changing name?

rabialiones

hi, I would like some advice please.
when I was young I had two names, one official and one which I was called at home. I think there was a dispute between mum/grandma.
anyway , on my passport and birth cert. is my first name.

however, at home I was always called by middle name , which I got used to , so on some of my documents is my middle name and on some both names , except for passport and birth cert. which just have first name.

sometimes it gets confusing , so I just want to use official name which is on passport and birth cert.

can I just inform organisations, - bills, bank , gp etc to just use my first name, or do I need a deed poll

I do wish parents would be careful when naming kids as they do not realise problems which can arise later on in life.

any advice appreciated
thanks

coolcait

There have been a few threads about changing name recently. I've picked out these three, but there are others out there:) :

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5437936

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5426776

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5439734

They've all got useful information on the various approaches you can take to changing your name. I hope some of that information will be helpful to you.

rabialiones

thanks for all the info coolcait

however, guess what?

I am even more confused now

peachyprice

No, you don't need a deed poll, you just need your birth cert with a covering letter explaining you wish to be known by your given name. Since your passport is already in your given name it shouldn't be too difficult at all as you already have an official document in that name.

Mojisola

rabialiones wrote: »

anyway , on my passport and birth cert. is my first name.

however, at home I was always called by middle name

sometimes it gets confusing , so I just want to use official name which is on passport and birth cert.

Isn't your middle name on your birth certificate?

Well_excuse_me.

The only thing that carries my first name is my birth certificate, everything else is in my "real" name. Everything. Everyone from HMRC and my mother down calls me by the name I started using at 14.
Shares, banks, passport, employers, everything. If anyone queries you, all you need do is provide "proof" from a reliable person that you are known as the name you say you are. A magistrate, a doctor, a councillor (it has to be someone who knows you).

peachyprice

Well_excuse_me. wrote: »

If anyone queries you, all you need do is provide "proof" from a reliable person that you are known as the name you say you are. A magistrate, a doctor, a councillor (it has to be someone who knows you).

OP has proof, her passport it in her given name, she doesn't need anything from a reliable person.

Well_excuse_me.

It wasnt a specific "you", it was, and is, a generic "you".
HTH.

TBagpuss

You can just inform organisations. Most will have their own policies about what they will or won't accept.

However, if you are saying "I've been known as Jane Smith but my full name is actually Mary Jane Smith, here's a copy of my birth certificate and passport" then you should not need anything further.

If you were going the other way, and wanted to change from MAry Jane Smith to Jane Smith, then you would probably find that the passport agency would require a change of name deed in order to change your passport.

DigForVictory

Two observations:
One is what a dilly of a way to screen junk mail!
The other - you can "date" friendships by which name they default to.

Tuesday_Tenor

Presumably your NI/HMRC records are in your 'other' name?

And you have had/will have problems when different 'official' documents have different names so the new employer/agency/whatever is perplexed and can't process them.

You certainly don't need a deed poll.

I think you would find it helpful to make a statutory declaration at a solicitors so that you have an officially witnessed paper that states something along the lines of:

'I, John Smith, on birth certificate no. 12345678 and passport no. 987654321 am the same person as Robert Smith , N.I. No 11223344 and have also been known as John Robert Smith'. [Refer to any key document with the third option, if there is one].

You then have an official document that you can copy and include when you present proofs of ID which don't tally. You could continue to use all three forms of you name as you wish.

Or, reflecting the intention expressed in your OP, you could include in the statutory declaration: 'and from this day I wish to use and be known by the name John Smith' , and then use the statutory declaration to get the name changed on HMRC etc records.

The solicitor will advise on the form of words. Passport numbers change over time, so might be better to leave out. Or make a new declaration in future?

Sorry to be a bit morbid, but the use of different names could cause problems for whoever is eventually executor of your estate. So it would be good to have either a statutory declaration, as above, or ensure your will includes all you AKA (also known as ) names. If you're finding problems now, think how difficult it will be for others in future when you're not there to explain!!