Who Can Change Their Name by Deed Poll?
Quick answer
Who should skip this
Skip a deed poll if you lack capacity to understand the change, if a court has already ordered the name, or if you only want a spouse’s surname printed on a marriage certificate. Skip a child pack without every parental-responsibility holder’s written consent.
Checked by Sarah Ellison, paralegal — last reviewed 22 August 2026
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Adults (16 and over)
From your 16th birthday you are treated as an adult for name-change purposes. You need no consent from parents, a spouse or anyone else, and you never have to give a reason. Fill in the three-minute form, print, and sign in front of two independent witnesses. Age plus capacity to understand what you are signing is the eligibility test.
Start: adult form. Restrictions on the name itself: what names get refused. Separated but still married: your spouse does not have to agree — see change name after separation.
Children under 16
A parent or guardian applies on the child’s behalf, and everyone with parental responsibility must agree — usually both parents named on the birth certificate. If one holder refuses, the only route is a Specific Issue Order from the family court on form C100. We will not sell a document that would not be valid.
Pack: child deed poll. Detail: parental responsibility and does the father have to agree?
Residency, nationality and capacity
A deed poll is a document of England and Wales practice, used across the UK. You do not need British citizenship — you need to live here and use the name here. Foreign nationals can change the name they use for UK records; their home country controls its own passports. You must have mental capacity to understand the change.
Scotland has an additional registration option through National Records of Scotland; a statutory declaration is also common there — see stat dec of name change. A deputy or attorney cannot normally execute a deed for someone without court approval.
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