Click Here - to see our Deed Poll instruction video presented by Christine Hamilton.
'Deed' is a signed and delivered written agreement & 'Poll' was a legal term to describe how a document was cut (polled). Deed Polls have been in use for more than 150yrs in the UK. Deed Polls dating from 1851 can be viewed at
Use these links to answer your questions:
You must use a Deed Poll to officially change your or your child's legal name (i.e. your current name) or your legal gender title (i.e. Mrs or Mr). A Deed Poll contains five paragraphs of legal writing which you use to declare that you are:
- abandoning the use of your former name
- assuming the use of a new name
- requesting all persons at all times to address you by your new name
- where applicable, abandoning the use of your former title and assuming the use of a new title i.e. Ms to Mr etc.
You can change your legal name as many times as you wish and there are no limitations on the name that you can choose - if you want to be called 'Julia Brown-Smith' or 'Derek Rodney-Trotter And I Have A Yellow Car', then you have right to do so.
When you have purchased a Deed Poll you must:
- Execute the Deed in the presence of a witness
When you receive the Deed you execute it by signing it in the presence of a witness. The witness can be anyone but not a member of your own family. Once you have executed the Deed, your name is officially changed. This can be done today.
When changing your name by Deed Poll you only need to spend money on the actual Deed Poll. You should not incur any other additional expenses.
Why do people change their names?
Click the blue highlighted text to read related Deed Poll articles from the National Newspapers & Television:
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when a person changes their gender
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when a child takes a new partner's surname
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to receive an inheritance conditional on adopting the name of the deceased (this reason was once quite common in landowning families in the UK)
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to replace a frivolous name given by their parents (e.g., old name James Bond, new name Jason Bond; a well known example is Elton John, who changed from Reginald Kenneth Dwight in favour of a career in the Music Industry)
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to replace a serious name given by their parents with a frivolous name (one person changed his name from John Desmond Lewis to Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel)
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to dissociate themselves from a famous or infamous person (e.g., old name Michael Jackson new name Martin Jackson)
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to dissociate themselves from a family (e.g., relatives of Adolf Hitler)
Why do people change their title?
- people who have had or who are having gender reassignment may choose to change their gender title from Ms to Mr or vice versa.
- new couples who are considering taking their vows may choose to change the females' title instead of opting to get married, for example, Ms. Kate Moss, who is having a relationship with Mr. William Browne, may choose to change her title and surname to become Mrs. Kate Brown. Changing a title in this way appears to be popular where the value of one partner's estate is large and thus one partner may have more to lose in a divorce settlement if the relationship doesn't work out.
- women who are currently going through a divorce may wish to revert back to their maiden name before the divorce proceedings are concluded, for example, Mrs. Heather Mills-McCartney, will become Ms Heather Mills.
- people who choose a fun name i.e. Mr. Wilkinson Sword, may decide to change their title to become Mrs. Wilkinson Sword.
Related Article: Ms to Mrs or Mrs to Miss?
What is the Adult Deed Poll used for?
The Adult Deed Poll will enable those persons aged 16 or over to change their legal name by Deed Poll. You can apply online for an Adult Deed Poll by clicking here.
What is the Adult (Gender Title) Deed Poll used for?
The Adult (Gender Title) Deed Poll is for use by people who wish to change their name and their gender title (i.e. Mr, Mrs, Ms). This Deed Poll can be used by anyone who has attained the age of 16yrs.
You can apply online for a Change of Name and Title by clicking here.
What is a Child Deed Poll used for?
The Child Deed Poll is for use by parents/guardians who wish to change the name of a child who is aged 15 or younger. You can apply to change a child's name by clicking here.
Do I need to register the Deed?
In England and Wales, such a Deed may be registered in the Central Office of the High Court. Deeds so registered are advertised in the London Gazette. Registration of Deeds is regulated by the Enrolment of Deeds (Change of Name) Regulations 1994, Statutory Instrument 1994 No. 604.
If you wish to enrol a Deed, the Royal Courts of Justice will charge you as follows:
- Court Enrolment Fee £10.00
- Advertisement Charge £52.88
- Copy of London Gazette £1.55
The registration of a Deed of Change of Name (Deed Poll) is not strictly required in the United Kingdom. A person wishing to change their name simply provides the Deed Poll to organizations such as the Passport Office etc. You DO NOT need to register a Deed anywhere.
The witness need not be a Solicitor but can be anyone over the age of 18 provided they are independent of the person changing their name, for example, the Post Man would suffice so long as he is not a relative. Organizations such as banks, government departments, social security offices, etc., will not recognize a Deed of Change of Name unless it is signed by an independent witness.
You may find our three-minute Deed Poll Intruction video helpful. Please click here to watch the video.
Do I need to visit my Solicitor?
You can have a Deed Poll prepared by a Solicitor or by a Deed Poll Specialist. Solicitors' fees for preparing Deed Polls vary and can be expensive, for example, a standard fee could be in excess of £90, particularly if the Deed Poll is enrolled. Even without enrolling a Deed Poll, a Solicitor can charge you in excess of £200 for drafting a Deed, click here to view an example of a Solicitors' fee.The Legal Deed Service is a specialist and the Deed Poll format we use is accepted by the Home Office Identity & Passport Service. The Deeds we prepare therefore carry sufficient legal authority to allow a change of name in the United Kingdom.
A brief explanation of Deed Poll law.
As a general rule, by executing a deed in accordance with all the requirements of such execution, the party whose act and deed it is becomes conclusively bound by what he is stated in the deed to be effecting, undertaking or permitting.
Hence, changing one's name by Deed Poll is, henceforth, conclusive proof for all official purposes that the name change stated in the deed is actually that person's name. As such, it will be accepted by all UK Government departments like the Home Office Identity and Passport Service and the DVLA for inclusion in any official document addressed to or in connection with that person and will take effect accordingly.
Once someone has properly executed such a deed, he is, as a rule, estopped from averring and proving by extrinsic evidence that the contents of the deed did not in truth express his intentions or did not correctly express them, or that there are reasons why he should not be obliged to give effect to the deed.
Consequently, if that person subsequently changes his mind and wishes to revert to his original name or change it to something else, he must execute another Deed Poll to give effect to his intentions.
This page was last updated: 12 May 2010
What is a Deed Poll? Is it worth it? Accepted by? Am I eligible? Apply today!
