About Deed Polls
What is a Deed Poll?
Why is it called a Deed Poll?
What is the purpose of a Deed Poll?
Who can apply for a Deed Poll?
Can I change my children's names?
Are there any restrictions on names?
Is a Deed Poll registered anywhere?
Can a birth certificate be changed?
Why do people change their name?
Answers to other FAQs

Applying for a Deed Poll
How to apply
Services available and fees

Services for previous clients
Apply for a copy of your archived Deed Poll
Apply for a replacement Deed Poll

General name change information
Introduction
A woman's rights upon marriage
A man's rights upon marriage
A couple's rights upon a civil partnership
A woman's rights upon separation
A woman's rights upon divorce
A woman's rights upon being widowed
A child's rights upon adoption
Adding a middle name
Advice for transsexuals
A unique gift
Changing your name on your passport
Obtaining a copy of your lost Deed Poll
Who to advise after changing your name

UK Deed Poll Service
Contact us
What our clients say about us
In the media
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions and your rights
Home page

160 bar staff in Rooney name change Tuesday 1st June 2010 Andy Wilkinson, football-mad boss of Clover Taverns, persuaded his 160 bar staff at his 10 pubs to change their names to Wayne Rooney.  We duly despatched deed poll documentation for his staff.  The pubs' 17 managers also changed their names to Fabio Capello.  And what about Andy?  He has changed his name to Sepp Blatter! Click on this link to see the BBC News article. Click on this link to see the Sky News article.

What's in a name Friday 28th May 2010 BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Gabby Logan invited us to join her on her lunchtime program to discuss name change upon marriage and divorce and the growing number of men who are taking their wife's name upon marriage. Click on this link to find out more.

Chris Kamara to unite England team at World Cup Thursday 27th May 2010 We issued a Deed Poll to ex-professional footballer and TV football pundit Chris Kamara to change his name to Chris Cabanga.  More than 22,000 people joined an internet campaign to get Chris to change his name after scientists said the word cabanga, derived from the Zulu word for imagine, will unite the team when it is chanted by fans at the World Cup. Click on this link to see the ITN news article.

It's a mystery to Chris Evans Thursday 4th February 2010 Following on-air studio chat about exotic names, our chief executive Mike Barratt was invited to be the mystery guest on BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans breakfast show. Click on this link to find out more.

Record number of name changes in 2009 Saturday 26th December 2009 The Daily Mirror and Daily Express report on the record number of Deed Polls we issued in 2009 (nearly 50,000) and mention some of the more unusual and bizarre name changes during the year. Click on this link to find out more.

Joe's McElderry's mum and gran change their names to Vote Joe Thursday 10th December 2009 To help spread the word to vote for Joe during the weekend's X Factor finals, we have issued Deed Polls to Joe McElderry's mum and gran changing their names to Vote Joe.  Over 70 other fanatical Joe McElderry supporters will also be changing their names to Vote Joe at the same time today at Real Radio's offices in Gateshead.  It will be the largest mass signing of Deed Polls in the world. Click on this link to find out more.

Mr and Mrs Jonesmith: modern couples mesh surnames Sunday 6th December 2009 The Sunday Times newspaper reports on the trend for couples to merge their surnames (known as meshing) upon marriage. Click on this link to see the article.

Identity clash woman changes name Friday 16th October 2009 We issued a Deed Poll to Susan Brown from Berkshire to bring an end to two-and-a-half years' misery of being pursued by bailiffs, banks and debt collectors trying to recover money owed by another woman of the same name. Click on this link to see the article.

Well named Friday 2nd October 2009 Diehard football fan Frazer Boyle loves his local club so much, he asked us to change his name to Motherwell Football Club.  As you can imagine, Frazer is now 'Well' happy! Click on this link to see the article.

Record numbers of people to change name by Deed Poll Thursday 27th August 2009 Despite the recession affecting millions of people, the Telegraph reports how we are expecting to issue a record number of Deed Polls this year. Click on this link to see the article.

Pudsey Bear in passport fight Friday 30th April 2009 We donated £4,000 to BBC's Children In Need appeal when Eileen De Bont from St. Asaph, Denbighshire changed her name to Pudsey Bear. Despite getting all her documents and records changed to Pudsey Bear, the passport office are refusing to issue Pudsey with a passport. Click on this link to find out more.

By any other name Friday 20th March 2009 From Moon Unit to Diva Muffin, top weekly magazine My Weekly takes a look at some of the more memorable showbiz name choices and tells its readers how to change their name by Deed Poll to something more exciting. Click on this link to see the article.

Record number of daft names Saturday 27th December 2008 Most national newspapers published articles about the record number of deed polls we issued during 2008 and featured our most unusual name changes during the year. The most unusual was probably Daniel Westfallen, 27, from Hornchurch, Essex who changed his name to Happy Adjustable Spanners! Click on this link to find out more.

Welcome to the family Friday 17th October 2008 As part of Warburtons Bakery's £22 million advertising campaign, we issued Deed Polls to change the surnames of 20 London taxi drivers to Warburton. Click on this link to find out more.

No one understood why I took my wife's surname Sunday 17th August 2008 We issued a Deed Poll to Kris Dyer, who was the subject of The Independent on Sunday's article, together with research material about the increasing number of married men taking their wives' surnames. Click on this link to see the article.

Should there be controls on what names we have? Friday 25th July 2008 BBC1's Breakfast programme invited us to take part in a discussion on whether there should be controls on what names we are allowed to have. Click on this link to find out more.

How do you change your name? Tuesday 15th April 2008 With record numbers of people changing their name with us, Kay Burley of Sky News invited us onto her Afternoon Live programme to explain the Deed Poll process. Click on this link to find out more.

Proud2bPat Sunday 16th March 2008 For the official London's St. Patrick's Day celebrations at Trafalgar Square, we teamed up with Irwin's Bakery and changed the name of several celebrities and hundreds of wannabe Patricks to break the Guinness world record for the largest number of people with the same name in one place.  We also raised some useful dough for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Click on this link to find out more.

My new name's crazy in deed! Friday 28th December 2007 The Daily Mirror publish our most unusual and bizarre name changes during 2007, including Daddy Fantastic, Big Crazy Lester and Ima Stapler! Click on this link to see the feature.

Name that loon Friday 21st December 2007 The Daily Mirror reports the record number of people who changed their name with us during 2007. They also give a taste of the full page feature to follow one week later (see above article). Click on this link to see the feature.

A year ago I was Ian, a Captain in the Paras.  Today I am Jan Saturday 20th October 2007 We changed Ian Hamilton's name and title to complete his transformation from male to female. Read about his amazing sex change from a butch 16 stone Para to an 11 stone beauty. Click on this link to view the article.

Soccer flops change names by Deed Poll to superstars Monday 24th September 2007 It was a first for us when we issued 17 Deed Polls to an entire Sunday league football team. Lynam Athletic are hoping they can start playing like their namesakes. Click on this link to view the article.

Sky News uncovers passport fraud Friday 1st June 2007 We allowed Sky News cameras into our offices to film their reporter applying for and receiving his Deed Poll at our public counter. Sky News wanted to show how easy it was to obtain a British passport in a new name using our Deed Polls. Click on this link to find out more.

The Chris Evans Show Tuesday 6th March 2007 We tell listeners of the Chris Evans Show how to change their name by Deed Poll. Click on this link to find out more.

The easiest way to apply for a name change Friday 9th February 2007 BBC 1's Inside Out program featured our website and demonstrated how easy it was to change your name by Deed Poll using our website. Click on this link to find out more.

Unusual name changes during 2006 Friday 22nd December 2006 The Sun published some of the more unusual name changes we issued Deed Polls for during 2006. Click on this link to see the feature.

Names Bond Friday 17th November 2006 We changed a James Bond fan's name to James Bond with the names of all 21 Bond movies as his middle names. Click on this link to see the article.

The Bigger Picture Monday 9th October 2006 Our chief executive Mike Barratt and some of our clients, with unusual monikers, appeared on BBC TV's Graham Norton's Bigger Picture, which was broadcast on BBC1 on Monday 9th October 2006. Click on this link to view a screen shot.

Stroke of Midnight Thursday 29th June 2006 A Scottish gent has revolutionised his love life by changing his name with us. Click on this link to view the article.

Wackiest names for 2005 Thursday 22nd December 2005 The Sun gives over a full page to feature our more unusual name changes during 2005, including Jellyfish McSaveloy! Click on this link to view the article.

Ask the experts Tuesday 28th September 2005 A reader wants to change her surname to her partner's surname. Click on this link to view the article.

"Muslim? Change your name like me!" Friday 10th June 2005 A British Muslim who changed his name with us to beat prejudice, tells his story. Click on this link to view the article.

On the Case Saturday 7th May 2005 The Telegraph offers a solution to readers where flight tickets have been booked in a different name to their passport name. Click on this link to view the article.

Ask the experts Tuesday 8th March 2005 A reader dislikes her middle name and asks how she can change it. Click on this link to view the article.

Brown is the new White in saucy promotion Wednesday 9th February 2005 We changed the snooker player Jimmy White's name for this year's Masters tournament at Wembley. Click on this link to read the article.

U can call me Bond, Jms Bnd Sunday 23rd January 2005 We announce our forthcoming service of applying for a Deed Poll by mobile text message. Click on this link to view the article.

If Cliff Richard, Cilla Black and Elton John can do it... Sunday 7th November 2004 The Mail on Sunday tells its readers that changing your name by Deed Poll is not just for celebrities - anyone can do it. Click on this link to view the article.

Gazza's red card over G8 Friday 22nd October 2004 We had to show Paul Gascoigne the red card when we were consulted about his proposed name change to G8. Click on this link to view the article.

Any questions? Wednesday 19th November 2003 A reader's daughter is upset because her daughter's teachers insist on calling her daughter by her birth name instead of the name she is known by. Click on this link to view the article.

Something fishy is going on at the Houses of Parliament Tuesday 1st October 2002 We changed the Labour MP Austin Mitchell's name to Austin Haddock in honour of National Seafood Week. Click on this link to read the article.

I'm Yellow-Rat Fairydiddle Monday 20th September 2002 We issued a Deed Poll for our most unusual name change ever. Twenty-three year old Richard James changed his name to Yellow-Rat Foxysquirrel Fairydiddle for a pint of beer! Click on this link to view the article.

Meet Hong Kong Phooey Friday 8th February 2002 Gary Brett is in the doghouse with his wife after we changed his name to Hong Kong Phooey. We went on Channel 4's Big Breakfast programme where Gary agreed to the viewers voting on whether he should change his name back. Fortunately for his wife, the viewers decided against him keeping his name! Click on this link to view the article.

Last updated: 2 June 2010