Change of Surname by Deed Poll

[johnP-bedford]

My grandmother's surname was changed by deed poll to the name I knew (ie. my mothers maiden name) when she was about 9 years old in 1907. It was not until I discussed my family history with an aged aunt I discovered this fact - so no wonder I could not find my gran's birth index or 1901 census entry !!    

Are there any records of deed poll name changes kept ? if so where ?

Of course I now know the previous name I can go back & find gran; but if auntie was not around - how could I have found out ?

John P

[tabitha]

Hi John P,

I've just copied & pasted this below from http://www.ukdps.co.uk/IsADeedPollRegisteredAnywhere.html

Hope it helps!
Tabitha 

Contrary to popular belief, there is no central register of name changes in the United Kingdom. Deed Polls are not registered anywhere unless they were enrolled in the Close Rolls of the Chancery (from 1851 to 1902) or from 1903, in the Enrolment Books of the Supreme Court of Judicature, which is located within the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, London.

Enrolling a Deed Poll provides a public record of a person's name change and, since 1914, the details of the name change were, and are, published in either the London, Edinburgh or Belfast Gazette [What is the London Gazette]. However, it is not a requirement to enrol a Deed Poll and it significantly adds to the time taken and the cost of changing a person's name. Most people who change their name only wish to inform those who have a reason to know i.e. all the government departments and companies a person deals with. Consequently, very few Deed Polls are enrolled - we believe as few as one Deed Poll in a hundred is enrolled.

Deed Polls that have been enrolled at the Royal Courts of Justice in London remain there for about five years. After which (and going back to 1851), they can be found at the National Archives, which is located at Kew in Richmond, Surrey.

For further information about enrolling a Deed Poll, contact the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL or telephone 020-7947 6000.

Last updated: 16 December 2004