, what DBS checks and employers see, and what a GRC protects.
Safety
Can someone find out my new name?An ordinary deed poll is not published anywhere. Where a new name can still show up: The Gazette, some birth records, the electoral register, Companies House.
Changing your name after domestic abuseYour own name needs nobody's agreement, and an unenrolled deed poll stays private. A child's needs everyone with parental responsibility, or a court order.
Changing your name while living in a refugeYou can change your name while in a refuge. Keeping its address off the deed, where to have it sent, who can witness, and which records to change first.
Keeping your address off your recordsKeep your address off public records: anonymous voter registration, the open register opt-out, Companies House, HM Land Registry, banks and your deed poll.
Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and abroad
Can I change my name by deed poll if I live outside the UK?Not if you live abroad permanently: GOV.UK says a permanent resident overseas cannot use a deed poll. What that means for Britons abroad and foreign nationals here.
Can I use a UK deed poll for a passport from another country?A passport can be changed only by the country that issued it, under its own rules. What India's, Nigeria's and Pakistan's missions in the UK ask, and in what order.
Can a deed poll be notarised online?Partly. Notaries in England, Wales and Scotland may act by video, but a deed poll is still signed on paper with a witness present. What the country abroad accepts.
Changing your name in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of ManJersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are not part of the UK. How each island makes and registers a deed poll, what its passport office asks for, and the fees.
Changing your name when you have two nationalitiesChange your other passport first: GOV.UK says it must match the name you want on your British one. Whether a UK deed poll is accepted there is that country's call.
Using a UK deed poll abroad: notaries, apostilles and legalisationUsing a UK deed poll abroad: when an organisation wants a notarised copy, an apostille from the Legalisation Office, or both, what each is and what it costs.
What is a notary public in the UK, and when does a deed poll need one?A UK notary public is a lawyer who certifies documents under seal for use abroad. Who can be one, how they differ from a solicitor, fees, and deed polls.
Documents and records
Can I change the name on my birth certificate?No in England and Wales, where you show your birth certificate with your deed poll. Yes in Scotland and Northern Ireland, which can record the change.
Can I change the name on my naturalisation certificate?No. A naturalisation certificate records your name on the day you became British. Keep it, and show it with your deed poll or marriage certificate instead.
Can I travel on a passport in my old name?Yes, if you book in the same name. A change of name does not cancel your passport, and GOV.UK says the booking must match it. Visas, ESTA and ETIAS explained.
Can I vote with photo ID in my old name?Voter ID in your old name works if it matches the electoral register. If not, register again or take proof of the change to the polling station.
Can the name on a marriage certificate be changed?No. A UK marriage certificate records both names as they were on the day and is not updated later. How to use it as evidence, and how to correct a real mistake.
Changing the name on your mortgageChanging the name on your mortgage is a records update, not a new loan. What ten lenders ask for, which want a passport first, and adding a borrower.
Changing the name on your tenancy agreementTell your landlord in writing, with a copy of your deed poll or certificate; a new agreement is rarely needed. Council forms, deposits and joint tenants.
Checking a deed poll: a guide for organisationsFor staff at banks, schools, employers, GP surgeries and landlords: what makes a deed poll valid, HM Passport Office's tests, and what is and is not a warning sign.
Do I need to update my will after changing my name?Not for the name alone: a change of name does not revoke a will. Marriage does in England and Wales, and divorce cancels gifts to a former spouse. When to update.
Does changing my name affect my credit rating?No. Experian says a name change does not affect your score once your report shows the new name. Tell lenders first, keep the old name as an alias.
How long does a passport in a new name take?Usually three weeks, counted from when your documents arrive, or about a week with Fast Track (£192 for an adult). The 1 day Premium service cannot take a new name.
How to find a record of a name changeOnly enrolled deed polls leave a public record. Search The Gazette free by name, then The National Archives or the court. Scotland, family history, lost deeds.
Is a deed poll proof of identity?No. A deed poll proves a change of name, not who you are. How it is used with photo ID at banks, DVLA, right to work and DBS checks, and polling stations.
What counts as proof of a name change?A marriage certificate, deed poll, statutory declaration and more: what each document proves, who accepts it, original or copy, and how to replace a lost one.
What documents do I need to change my name?None to make a deed poll. For a passport: the original deed and one document in the new name. For a licence: form D1, your licence and the original deed.
What if my name is too long, or has accents, for my passport?A passport application has room for 30 characters of forenames and 30 of surname. Longer names are shortened, with the full name noted inside; accents are dropped.
What to put in a change of name letterWhat a change of name letter needs: both names, your reference number, the date, what you enclose and what you want back. And who wants a form instead.
Who can certify a copy of a deed poll?GOV.UK suggests a professional or someone of good standing, such as a solicitor, teacher or bank official, not related to you. Some organisations are stricter.
Who to tell after changing your name, and in what orderTell HMRC, your council and most banks first: their letters prove the new name. Then the passport and licence, which want the original deed. Then the rest.
Will organisations accept a photocopy or a PDF of my deed poll?HM Passport Office and DVLA want the original deed poll. Banks usually want a certified copy; some regulators, phone firms and councils take a scan or copy.
Costs
Can I get a deed poll for free?GOV.UK publishes the deed poll wording, so you can write one for nothing. What a free deed poll gives you, what it leaves out, and when £18.50 is worth it.
Do I need a solicitor to change my name?No. GOV.UK says anyone 16 or over can make a deed poll, witnesses need not be solicitors, and enrolment is done by the court. When a solicitor is worth paying for.
Help paying for a deed pollMost people need no help: GOV.UK's deed poll wording is free. When paying is worth it, which councils say they cover it, and asking your support worker.
How much does it cost to change the name on a passport?There is no separate name change fee: a new adult passport is £102 online or £115.50 by paper form, a child's £66.50 or £80. Fast Track is £192.
How much does it cost to change your name in the UK?Changing your name can cost nothing. A deed poll from us is £18.50, a new passport £102 online, and a driving licence is free. Enrolment is optional, at £53.05.
Is someone charging me every month for a deed poll?A deed poll has no renewal, so a monthly charge is a subscription sold by whichever company you ordered from. How to find who is charging you and how to cancel.
UK name change fees: every official fee in 2026Every official fee for a UK change of name in one dated table: passports, enrolment, the court fee, certificates, DVLA, apostilles and declarations.
When something goes wrong
I have lost my deed pollYour name stays changed. No office holds a copy of an unenrolled deed poll, and GOV.UK has none to send. A replacement records the same change and date: £18.50.
My name is different on my documentsMaiden name on one document, married name on another, or a spelling that drifted? What the passport office, DVLA and banks accept, and which to fix first.
Problems after changing your name, and how to fix themDeed poll refused, a bank that wants a passport first, names that do not match, travel booked in the old name: each common problem, its fix, and where to read more.
What if there is a mistake on my deed poll, or I signed it wrongly?Which deed poll mistakes matter against HM Passport Office's test, what it says about altered documents, and when a fresh deed is the safer fix.
What to do if an organisation refuses your deed pollMost refusals are a cautious member of staff. The steps that fix them, what HM Passport Office tells its own staff to accept, and where our guarantee comes in.
