Change of name 1930s/40s

[Mulberry14]

Can anyone shed some light on whether or not changes of name were recorded officially in 1930s/40s in England? I am researching two brothers born in Northern Ireland, one in 1913 and the other in 1922. They came to England in the late 1930s and then crop up with different names in Norfolk. Without going into every detail here, there are very sound reasons why the two who left Ireland are the two who pop up in Norfolk (not least because the exact birthdates and places of birth are the same - I have tried the change of name birth certificate route but no joy there). The names are changed but I cannot find any way of proving it that they are the same people! Any help with unravelling this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in hope!

[stanmapstone]

Under English common law, a person may take a new surname, perfectly legally, without drawing up any formal record, provided that such action is not undertaken for the purpose of fraud or avoidance of obligation. Deed Poll was usually used by those who considered  possible inheritance difficulties in the future, so was more often used by the wealthier members of society. A notification in the local paper was sometimes used, and for every person who went to the trouble and expense of deed poll, there were numerous others who simply adopted a new name without formality. From 1914, all deeds poll enrolled in the Supreme Court had first to be advertised in the London Gazette.

Stan

[Mulberry14]

Thank you for that....it is really what I was hoping wouldn't be the case but suspected!
I have a visitors passport for the younger brother applied for in 1970s - would he have been required to have a birth certificate for that? (I also have driving licenses - Belfast 1946 and London 1968). Thank you.

[ThrelfallYorky]

I have one born under one surname - that of his mother. His mother soon afterwards married, and when this youngster started work, he was surprised, to say the least, that the surname his foreman addressed him by was that of his mother, not that of her husband and his two siblings, that he'd used until then. He adopted that family surname, and later served in WWII, married, worked and died under that surname ... but no evidence of a formal deed poll taking place, although we've looked for it. It happened a lot.

[dawnsh]

No birth certs required for the driving licence but something should have been requried for the passport.

If he had used his original birth cert, he might have used the services of a Notary Public to explain and confirm the change of name.

[aghadowey]

Have you tried checking PRONI Will Extract database under both surnames in case a relative's estate is listed? For example, birth name Johnston & assumed name Smith- put Johnston in surname box then Smith in details box to see if any results (also use any known surnames of grandparents, etc.).
http://apps.proni.gov.uk/DCAL_PRONI_WillsCalendar_IE/WillsSearch.aspx

Also try searching for English probate records for the two brothers in case there's a probate listing which gives the birth name as an alias.
https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate

[Mulberry14]

Thank you for the response. I will try all the avenues you have suggested as I feel I don't want to let this one go!
One brother changed his surname completely but made reference to the family via his first and second name. The younger brother kept his surname but changed both first names...very intriguing/frustrating!
Thank you all again.
M