Can I change my title by deed poll?#
No. A title is not part of your name, and GOV.UK lists changing one, such as Mr, Mrs, Sir, Lady or Doctor, among the things a deed poll cannot do. Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Mx, Dr and the rest are forms of address that organisations attach to a name on their records, so you change one by telling each organisation.
How do I change my title, for example to Dr?#
You tell the organisation. A bank, an employer, a utility or a GP surgery changes the title on your record when you ask, though some want evidence for a professional or inherited title: HSBC, for example, asks for proof of a doctorate before it records Dr. DVLA's guidance says the process for changing a title on a driving licence, for example from Ms to Dr, is the same as for a change of name, and that you do not need to send evidence unless it is a hereditary title. GOV.UK says you do not need a new passport to change your title: a British passport does not print Mr, Mrs, Ms or Mx, professional titles and honours can be added to its observations page, and a title of nobility counts as part of the name (Mx and other gender-neutral titles).
Can I use a title I have not earned?#
Calling yourself Dr, Reverend or Captain when you hold no such qualification or rank is not a change of title an organisation should accept, and a name that implies a rank or qualification you do not hold is one we will not draft in a deed poll either. Will my new name be accepted? flags a title typed as a first name.
Can I call myself Lord or Lady?#
Not as a title. A deed poll cannot change a title, and HM Passport Office's guidance on titles says a title that comes with a small plot of land bought online gives no right to use it and must not go in a passport. A Lord of the Manor title can be bought with its manor, but the passport office shows it only as an observation, and only where the whole of the land was bought.
You can take Lord or Lady as a first name: HM Passport Office would print it with a note that it is your name, not a title. We do not draft one for someone who does not hold the title, because other organisations may query it and our guarantee is on acceptance (the rules for a new name). Can I call myself Lord or Lady? has the full answer.
Can I change my title to Mx?#
Mx is a title used by people who prefer one that does not state a gender. Like any title it is chosen, not changed by deed poll, and an organisation records it on request; most large organisations' systems now offer it. If you are changing your name at the same time, do both in one letter.
