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Original poster

Can you call yourself Sir when you're not?

31 replies

aerosocks · 11/08/2021 18:48

Does anyone know whether it is an offence to call yourself 'Sir' if you haven't been knighted?

Someone I know has been doing this, he's a bit shady and we suspect he isn't Sir (firstname) (lastname) at all.

OP posts:
Theworldisfullofgs · 11/08/2021 18:52

No, it's illegal. It is an honorific that's a gift from the Crown

deedpolloffice.com/change-name/restrictions-on-names

Theworldisfullofgs · 11/08/2021 18:54

Why do they say they have a title?

There's a list of all honorary and hereditary..

TakeYourFinalPosition · 11/08/2021 18:54

Informally, no - it would only be a legal offence if you were mispresenting yourself for gain.

If you tried to change your actual name to include "Sir", you'd need to provide proof that you had lawfully been given that title by the Sovereign, and you'd need to be entitled to use it in in line with the traditional usage.

SoddingWeddings · 11/08/2021 19:00

If it's for random crap like concert tickets, crack on. My mate does this as she's 50 and single and sick of the Ms/Mrs/Miss debates and assumptions, so tends to pick something random like "Lieutenant Commander" or any other drop down that seems like a male title.

Legally, misrepresentation for gain or reward is illegal. For shits and giggles, meh

Orf1abc · 11/08/2021 19:01

It is not illegal to call yourself sir. The exception would be if you were doing so for commercial/ financial gain. In what context is he using it?

Original poster
aerosocks · 11/08/2021 19:16

He's in prison so he's not using it at all at the moment Grin

But he's been using it for years as far as I can tell, but several people just lately who have known him for a very long time have said that they have doubts about his story.

@Orf1abc I think it was for social standing reasons, to inveigle himself into opportunities which he might not have had otherwise.

OP posts:
Realitea · 14/08/2021 23:07

I knew someone who did this
He was a con artist and upset a lot of people while he jumped from one business to the next
He also treated his staff very badly
He owned a hotel when I met him and he swanned about like he was royalty

pegasussy · 14/08/2021 23:18

But doesn't Beyoncé have a son called Sir? 🤔

prh47bridge · 15/08/2021 07:30

Yes she does but that is governed by US law, not UK law.

LitPearl · 15/08/2021 07:34

Oh, I thought anybody could be 'sir'.

Teachers all used to go by sir so I thought it was just a respectful way to address somebody. I'd no idea its use was potentially illegal Confused

Mn753 · 15/08/2021 07:36

Maybe he identifies as a knight? Don't be a bigot!

ShippingNews · 15/08/2021 07:44

@LitPearl

Oh, I thought anybody could be 'sir'.

Teachers all used to go by sir so I thought it was just a respectful way to address somebody. I'd no idea its use was potentially illegal Confused

That's a different usage though. Saying "yes sir" as in a teacher or "can I help you , sir ?" from a retail staff member, is just a respectful way to address a man . Calling yourself Sir John Smith is a lot different.
MurielSpriggs · 15/08/2021 11:02

It's not an offence in itself.

To see if he's genuine there's no easily searchable register of knighthoods. But every honour awarded gets reported in the London Gazette (an official government publication). You can search the archive for his name. It's a bit clunky though.

www.thegazette.co.uk

Original poster
aerosocks · 16/08/2021 15:57

@MurielSpriggs

It's not an offence in itself.

To see if he's genuine there's no easily searchable register of knighthoods. But every honour awarded gets reported in the London Gazette (an official government publication). You can search the archive for his name. It's a bit clunky though.

www.thegazette.co.uk

Thanks, yes I found the London Gazette records, but there are a heck of a lot to go through, it would have to be a search of quite a few decades.
OP posts:
Original poster
aerosocks · 16/08/2021 15:58

@Mn753

Maybe he identifies as a knight? Don't be a bigot!
Grin
OP posts:
MurielSpriggs · 16/08/2021 17:30

Thanks, yes I found the London Gazette records, but there are a heck of a lot to go through, it would have to be a search of quite a few decades.

If you put quote marks round his name (eg "Sir Jaxon Ramsbotham") the Gazette search engine will only pull out occurences of that exact string of characters. Bear in mind that usually the announcement will be made in his full name, so you might have to search "Sir Jaxon Aloysius Ramsbotham".

If he's managed to get himself a knighthood he will definitely have enough of a public profile to be googleable anyway. Again, put quotes around his name in the google search box. If Sir Jaxon Ramsbotham is not known to google I guarantee he doesn't exist (thankfully he doesn't).

Ozanj · 16/08/2021 17:33

@pegasussy

But doesn't Beyoncé have a son called Sir? 🤔
Her son is the Hindi Sir - short for the beautiful saying Sir Aaakhon Par. It’s used to describe putting someone on a pedastal & is used often to describe children born after a struggle.
Original poster
aerosocks · 16/08/2021 18:46

@MurielSpriggs

Thanks, yes I found the London Gazette records, but there are a heck of a lot to go through, it would have to be a search of quite a few decades.

If you put quote marks round his name (eg "Sir Jaxon Ramsbotham") the Gazette search engine will only pull out occurences of that exact string of characters. Bear in mind that usually the announcement will be made in his full name, so you might have to search "Sir Jaxon Aloysius Ramsbotham".

If he's managed to get himself a knighthood he will definitely have enough of a public profile to be googleable anyway. Again, put quotes around his name in the google search box. If Sir Jaxon Ramsbotham is not known to google I guarantee he doesn't exist (thankfully he doesn't).

Thanks for your help. Oh he's googleable all right. I tried that already with 'Thingummybob Whatisname'. Trouble is that not only do most of the hits concern his recent crime, but there are a couple of high profile people elsewhere in the world with his name.

If you search for 'Sir Thingummybob Whatisname' you get no relevant results at all.

OP posts:
MurielSpriggs · 17/08/2021 01:22

If you search for 'Sir Thingummybob Whatisname' you get no relevant results at all.

Then he is definitely not a knight of the realm. Which does not sound all that surprising!

Thefellathatrocks · 17/08/2021 01:25

It's fine.

Calling yourself Sirree will get you into trouble though.

Thefellathatrocks · 17/08/2021 01:27

What's he in prison for anyway? It's not treason is it?

Original poster
aerosocks · 17/08/2021 20:07

@Thefellathatrocks

What's he in prison for anyway? It's not treason is it?
Erm... no. Far more repellent than that.
OP posts:
SusanBAnthony999 · 17/08/2021 22:13

You do not have to be a Knight to be a Sir. You can also be a Baronet - like Sir Walter Elliot in Persuasion.

Original poster
aerosocks · 18/08/2021 14:58

He's most definitely not a Baronet - if he was, we'd never have heard the last of it.

OP posts:
FrippEnos · 18/08/2021 15:09

You can buy a title and legally call your self sir stc.