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Archiver > INDIA > 2002-04 > 1019830774


From: "Andrew Sellon" <>
Subject: Re: [India-L] Change of name
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 15:19:34 +0100
References: <007301c1ed1e$7cb31f00$dfa2403e@mycomputer>


Marion -

I believe I am correct in saying that in the UK anyone may change their name
at any time, so long as it is not done with criminal intent, (either to hide
or perpetuate a crime).

So no, it does not HAVE to be done 'officially', you just tell family and
friends what you want to be known as, and (with luck) that is who you then
are.

The ways of bringing it 'officially to everyone's attention is either to
publish the change in the London Gazette. (see
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/welcome.asp )The other way is commonly
called "by deed poll", whether correctly or not I do not know.

It was a much easier manoeuvre in the days before so much official
documentation, with the Inland Revenue, National Insurance and all other
bureaucratic agencies having to a). take notice of the change and b).
operate the change correctly.

I had a gr gr grandfather change his name in the 1800s, by publication. I
would not care to try it now!

I hope there might be someone with better qualifications to give a more
definite answer.

Yours Aye Andrew Sellon East Anglia

FOOLOMETER - A standard for measuring folly. Accent on the -om-. The term
was coined by Sydney Smith in a letter of 1837. The device was to be used as
a test of public opinion, of which Sydney took an understandably dim view.


From: "Geoffrey MeppenWalter" <>

> One of the names I am following up at the moment is SNOOK(S) although
sometime between 1881 and 1901 this was changed to SEVENOAKS.
>
> Would this change have had to be done officially?
>
> Marion Meppen-Walter



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