> Source: https://instantdeedpoll.co.uk/how-to-change-your-name-uk/ — last reviewed 22 August 2026. This Markdown mirror is generated at build time from the same content the page serves.

# How to Change My Name in the UK

Quick answer

To change my name in the UK I make a change of name deed — a deed poll — then sign it in both names in front of two independent witnesses aged 18 or over. The name change takes effect immediately. Next I update records, starting with my driving licence or passport. The deed itself costs from free to £14.99.

Who should skip this

Do not start here if you are changing a child’s name without every parental-responsibility holder’s consent, or if you only want to take a spouse’s surname already on the marriage certificate. Those are different routes — the checker names them.

Checked by [Sarah Ellison](/author/sarah-ellison/), paralegal — last reviewed 22 August 2026

[Get your change of name deed PDF for £14.99](/start/)One-time payment. Yours forever. No subscription, ever.

![A person completing a UK name change form on a laptop at home]

At a glance

£0–£14.99The deed itself — DIY free, or our instant PDF

2 witnessesIndependent adults, wet ink, both old and new names

ImmediateThe name change UK takes effect when you sign

No courtNo solicitor, register or government approval

## How do I change my name in the UK?

A name change UK is a signed change of name deed, not a court application. Generate or copy the declaration, print several copies, and sign in both names in front of two independent witnesses aged 18 or over. It takes effect immediately. Then update the driving licence or passport and the rest of your records.

There is no central name-change register. No company issues an “official” deed. What organisations need is a correctly executed original. Start with the [which-document checker](/which-document/) if marriage, a child, or a statutory declaration might be the better instrument.

The document itself: [change of name deed](/change-of-name-deed/). Definition: [what is a deed poll?](/what-is-a-deed-poll/) Buy: [£14.99 PDF](/adult-deed-poll/). Copy: [free template](/free-deed-poll-template/).

## How do I change my name UK if I live in England?

The same way as anywhere else in the UK: sign a change of name deed and then tell the record-holders. An England name change does not need a county-court stamp. HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC and banks accept a correctly executed unenrolled deed poll from people living in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

You do not need British citizenship — you need to live here and use the name here. Foreign nationals can change the name they use on UK records; a foreign passport is still that country’s document. Eligibility: [who can change their name](/who-can-change-their-name/).

Scotland has an extra registration option through National Records of Scotland, and some Scottish organisations ask for a [statutory declaration of name change](/statutory-declaration-name-change/). That does not stop you using a deed poll for a British passport. Trans applicants use the same deed — [trans name change UK](/trans-name-change-uk/).

## How do I change my name by deed poll?

Write or generate the three declarations — abandon the old name, adopt the new name for all purposes, require everyone to use it — then execute it as a deed. Print three or four copies. Sign in wet ink in both names while two independent adults watch. Each signed copy is an original for HMPO or the bank.

People searching “change my name by depol” mean this step. Depol is a misspelling of deed poll. HMPO also calls the paper a change of name deed. Electronic signatures fail. Witnesses must be physically present, 18 or over, and not relatives, partners or housemates.

Instruction-level detail lives on [how to make a change of name deed](/change-of-name-deed/). If you want the wording merged for you: [start the adult form](/start/).

## What is a change of name deed in a name change UK?

It is the legal paper that proves you changed your name. HM Passport Office treats “change of name deed” and “unenrolled deed poll” as the same instrument. It must be dated, wet-ink signed in both names, and witnessed. Enrolment in The Gazette is a separate, optional court process that most people skip.

The title printed on our PDF and on the free template is CHANGE OF NAME DEED (DEED POLL). That is deliberate: it matches the language HMPO caseworkers are told to accept. Full entity page: [change of name deed](/change-of-name-deed/). Enrolment comparison: [enrolled vs unenrolled](/enrolled-vs-unenrolled-deed-poll/).

## How do I sign my change of name deed?

Print it, then sign in ink twice — once in your old name and once in your new name — while two witnesses, each 18 or over and independent of you, physically watch. Each witness then signs and adds their name and address. Print three or four copies so you hold originals when HMPO or a bank asks.

Never use an electronic signature: HMPO and the DVLA require wet ink. A photocopy of an already-signed deed is not an original; a freshly signed printout is. Keep at least one original at home when you post another. Lost a signed copy later? [Print and sign a fresh original](/replace-lost-deed-poll/) — do not pay an archive fee.

## When does my name change take effect?

Immediately, the moment the change of name deed is signed and witnessed. There is no registration step. An unenrolled deed poll is fully legally valid, and around 98–99% of people never enrol. Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds can make an unenrolled deed; High Court enrolment is only open from 18.

Optional enrolment costs £53.05 (GOV.UK, checked 13 August 2026) and publishes your details in The Gazette. It adds publicity, not extra validity for HMPO. Clock for PDFs versus records: [how long a deed poll takes](/how-long-does-a-deed-poll-take/).

## Who do I tell after I change my name?

Start with the DVLA (free) or HM Passport Office (£102 online for an adult standard passport, checked 13 August 2026) so you have name-in-use evidence, then HMRC, your bank, your employer, the NHS, insurers, utilities and everyone else. The who-to-notify checklist covers every organisation in priority order.

If you claim Universal Credit or other benefits, update the bank name before the next payment date so the names match — [Universal Credit and benefits](/change-name-universal-credit-benefits/). Letters: [£9.95 Notification Letter Pack](/notification-letter-pack/). Deep dives: [change name on passport](/change-name-passport/), [change name on driving licence](/change-name-driving-licence/), [full checklist](/who-to-notify/).

## How much does a name change UK cost in total?

Anywhere from free to about £300 for the deed, plus institution fees. DIY is free, our instant PDF is £14.99, posted competitors charge more, and solicitors £150–£300 for the same legal effect. On top: DVLA free, adult online passport £102, optional enrolment £53.05. There is no extra HMPO surcharge for the name change.

The full breakdown, including hidden extras to refuse, is on [how much a deed poll costs](/deed-poll-cost/). Sourced tables: [open data](/open-data/). Honest comparisons: [vs UK Name Change](/compare/instantdeedpoll-vs-uknamechange/) and [vs UK Deed Poll Service](/compare/instantdeedpoll-vs-deedpoll-org-uk/).

## Can I change my name to anything?

Broadly yes — first names, middle names, surname, spelling, or any combination, and you do not need a reason. Record-holders can refuse names chosen to deceive, defraud, impersonate, or cause offence, and they will not print a bought title such as Lord or Dr. Check restrictions before you print anything you then have to redo.

Guide: [what names get refused](/name-restrictions/). Middle names only: [change a middle name](/change-middle-name/). Double-barrel after marriage: [double-barrelled surname](/double-barrelled-surname/) — the marriage certificate is not enough for a blend.

## How long does a name change UK take?

The change of name deed can be ready and signed the same day. Updating records is the longer part: the DVLA is usually days, a passport is a new book so check current GOV.UK processing times before you book travel. Fast Track and Online Premium exist if you need the passport sooner.

Do not book flights in a name that is not yet on the passport you will carry. Sequence: [deed timing](/how-long-does-a-deed-poll-take/), then licence, then [passport](/change-name-passport/).

## Do I need a solicitor or a court to change my name?

No. A name change UK by deed poll is not a reserved legal activity. No solicitor, court or government body needs to approve it. Enrolment at the High Court is optional, only from age 18, and adds a Gazette record rather than extra legal validity. Pay a solicitor only if you need advice, not just the paper.

GOV.UK says a specialist agency or a solicitor can make the deed poll for you and may charge a fee — that is the service we sell at £14.99, which you can skip with the [free template](/free-deed-poll-template/).

## How do I change my name on my passport and driving licence?

Licence first if you can: D1 form, current licence, original change of name deed, posted to the DVLA, free. Passport next if you need to travel in the new name: a new adult book is £102 online plus the original deed and one name-in-use document. There is no separate “name change passport” product.

A valid UK driving licence issued after the deed can be older than 12 months as HMPO name-in-use evidence; bank statements and similar papers must be from the last 12 months. Guides: [driving licence](/change-name-driving-licence/), [passport](/change-name-passport/).

## Can I change my child’s name in the UK?

Under 16, a parent or guardian applies and everyone with parental responsibility must agree — usually both parents named on the birth certificate. If one holder refuses, the only lawful route is a Specific Issue Order on form C100. From 16 the young person makes their own adult deed with no parental consent.

Pack: [child deed poll £17.99](/child-deed-poll/) includes consent letters. Detail: [parental responsibility](/parental-responsibility-name-change/), [does the father have to agree?](/fathers-consent-name-change/), [change a child’s surname](/change-childs-surname/). Adoption certificates can already show the new name — [after adoption](/change-name-after-adoption/).

## Who should skip this name change UK process?

Anyone taking only a spouse’s surname that the marriage certificate already shows — use the certificate. Anyone who cannot get every parental-responsibility holder to agree to a child’s change. Anyone who needs a Gender Recognition Certificate — that is a different GOV.UK application. Anyone a named organisation has told, in writing, to enrol.

Marriage route: [change name after marriage](/change-name-after-marriage/). Divorce back to a former name: [after divorce](/change-name-after-divorce/). If a named organisation has demanded an enrolled deed, read [enrolment](/enrolled-vs-unenrolled-deed-poll/) before you pay the court £53.05, and ask them in writing.

## Related guides

- [Change of name deed (deed poll)](/change-of-name-deed/)
- [What is a deed poll?](/what-is-a-deed-poll/)
- [Adult deed poll — £14.99](/adult-deed-poll/)
- [Free change of name deed template](/free-deed-poll-template/)
- [Change name on passport](/change-name-passport/)
- [Change name on driving licence](/change-name-driving-licence/)
- [Who to notify after a name change UK](/who-to-notify/)
- [Who can change their name](/who-can-change-their-name/)

## Sources and further reading

- [GOV.UK — change your name by deed poll](https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll)
- [GOV.UK — make an unenrolled deed poll](https://www.gov.uk/make-unenrolled-deed-poll)
- [GOV.UK — passport fees](https://www.gov.uk/passport-fees)
- [HMPO — names: evidence to change a name](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/names-evidence-to-change-a-name-caseworker-guidance/names-evidence-to-change-a-name-accessible)

Good to know

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I change my name in the UK?+

Make a change of name deed (deed poll), sign it in both names in front of two independent adult witnesses, then update your records. No solicitor or court is required. The name change takes effect when you sign. Our PDF is £14.99; the government wording is free.

### How do I change my name UK if I am 16 or over?+

From 16 you execute your own adult deed poll. You do not need a parent’s permission. Print, sign in wet ink, and start with the DVLA or HM Passport Office so later organisations see the new name already in use.

### How do I change my name by deed poll?+

Generate the declaration, print several copies, and sign in both names while two independent adults watch. Each signed printout is an original. Enrolment is optional and not required for a normal name change UK. People who type “depol” mean this document.

### What is a change of name deed?+

It is the same instrument as an unenrolled deed poll. HM Passport Office uses both names. The paper is often titled CHANGE OF NAME DEED. Detail: our change of name deed guide. You still need to sign it correctly before it does anything.

### Do I need a solicitor to change my name?+

No. Changing your name by deed poll is not a reserved legal activity. No solicitor, court or government body approves it. Solicitors typically charge £150–£300 for the same legal effect as a £14.99 PDF or a free template.

### Can I change my name to anything?+

Broadly yes — first names, middle names, surname, spelling, or any combination, and you do not need a reason. Names chosen to deceive, defraud or offend can be refused by record-holders. Read the restrictions guide before you print.

### How much does a name change UK cost?+

The deed: free DIY or £14.99 from us. DVLA update: free. Adult online passport: £102, no extra name-change surcharge (checked 13 August 2026). Optional enrolment: £53.05. Institution fees apply however you made the deed.

### How long does a name change UK take?+

The deed can be signed the same day. Records take longer: allow days to weeks for the licence, and check GOV.UK times before you book travel on a new passport. The legal name change is immediate; the paperwork is the wait.

### What is the first record I should update?+

Your driving licence (free) or passport. One of these becomes name-in-use evidence for HM Passport Office and often your bank. Then HMRC, employer, NHS and the rest of the checklist.

### Can I change my name in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?+

Yes. A deed poll is England and Wales practice used across the UK. A British passport follows HMPO rules wherever you live. In Scotland some organisations prefer a statutory declaration — that is an extra option, not a bar on a deed.

### I searched depol — can I still change my name?+

Yes. “Depol” is a common misspelling of deed poll, also called a change of name deed. Use the same process: correct wording, wet-ink signatures, two independent witnesses, then notify organisations.

### Can I change my child’s name in the UK?+

Under 16, everyone with parental responsibility must agree. From 16 they make their own adult deed. If a parental-responsibility holder refuses, that is a court application on form C100 — we will not sell a document that would not be valid.