Name change process

[Bebop2000]

Hi,

We got married a year ago but never got round to changing our surnames (both going double-barrelled due to different heritages). What is the best/ most logical order to do the name changes in? Baby on way so want to make sure our names are sorted.

Also, this is going to sound a bit silly but why do we need to send the marriage cert off if the name we want to be recognised by isn’t formally stated on there?

Thanks.

No, you do not need to get the marriage certificate changed. I can't think of any reason why the order in which you change your names would make any difference.

Is the new name an amalgamation of the original names on your marriage certificate? The certificate shows that the new name can be formed from the old names so that's why you send it.

Otherwise you'd likely need to do a deed poll (you can do that yourself rather than pay for it afaik)

What are you changing your names on? Passport? Driving licence?

If you do the passport first then it can be used to change the driving licence and make other name changes at other companies easier

I was told to send the marriage cert off as proof of a name change. That’s what I’m partly confused about because it doesn’t have the full name I want to use on there so why would it be proof?

In terms of order, I mean that passports and driving licences tend to be the biggest forms of ID that other companies use to prove your ID. But which one first?

And although I am thinking of utilities, is there anywhere else probably less obvious (I.e somewhere I don’t get letters from frequently) I need to inform?

@dementedpixie thank you! Yes it will be an amalgamation of what’s on the cert. So I wouldn’t need to go through Deedpoll then?

Thank you for the advice- will do passport first then to get the ball rolling 😊

Found this online:

A double-barrelled surname

If you and your partner want to take each other’s name as a double-barrelled surname and it’s clear how the name is derived, then your marriage certificate is sufficient evidence of your name change — you don’t need a deed poll.

Note that if it isn’t clear how the double-barrelled surname is derived, then the name will be considered a new surname, and you’ll need a deed poll as evidence of your name change.

So for example, if your surname is Jones and your partner’s name is Smith, then Jones-Smith and Smith Jones would both be clearly derived from your respective surnames, and a deed poll isn’t necessary to change your name. (It doesn’t matter what order you put the surnames or whether or not you use a hyphen.)

However the surname Cox-Jones-Smith isn’t clearly derived because it introduces an extra element.

Although double-barrelled surnames are becoming more popular, you may still have difficulties having your marriage certificate accepted by some independent organisations, such as banks, so it’s a good idea to renew your passport first. An updated passport is strong proof of your new name, and organisations are legally required to recognise your change of details under the GDPR.

If, on the other hand, you aren’t planning on updating your passport in the near future (it’s an extra cost of £ 82.50, and it’s not a legal requirement to have it updated), then you might consider changing your name by deed poll, to save yourself any possible hassle.

@dementedpixie lord knows what I was Googling but that article did NOT come up!

@Bebop2000 from here

https://deedpolloffice.com/advice/woman-getting-married