In the UK, an informal name change lets people call you by a new name socially, but only a legal name change - evidenced by a deed poll - lets you update your passport, bank account, driving licence and official records. Both rely on the same common-law right to use any name you like, but they buy you very different things in practice. The crucial difference is proof: an informal name has none, while a deed poll is a signed legal document that institutions accept as evidence your name has changed.
What an informal name change actually is
An informal name change - often called being “known as” a name - simply means you start using a different name in everyday life. There’s no paperwork, no cost and no central register of names in England and Wales. You ask friends, colleagues and family to call you something new, and they do. That’s it.
This works because there is no law forcing you to use the name on your birth certificate. As long as you’re not changing your name to commit fraud or evade a debt, you are free to call yourself whatever you wish. Many people live happily under a different first name, a shortened surname, or a name that reflects their gender or marriage, without ever signing a document.
An informal name change is genuinely useful in plenty of low-stakes situations. We cover exactly where it holds up in our guide to where preferred names are recognised without a deed poll - think email display names, social media, your coffee-shop loyalty app or how your employer addresses you day to day.
What a legal name change is
A legal name change uses the same right, but creates evidence. You sign a deed poll - a short legal document stating that you abandon your old name and adopt your new one - in front of an independent witness. The deed poll doesn’t make the name “more legal” than an informal one; what it does is give organisations a document they can rely on, file and verify.
That distinction matters because modern record-keeping runs on documentary proof. A passport office, bank or government department can’t simply take your word that you’re now called something else. They need a signed instrument they can keep on record - and that’s precisely what a deed poll is for.
Around 98% of UK name changes use an unenrolled deed poll, which is the standard, fully valid version accepted by HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC, banks, the NHS, employers and schools. You don’t need a solicitor (who would charge £150-£300+ for the same wording), and you don’t need to pay for court enrolment to make it count.
What each option lets you do
Here’s the practical breakdown - what an informal name will and won’t carry you through, versus a legal deed poll.
Where an informal name works
- How friends, family and colleagues address you in person and over email
- Social media profiles, gaming handles and display names
- Loyalty schemes, club memberships and informal subscriptions
- An employer using your preferred name in internal communications and on your desk
- Changing a title - Mr, Mrs, Ms, Mx or Dr. A title isn’t legally part of your name, so you never need a deed poll to switch it.
Where an informal name hits a wall
This is the part people underestimate. An informal name cannot be used to update any document that proves your identity, because there’s nothing to evidence the change. Specifically, you cannot:
- Update your passport. HM Passport Office requires a deed poll (or marriage/civil partnership certificate) before it will reissue a passport in a new name.
- Change your bank account, mortgage or cards. Banks need documentary proof; “everyone calls me this” isn’t accepted.
- Update your driving licence. The DVLA needs evidence of the legal change - though the update itself is free.
- Change your records with HMRC, the NHS or the Student Loans Company.
- Have your new name on legal contracts, your will, your tenancy or your degree certificate.
The result is an “identity gap”: you’re John socially but James on your passport, which causes problems the moment those two worlds meet - booking flights, opening accounts, passing right-to-work checks or proving who you are. If you need any official document to reflect your new name, the informal route runs out of road and you’ll need a deed poll. You can order a professionally printed deed poll here for £14.49, with same-day dispatch on orders placed before 3pm.
Informal vs legal: a quick comparison
- Cost: Informal is free; an unenrolled deed poll starts at £14.49.
- Proof: Informal has none; a deed poll is a signed, witnessed legal document.
- Passport & driving licence: Informal can’t update them; a deed poll can (the DVLA update is free, a new adult passport is £102 online).
- Banks, HMRC, NHS, employers: Informal can’t update official records; a deed poll can, and these updates are free.
- Effort: Informal is instant; a deed poll takes minutes to order and a little admin to notify organisations.
Do you actually need to go legal?
It depends entirely on what you want the name for. If you only want people to call you a certain name in daily life, the informal route is perfect and costs nothing. If you need your identity documents to match - which most people eventually do for travel, finance or work - you need the legal route.
There’s a common myth that you must enrol your deed poll at the Royal Courts of Justice to make it “official.” You don’t. Enrolment (£53.05) is entirely optional, takes 2-3 weeks and only publishes your name change publicly in the London Gazette - it adds no legal validity whatsoever. We unpack the full picture in our explainer on whether you have to use a deed poll to change your name and the rules around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an informal name change legal in the UK?
Yes. Under common law you can call yourself any name you like, provided it’s not for fraudulent purposes. The limitation isn’t legality - it’s that an informal name has no documentary proof, so you can’t use it to update official records like your passport or bank account.
Can I use a “known as” name on my passport?
No. HM Passport Office will only issue a passport in a new name if you provide evidence of the change, such as a deed poll or a marriage certificate. There is no informal way to change the name printed in your passport.
Does a deed poll make my name “more legal” than an informal one?
No - both rely on the same legal right to use any name. A deed poll doesn’t upgrade your right; it simply provides the signed, witnessed proof that institutions need before they’ll update your records.
Do I need a deed poll to change my title to Mr, Mrs, Ms or Mx?
No. A title is not legally part of your name, so you can change it informally without any document. Most organisations will update your title on request.
Is an unenrolled deed poll enough, or do I need to enrol it?
An unenrolled deed poll is enough for almost everyone - around 98% of UK name changes use one, and it’s accepted by HM Passport Office, the DVLA, HMRC, banks, the NHS and employers. Enrolment at £53.05 is optional and adds no legal validity.
Who can witness my deed poll?
An independent adult aged 18 or over who isn’t a relative, your partner, or anyone living at your address. Organisations also need the original wet-ink signed deed poll - not a photocopy - so keep it safe.
Ready to close the identity gap?
If you only need people to call you a new name socially, the informal route works well and costs nothing. But the moment you need your passport, bank, driving licence or official records to match, you need proof - and a deed poll is the simple, accepted way to get it. Order your professionally printed deed poll from £14.49, dispatched same day before 3pm with free Royal Mail Tracked delivery, and trusted by more than 160,000 customers.