The rules the checker uses
- GOV.UK's three rules for a deed poll. The name must be pronounceable, must not include symbols, numbers or punctuation, unless it is a hyphenated name or the punctuation is part of an established name such as O'Hara, and must not be offensive or against the public interest, GOV.UK's example being "Ltd" added to the end of a name.
- Two things a deed poll cannot do. It cannot change which letters are capitalised in your name, and it cannot change a title such as Mr, Mrs, Sir, Lady or Doctor.
- HM Passport Office's rules for a passport. Its guidance to its staff follows the international passport standard: no numbers, symbols or punctuation other than hyphens and apostrophes, no accents or other marks added to letters, for which it uses an agreed alternative spelling, and no more than 30 characters, spaces included, for your forenames and 30 for your surname on the application.
- What we will not draft. Names with numbers or symbols; titles, ranks or qualifications you do not hold, as a title or as a first name; anything vulgar, offensive or that promotes crime; and a string of letters nobody could pronounce. Our deeds also need a first name and a surname.
What you can change your name to explains each rule and where it comes from.
Names that get through and cause trouble
Some names pass every rule and still make life awkward: a famous living person's full name, a trademark taken as a surname, a phrase that reads like a form filled in wrongly, or a spelling nobody can guess from hearing it. Each is a conversation at every counter for years, so it is worth saying the name out loud to a few people before you sign.
Questions people ask
Can you change your name to anything in the UK?
Very nearly. GOV.UK sets three rules: the name must be pronounceable, must not include symbols, numbers or punctuation beyond a hyphen or an apostrophe, and must not be offensive or against the public interest. HM Passport Office then applies its own rules when it prints a passport.
Can you have numbers in your name in the UK?
Not on a deed poll: GOV.UK's rules rule out numbers. HM Passport Office's guidance says that where a number is already part of someone's name, it is spelled out in full on the passport, so "7" becomes "Seven".
Can I change my name to a title, such as Lord or Doctor?
No. GOV.UK says a deed poll cannot change a title, and we will not draft a title, rank or qualification you do not hold as a name, whether as a title or a first name. Can a deed poll change my title?
Will my passport show the accent in my name?
No. HM Passport Office's guidance says passports cannot show accents or other marks added to letters, so it uses an agreed alternative spelling instead. What happens to long names and accents. Your deed poll can still show the name as you write it.
Can I have just one name?
Our deed polls need a first name and a surname. HM Passport Office has its own rules for single names.
Something else? Ask us, and a person replies by email, normally the same working day.
