How to change my name?

Here are all the essential facts you need to know about legal name change

How to change my name?

I will share with you everything you need to know about how to change your name, plus how to ensure you change to a name that will benefit you and not hinder you using a professional Name Advice report!

In most places you need to be over 16 to officially change your name.

Bear in mind that not every country in the world allows you to legally change your name, so you need to establish that first. For instance:

England and Wales do allow legal name changes, but Scotland doesn’t have deed polls (the name change legal document) but you can call yourself by a new name. This information is correct at the time of writing this.

Quebec in Canada has very strict rules for legally changing a name, however you can simply call yourself any name you like.

Belgium only allows legal name change in exceptional situations.You can find out more about YOUR country’s rules here:

Legal name change

How to change my name in the UK

In the UK you change your name using a Deed Poll form which is a name change form and, importantly, is a legal document. You can apply online, by phone or post here:

Name Change Forms

How to change my name - things to bear in mind before you go ahead:

By legally changing your name (as opposed to simply calling yourself by a new name) you are legally bound to:

1. Drop the use of your previous name
2. Ensure everyone uses your new name only and not your former name.
3. Only use your new name always, not a mixture of your old and new name.

How to change my name - you must inform the following people:

You need to inform official bodies like the driving licence office, banks, the passport office – they will usually want to see the actual deed poll form, not a copy, but check with each first as rules do change. You will need to pay for a new passport I believe.Other organizations will usually accept a copy of the form.

Which of your names can you change?

In the UK (and other countries, check for yours) you can change:

What will your new name do for you?

Your new name will do more for you than you may realize so do read on before you make any legal name changes!

By changing any part of your name you are changing the ‘energy’ of that name and therefore you are altering how the name effects you. Most people simply choose a new name based on what they like – however this is a very random way to make a change that will affect all areas of your life.

You may have noticed yourself that people change in their personality after they change their name – ladies who marry and take on their husband’s surname are a good example of this.

Have you ever heard a man complain ‘she’s not the woman I married!’

Also, what happens in your life changes too after a name change – even if you only make a small spelling change. Celebrities are a good example of this – we often hear of celebs who struggled to get anywhere with their career until they changed their name! Here’s a whole list of famous people who have changed their name:

Celebrity name changes

How to change my name to the BEST name for me?

A Name Advice report will tell you whether the name you are thinking of changing to is better for you than your current name - and why.

It uses a combination of name numerology and name psychology.

You can compare up to 8 different full names, so you can see if a different spelling etc would benefit you.

With this report you will then be able to make an informed decision before you make a legal name change – and you will then know how the new name will effect you in all areas of your life.

I hope you have found this information about how to change your name helpful.

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Read more about Name Advice and what you will receive with this report

Order a free report about the meaning of your current birth name

Order a deed poll form – the legal name change form

Go from How to change my name to home page – Meaning of names

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