A comprehensive guide to changing

your name by Deed Poll in the UK

About Deed Polls

• What is a Deed Poll

• Deed of Change of Name

• Change of Name Deed

• Changing your Name by Usage

• Why is it Called a Deed Poll

• Who Can Apply for a Deed Poll

• Legalising a Deed Poll

Changing Your Name

• Choosing a New Name

• Documentary Evidence

• Updating your Passport

• Notifying Organisations

• Changing your Birth Certificate

• Tracing a Name Change

Reasons for a Name Change

• Reasons for a Change of Name

• Name Change upon Marriage

• Name Change upon Separation

• Name Change upon Divorce

• Name Change for Widows

• Name Change for Transsexuals

• Change a child's name

• Name Changes on Adoption

• Name Change for Civil Partners

Why is it called a Deed Poll?

Time Saving Tip: The quickest and easiest way to change your name in the UK is to

Apply For Your Deed Poll Online.

A ‘deed’ is a signed and sealed legal agreement in writing, which enforces a right or entitlement. 

The word ‘Poll’ is an Archaic legal word used to refer to documents which had straight edges (polled).  This method made it possible to distinguish between a deed which affected one person from a deed concerning more than one person.  In the past, a Deed was written out more than once on a piece of paper and then unevenly torn or ‘indented’ down the middle so each person concerned had a deed with corresponding tears, thus preventing forgery.

A Deed Poll is a legal document binding only a single person or several people acting together to express an interest or intention, rather than a promise. Therefore, the Deed only concerned one person and had straight edges, said to have been polled, which explains why the term ‘Deed Poll’ is now used.

Time Saving Tip: The quickest and easiest way to change your name in the UK is to

Apply For Your Deed Poll Online.

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