Can I Change My Title

Social Titles

British Social titles include Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss. Some of these, for example Mrs or Miss, have been customarily associated with your marital status.  However, there is no legal restriction on changing your social title and it is perfectly possible for a single woman to take on the title of Mrs, without getting married, as it is possible for a married woman to take the title of Miss or Ms.

You can change your social status using a Deed Poll document and often people change their title at the same time as they change their name. If you decide to change your social title, you can use your new social title, but when you are required to declare your marital status, you need to declare your correct marital status.

Academic and Professional Titles

You will need to provide evidence of your academic or professional title if you wish to have this on your Deed Poll document. If, for example you are a Medical Doctor or Dentist, we will need to provide your GMC  or GDC reference number so that we may verify your entitlement to use the title.  Please provide this in the 'Any other information' field on the application form itself.

Titles of Nobility and Honours

If you have a Nobility title or an honour title then in order to use this, i.e. to change your title to this, you will need to provide documentary evidence confirming your entitlement before we can issue you with the Deed Poll document adopting this title.

Please note that our issuing of a Deed Poll document bearing a title does not endorse or approve your choice or entitlement to the title you have taken on.

Religious Titles

In order to change your title to a religious one, the title needs to belong to one of the major recognized religions.  You will need to provide documentary evidence to use your religious title before we issue a Deed Poll document with your religious title.  This could be an ordination certificate, or a certificate or letter of appointment.

Changing Just Your Title

If you decide to only change your title and not your name itself, then you do not need a Deed Poll document to do this.  If you wish to change your title to one of academia, nobility, honours or religious then you should have the documentation to prove your entitlement to use that title.  You simply use this documentation to get your title changed with the name record holders.

You do not need a Deed Poll document to just change your title.  You only need a Deed Poll document when you change your title in conjunction with a change in your name. That said, we do get applications and requests to change just the title, and are willing to service such requests should you require documentation of your change of title.