If you’ve legally changed your name—whether due to marriage, divorce, gender transition, religious reasons, or personal choice—you may be wondering if you can update your degree certificate to reflect your new name.
Your degree is an important document, often required for job applications, professional licenses, and further education. But what happens when the name on your certificate no longer matches your legal identity?
In this guide, we’ll explain whether you can change your name on your degree certificate, the policies of UK universities, and the steps you can take to ensure consistency across all your official records.
The short answer is: it depends on the university’s policy.
In the UK, degree certificates are considered historical records, meaning many universities do not allow name changes after graduation. However, some institutions do permit changes in specific circumstances, such as:
✅ Gender transition – Many universities allow name updates for transgender individuals to reflect their affirmed gender identity.
✅ Clerical errors – If there was a mistake on your original certificate (e.g., a spelling error), the university will usually correct it.
✅ Religious or cultural reasons – Some institutions may consider requests if the name change is linked to religious conversion or reclaiming a cultural identity.
❌ Marriage or Divorce – Most universities will not reissue a degree under a married or maiden name. Instead, they recommend using legal documents (e.g., marriage certificate or deed poll) to prove name changes.
❌ Personal Preference – If you changed your name for non-essential reasons, most universities will not update your certificate.
To find out if your university allows changes, you’ll need to check their graduation records policy or contact the student records office.
Many universities refuse to change names on degree certificates because they consider them historical documents—records that reflect who you were when you completed your studies. Some of the reasons include:
Even if your university does not allow name changes on the original certificate, there are alternative solutions to prove your identity, which we’ll cover next.
If your university won’t reissue a certificate with your new name, here are some alternatives:
Some universities will not change the degree itself but may issue an official letter confirming that your name has changed. This letter can be used alongside your degree certificate to verify your identity.
If you need to prove your degree belongs to you, you can provide:
Most employers, licensing bodies, and educational institutions will accept these documents alongside your degree.
Your academic transcript may be easier to amend than the degree certificate. Some universities allow name changes on transcripts and student records, even if they won’t update the certificate itself.
If your name has changed and you need to verify your identity for work or further study, you can make a statutory declaration confirming your name change. This is a legally recognized document signed in front of a solicitor or commissioner for oaths.
If your university allows name changes, follow these steps:
Most universities require:
✅ A legal name change document (e.g., deed poll, gender recognition certificate).
✅ Photo ID (passport or driving licence with your new name).
✅ Proof of previous identity (e.g., birth certificate, old passport).
Many job applicants worry that having a different name on their degree certificate will cause issues with employers. However, this is rarely a problem if you provide:
Most employers are familiar with name changes and accept legal documents as proof. If an employer or organization refuses to recognize your degree due to a name change, you can contact the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for guidance on your rights.
Whether you can change your name on your degree certificate depends on your university’s policies. While some institutions allow updates for gender transitions or clerical errors, most do not permit changes for marriage, divorce, or personal reasons.
If your university won’t update your certificate, there are still other ways to prove your identity, including using legal name change documents, transcripts, and statutory declarations.
If you need to legally change your name, the UK Deed Poll Office makes the process simple and recognised by all UK institutions.
