Finding out when your name was changed (by deed poll or otherwise)

You may not be able to find out an exact date when your name was changed, seeing as a change of name doesn’t have to be registered anywhere.  It may be that there’s no record it anywhere at all.

Your name may not have even been changed on a single date — it’s possible to have changed your name over a period of days or weeks.  But don’t worry too much about the date — organisations are generally happy with an estimate to the best of your knowledge.

To do a replacement deed poll / statutory declaration we don’t need to put the exact date for a past change of name.  It’s enough if you put a month and year, or even just a year.

If you’re not sure about the month or year, then please tell us the latest month / year that you think it could have been — to the best of your knowledge.  E.g. if you know it was between 2001 and 2003, then you should put “2003”.

If someone asks for the exact date

Sometimes an organisation may ask you for the exact date you changed your name, or you may have to fill in an online form which won’t let you put an approximate date.

If you don’t know the exact date, and you have to choose one, you should choose either —

• the date you think it is most likely that your name was changed
• the mid-point of the range of possible dates when you think your name was changed

If you can, make clear (e.g. in the “comments” section) that the date is an estimate to the best of your knowledge.  It’s best to be open and honest about it.

In the end, no-one can check for sure when your name was changed, any more than you can — so don’t worry that the date is an estimate.  Organisations such as the DBS and HM Passport Office know this, and they will understand.