How Do I Change My Name Legally Uk

If you are 18 years of age or older, you can request a change of name or surname by filling out the application form at this link: it`s as simple as that! Thank you for considering the UK Deed Poll Office to facilitate your name change. We take great pride in providing first class customer service. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions before starting the application process for your Deed Poll. If you want to change your or your child`s official name, you can join the hundreds of thousands of people who have used the Deed Poll process over the past 150 years. You can change your name yourself if you are 16 years of age or older. Name changes by Royal Licence are announced in official journals (see Section 4), but the National Archives holds a small number of Royal Licence Warrants for name changes in the following series of documents (please note that they cannot be searched online): Some of the most common reasons why people change their names are legal reasons such as marriage or divorce. Of course, some people never really associate with their first name. For these people, the name change is an expression of identity and redesign. «Registering» a certificate survey means that you are making your new name public. The National Archives only has registered documents.

To find a record of a registered deed, you must visit us to consult the nominal indexes held at the National Archives at Kew (they are not available online). If you are unable to visit in person, you can pay for a search instead, but for records from 1945-2003, we will conduct a free search for you (see below). Use the J 18 registers in our open reading rooms to search for either the previous name or the new name for a full J 18 reference (e.g. J 18/463) that allows you to order and view the document. Changing your child`s name is essentially the same process, except that you must have the consent of everyone with parental responsibility. To find a name change up to 1901, it may be worth looking at An Index to Changes of Name for UK and Ireland 1760-1901 by W P Phillimore and Edward Alex Fry, a copy of which is preserved in our reading rooms at Kew. This name index contains references to the sources where the name change appears, including: If you want to change the first or last name of a person born or legally adopted in Northern Ireland, you can register a name change with the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI), re-register a birth or change your name via a certificate survey. The Archives of Parliament also holds records relating to a change of name under an Act of Parliament. More information about the tour can be found on their website. Some organizations do not change your name without a certificate survey.

A name is the most personal part of a person. It`s how others interact with us and it gives us a sense of identity. Our name is also legally linked to us, as it adorns all our official documents. Here is a list of qualified candidates who can apply for a name change: In the past, many people preferred not to draw attention to their name change. For example, when divorce was more difficult, some people simply took their new partner`s name to appear married and make the children look legitimate. If you live in the UK but are not a citizen, you can still use our certificate investigation process to legally change your name. However, you should contact the embassy of your home country to find out what steps need to be taken to legally recognize your name change. You may find that proof of a name change simply does not exist. Contrary to popular belief, it was still possible to change one`s name without having to register the change with the government or any other official body.

It is still perfectly legal for people over the age of 16 to use a new name at any time, as long as they do not do so for fraudulent or illegal reasons. The National Archives cannot provide legal advice. If you have changed your name and need legal advice to prove the change, for example to get a passport, you will need to speak to a lawyer or a citizens` advice service. Keep in mind that one of the requirements to change your name in the UK is that you only use your new name. Therefore, it is imperative that you know the procedure to change your name with your country of birth. Some name changes were made by a private act of Parliament – generally for the same reasons as by Royal Licence (see above). It was quite common in the 18th and early 19th centuries, but has only been used once since 1907. Yes! The reason our certificate investigation process is so popular with people changing their names is simplicity. Just click the Apply Now button to get started.

If you are 18 years of age or older, you can change your name once and your last name up to three times. But there must be an interval of five years between each change of surname. There is no law preventing you from being known by a single name (e.g. Adele) or mononym, but there is a risk that official government agencies (HM Passport Office) will refuse to update your official documents to your new name. During World War II, people who wanted to change their name had to make a statement and publish details in the London, Edinburgh or Belfast Gazette 21 days in advance. This should make it possible to amend national registration documents and issue an identity card and a food book with the new name. You don`t need a certificate survey to take your spouse`s or partner`s last name. Send a copy of your marriage or civil partnership certificate to registry holders, such as social welfare offices. Your documents will be updated free of charge. You can only change your first or last name once if you are under 18. Step 1: First of all, you need to determine whether the protocol for choosing the act has actually been registered with the Supreme Court of Justice.

To do this, search The Gazette for names, where all recorded name changes have been announced by documentary survey since 1914. If you find an entry in The Gazette, skip to step 2; If you can`t find an entry, we don`t have a record of the change and you may need to speak to a lawyer if you need proof of legal identity. Although names are not subject to copyright, you cannot use a name if it results in deception. For example, if you changed your name to Madonna and started selling perfumes under that name, this is an intellectual property infringement. Also, it can cause problems when applying for a new passport, as HM Passport Office will not issue you a passport if your new name is associated with a trademark. Royal licenses for a name change were granted in the 18th and 19th centuries. Step 2: Once you have a C 275 reference (you will have more than one if you do not know the exact year of the name change), order the appropriate registers for consultation at Kew. To ensure that your certificate survey is accepted, we do not allow requests for individual names. Use this guide for tips on how to find documents or other forms of evidence from someone changing their name. There is advice on the types of documents that have been made from the 16th century to the present day. With our confidential service, you can legally and officially change your name. You can change your first names, last names (or both), add names, delete names, change the spelling of your names, or rearrange your existing names.

It is your responsibility to notify all organizations of your name change. We can`t do this for you, but we`ll send you a list of organizations you should contact. Most organisations – including HM Passport Office and DVLA – will want to see your original certificate as proof of your name. However, if you would like to consider making your name change public by registering your investigation of the acts with the Department of Justice, with which we are not affiliated, please read our article on this topic by clicking here. The article shows the benefits of using our service as follows: This fee applies only to the registration of the change. If you need a certificate showing the registered change, you will have to pay an extra £15.00. Step 1: Use our online catalog to search for a document reference to a C 275 index. To search, use the word «index» and the year in which the name change occurred (if you don`t know the year, it`s best to guess a range of years). We invite you to click on the links on the left of this page to read our informative articles on the name change.

If you have any unanswered questions after reading our articles, please send us an email. If you have permanent residence abroad, you cannot change your name through a certificate investigation.