Frequently Asked Questions - Deed Poll

A Deed Poll is a legally binding document that proves a name change. It can be used as legal evidence to show that you have changed your name. It is also known as a "Change of Name Deed" or "Deed of Change of Name". For the deed poll to be valid, it must be signed in a witness's presence. On your Deed Poll, you declare that you;

- have stopped using your former name,

- have started using your new name and

- ask organisations and people to address you by the new name.

Yes, if all those with parental responsibility for the child concerned, i.e. the mother and or father, consent to the name change.

If you have sole parental responsibility, you do not need anyone else's consent to change your child's name.

If the child's mother and father have parental responsibility, then they both need to agree on the name change.

If both parents have parental responsibility, but permission cannot be obtained from one of them, i.e. because they refuse to consent or because their whereabouts are unknown, a specific court order must be obtained. For more details, please visit our child Deed Poll page.

In the UK, the mother has parental responsibility at the child's birth. However, the law relating to the father's rights varies according to where and when the birth was registered. Please visit our child Deed Poll page for more details. Also, feel free to use our Parental Responsibility Determiner if you still in doubt.

Anyone over the age of 18 can witness your Deed Poll as long as they know you and are independent of you. 'Independent' means they are not a relative, partner or someone who lives at the same address as you.

You do not need a solicitor or public notary to witness your deed poll if you are British and live in the UK unless you are a resident of Jersey.

If you are a British citizen and live overseas, you might need to have your Deed Poll witnessed by a lawyer or a notary public. Please seek legal advice.

If you are not British and live in the UK, you should check with your embassy or seek legal advice. 

There is no official central register of name changes in the UK. You do not need to register your Deed Poll anywhere.

Enrolling your Deed Poll means it will be lodged in the Enrolment Books of the Supreme Court of Judicature. Enrolling a deed poll is not necessary in most cases and has no legal benefit. The process can be complicated and expensive.

There is no difference in terms of effectiveness between an enrolled Deed Poll and the Deed Poll we sell.

You can change your name for any reason, provided that it is not for deceptive or fraudulent purposes. However, names should not:

- Be impossible to pronounce or very long.

- Includes numbers or symbols.

- Be vulgar, offensive or blasphemous. 

- Promote criminal activities and racial or religious hatred.

- Be a trademark or be subject to copyright.

- For Home Office applications, include diacritical marks (‌accents, cedillas, circumflexes, umlauts, etc).

It is also possible to change your title on your Deed Poll as long as it is genuine.

Once you have completed and signed your Deed Poll, it should be accepted by all UK public departments and private organisations.

However, some factors need to be considered, such as your nationality and country of residence.