Personal Names: Deed Poll

(asked on 27th April 2023) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what facilities exist for (1) the police, and (2) the public, to establish previous changes of name by enrolled deed poll of individuals.


Answered by
Lord Bellamy Portrait
Lord Bellamy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This question was answered on 10th May 2023

There is no limit to the number of times a person can change their name by the enrolled deed poll process. This is consistent with long stablished common law rights for people to change their name and the European Convention of Human Rights. Changing a name for a deceptive or fraudulent purpose could however be prosecuted as part of the underlying fraud or deception.

Upon enrolment the deed is advertised in the London Gazette by the High Court providing a searchable public record of enrolled deed name changes. As such, the Government does not believe there are any grounds for concerns relating to national security, the work of the police or money laundering arising from the process.

Reticulating Splines