Being a citizen of the UK, you have the right to change your name at any point in your life. The choice of name will be yours, and you can choose to change your name for any reason in the world. However, it’s important that you make yourself aware of some common mistakes that can get you in trouble.
In this post, we will go through a few of them. Let’s take a look.
1. Overlooking the Terms and Conditions
Even though you have the right to name yourself anything, the name change procedure takes place under a set of terms and conditions that everyone must abide by.
For example, you can not include punctuation marks or any special symbols in your name.
Similarly, there’s another rule. Your first name can’t exceed 250 characters, and your last name can’t exceed 50 characters.
Also, if you wish to add a title to your name, in some cases, you will have to provide evidence that you deserve that title. Here’s a list of titles that need evidence:
- Dr.
- Er.
- Arch.
- Prof.
- Lord
- Baron
- Prince
- Princess
- Sir
We can’t call ourselves doctors until we really are, right?
2. Picking An Outrageous Name
With all the freedom to pick the name of your choice, it’s crucial to note that your name isn’t outrageous.
A name that sounds or writes like a racial remark or seems to cause offence to people’s religious sentiments must be avoided.
Names like these may pass through the law. However, once the people around you come to notice, you may get in trouble.
Also, ensure that your name doesn’t cause any confusion. Names with numbers can often give rise to problems at airports and other similar places.
3. Save Yourself From The Circle Of Procrastination
Many people change their names after getting married. However, studies show that over 40% of them complete the procedure within the first three months.
This makes the procedure hassle free for them as they won’t be missing the free-passport window. They won’t have problems opening a new bank account with their new name. And all of their documents will soon have their new name.
People stalling the legal procedure for too long may not get these benefits. If you are unfamiliar with the process, here’s how to change your name.
4. Being Impatient
Changing your name in the UK isn’t tricky. To start the process, you just need to start using your new name in your everyday life.
However, the process of getting the new name on all your documents can be time-consuming. This is because you may have to individually visit each department (for your passport, bills, driving license etc.) with your name change application.
So, if your decision is firm, prepare yourself to wait in offices and make rounds in all the different departments. Being impatient here will not work in your favour.
5. Being Influenced By Opinions
It’s fair to listen to people who care about you. However, by getting influenced by their opinions, you may get severely confused about changing your name.
When you discuss this with your friends and family, have a calm mind and don’t rush into decisions. This will also apply when you are picking a new name for yourself.
This will give you enough clarity to pick the right new name.
Wrapping Up
Regardless of the reasons behind your decision of getting a new name, it’s important to avoid making mistakes that can disturb the entire process. In this post, we shared a list of five such mistakes.
Hopefully, this was helpful.