Can I Keep My Old Name After Changing It By Deed Poll?

Giving up your old name and using your new oneafter changing it by deed poll is one of the requirements for changing your name by Deed Poll. But what if you want to use your previous name for a specific purpose going forward? Is it allowed? Read on to find out.

Name Change and Business

Your corporate name may be the same as your personal name if you operate a firm alone. What does it mean for your business if you plan to change your name? Does the name of your company need to change? No, not at all. The company name could stay the same even after you’ve altered it through a Deed Poll. If you formally change your name to “John Smith,” your company name will be “John Smith trading as Bob Smith,” even though both your current name is no longer “Bob Smith.” Any business stationery you own may continue to use your previous name, but it must be clearly marked as the owner and that you are using your new name. When you notify the bank of a name change, your company account name will also be updated to reflect your new identity.

Professional Name

If you have gotten to know your clients well and don’t want to complicate or ruin your relationship with them by having them call you differently, you can continue to use your previous name for business purposes with your company’s agreement. If you would like to do this, there shouldn’t be any issues because most businesses don’t mind. 

When you apply for a passport with your new name, you can also ask the HM Passport Office to write your professional name on the observations page of your passport. This can be very useful if a client has made travel arrangements in your professional name or if you need to present identification in your professional name. You’ll save time and money by doing this instead of having the ticket changed to reflect your legal name.

Using your former name is appropriate in professional settings, but only in those situations. Your legal name—the name you obtained by Deed Poll— must be used when submitting applications for official documents (such as a driver’s licence).

Contact UKDP for Deed Poll services on 0208 0172216.