Deed poll and Statutory Declaration Change Name Documents online for £10
Are there any restrictions of the new name I choose?
If you wish to change your name by Deed Poll or Statutory Declaration there are generally few restrictions on the new name you can choose. If you are simply substituting one standard name for a different name, such as changing from Smith to Jones, or from Peter to Paul, there will not be a problem. Your new name must have at least one first name and one surname.
You may not change your name for any type of fraudulent purposes such as to deceive, to avoid debt or avoid prosecution, or to pass yourself of as another person in some form of identity theft.
You may not change your name to infer and sort of title or honor that you are not entitled to such as Sir, Lady, Reverend, Captain, Professor or Doctor for example. This would require the documentary evidence to prove you were entitled to use this as part of your name.
Your application will be rejected if you attempt to change your name to words which are:
- A company trade mark.
- Offensive by using any form of swear words etc.
- Offensive by using any form of blasphemy.
- Offensive by implying any form of racism or other offensive statement.
- Derogatory or illegal in any way.
- Implying any form or political message.
- Impossible to pronounce.
- Containing punctuation marks or characters not commonly used in UK British English names.
Whilst there is no legal restriction on the length of your new name we follow the UK Passport guidance who allow a maximum of 30 characters for first names and 30 characters for surnames. Please contact us if you wish to have a full name longer than 100 characters in total including spaces.
Whilst it is possible to change your name to something fun you will run in to problems with some organisations, such as the UK Passport Office, who will reject your application if the name is regarded as silly or inappropriate unless you provided them with additional documentary evidence that this is your actual day by day name.
You can change your name to be the same as or just sound like a celebrity, yes you could be known as Marilyn Monroe, and yes she changed her name several times, as there is no copyright on personal names. You would have trouble if you were using this for fraudulent reasons for example to pass yourself off as someone famous for personal gain.
