Changing Your Name as a Transgender Person

Transgender people change their name by deed poll in the same way as anyone else. The process is identical, and you do not need to give a reason.



A deed poll can change your first name, middle name, surname, or any combination of them. You can change your title at the same time.

When to Change Your Name

You can change your name at any point: before social transition, during it, after it, or whenever suits you.



There is no requirement to have started medical transition, undergone any procedure, or obtained a Gender Recognition Certificate. You do not need permission from a doctor, therapist, or anyone else.

What You Can Change

You can choose almost any name. It does not need to relate to your birth name, and it does not need approval from anyone. You can also change your title to Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Mx, or no title.



See our article on what you can change your name to for the few restrictions that apply.

The Process

You apply with your current legal name and your new name, sign the deed poll in front of 2 witnesses, and use it to update your documents.

Your witnesses must be over 18, not related to you, and not living at your address. They do not need to know why you are changing your name.



Our guide to changing your name in Northern Ireland explains the full process.

Privacy and Deadnaming

Your deed poll does not create any public record linking your old name to your new one. An unenrolled deed poll keeps your name change private.

When you update your details, organisations update their systems to show your new name. Your old name generally remains in their historical records, but it should not appear on new correspondence or documents.



Some organisations handle this better than others. Banks and government departments typically update their systems completely. If you continue to receive mail in your old name after updating your details, contact the organisation and ask them to correct their records.

Health Records

You can update your name with your GP by providing your deed poll, and your health records will show your new name.



In Northern Ireland, your Health and Care Number stays the same when you change your name, so your medical history follows you. If you are accessing gender identity services or hormone treatment, updating your records helps ensure all correspondence uses your correct name.

Your Birth Certificate

Your birth certificate does not change when you change your name by deed poll. This applies to everyone, not just transgender people. Your updated documents, passport, driving licence, are what you use as proof of identity in daily life.



If you obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate in the future, you can apply for a new birth certificate showing your acquired gender and, if you wish, your new name. For births registered in Northern Ireland, this is handled by the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI). A Gender Recognition Certificate is not required to change your name by deed poll.

Gender Recognition Certificates

A Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) is separate from changing your name. You do not need one to change your name, and changing your name by deed poll is often a step people take before applying for a GRC, since it helps demonstrate you are living in your acquired gender.

Your Passport and Gender Marker

You can update your passport to show your new name using your deed poll alone.



If you also want to change the gender marker on your passport, HM Passport Office will need your deed poll and medical evidence that your gender change is likely to be permanent, such as a letter from your GP, a consultant, or a chartered psychologist practising in gender dysphoria. You do not need a GRC or any medical procedure for this.

Updated documents do not in themselves give legal recognition to your gender; only a GRC does. They do, however, provide evidence to the Gender Recognition Panel that you are living in your acquired gender.

Changing Your Title

You do not normally need a deed poll to change your title alone. Titles like Mr, Ms and Mx are not part of your legal name, and most organisations will update your title when you tell them.

Ready to Change Your Name?

Apply online and receive your deed poll by post within days. Each document is drafted to Northern Irish requirements, printed on parchment paper and embossed with a seal.

Once signed and witnessed, it is legally binding and guaranteed to be accepted in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK.