How many times can you change your name by deed poll?

You may change your name by deed poll however many times that you want. There is no limit or law that prevents you from changing your name anytime that you wish.

However there are a couple of things to consider if you plan on switching your name multiple times.

Firstly, you will have to update the following organizations about your name change:  

• HM Passport Office
• HM Land Registry (if you own property)
• DVLA for driving license
• The local council for taxes and benefits
• Department of work and pensions – for benefits
• HM Customs and Revenue – for tax matters
• Your employer
• Banks
• Pension providers and retirement accounts
• Your mortgage company
• Credit card providers

Needless to say, constantly switching your names with all of these organizations can be quite a hassle. Therefore, it would probably be better to change your name when you are sure that you feel comfortable with your new chosen name. 

Help with choosing a new name

If you are having trouble choosing your new name there are lots of places that you can look to for inspiration. If you are a history nerd you can look for ideas from famous figures in world history (Winston Churchill or King Henry). 

If you are immersed in the popular culture you can always look to your favorite TV show for ideas. In fact, popular culture has a big impact on names in the UK.

Finally if none of this helps there are helpful lists that can be found online that break name types down by culture. We have a couple of lists for popular Italian, Greek, and Scottish boys names. 

Names that you can’t chose

Even though you have a lot of leeway under UK law when choosing a name, there are some names that will not be accepted by most governmental organizations. For example:

• You can't pick an offensive or vulgar name
• You can’t pick a new name for fraudulent purposes
• Your new name can't promote any criminal activities 
• You can't choose a racial slur as your new name, or anything that mocks certain groups or institutions
• Your name can't have any numbers, symbols, or made-up punctuations in your name
• Your name can only contain Latin characters
• If you're picking a title, it has to be a British accepted title (Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, and Mx)

If you want to go ahead and change your name, we at the UK Deed Poll Office will be able to process your deed poll in five minutes. To get started click here.