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?
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Applying for a Deed Poll
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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
More than a change of name...
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
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So says the UK insurance giant Norwich Union, whose advertising campaign tells us about their name change to Aviva.  Their TV advertisements feature celebrities who suggest their success is due in part to their name change.  Those featured include:

• Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey)
• Bruce Willis (born Walter Bruce Willis)
• Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier)
• Elle MacPherson (born Eleanor Gow)
• Dame Edna Everage (born Barry Humphries)

And of course, most people know about Sir Elton John, who changed his name by Deed Poll from Reginald Kenneth Dwight to Elton Hercules John.

However, it's not just celebrities who have changed their name to a name that is unique in their profession and more memorable.  Every year, we issue thousands of Deed Polls to people who either do not like their name or feel a new name will give them a fresh start and allow them to leave behind a life that has thus far been full of anguish and misery.

Many people have surnames that cause them, or their children, embarrassment, for example, surnames such as Cock, Dick, Willey or Smellie.  Often, the trigger to changing a family's name by Deed Poll is when children with such a surname are about to start school - the father not wanting his children to go through the same torment as he did when a child.

People who consult numerologists (psychics who use the art of numerology to predict people's futures and foresee their potential and obstacles) are often recommended to change their name to a name that will bring good fortune.  Numerologists often believe a person's name is part of the reason why someone does not fulfil their true potential.

Whatever your reason for wanting to change your name, a name change by Deed Poll is the answer - just as it was for over 46,000 people who changed their names with us in 2008.  It's quick, easy and affordable and results in you being able to get all your official documents and records changed to your new name.  What's more, if you do not like your new name, you are not stuck with it.  You can always change it back or change to something else.

Last updated: 17 March 2009