Wales and England form a single legal jurisdiction, so the law on changing your name by Deed Poll is exactly the same in Cardiff, Swansea or Wrexham as it is in Manchester or London.
What does come up in Wales, and is worth thinking about before you apply, is how your new name is spelled and whether the organisations you deal with can record it accurately.
Welsh names and diacritics
Many Welsh names use accented characters, most commonly the circumflex or to bach in letters such as â, ê, î, ô, û, ŵ and ŷ. The accent is part of the spelling and changes how the name is pronounced, so it matters that it is recorded correctly.
Not every organisation's computer system handles accented characters well. Some strip them, some refuse them, and some store them correctly but print them incorrectly. This is worth anticipating, because a mismatch between your Deed Poll and your bank record can cause problems later even though the difference looks trivial.
Tell us exactly how you want it spelled
Type your new name into the application form exactly as you want it to appear, including any accents. We prepare your document from what you enter, so if the accent is not in the form it will not be on the document. If you are unsure how to type an accented character, put a note in the comments box and we will check with you before preparing anything.
Anglicised and Welsh forms of a name
Some people change from an anglicised spelling to a Welsh one, or the reverse. A Deed Poll can be used for this in the same way as any other change, whether you are changing your forename, your surname or both.
Bear in mind that organisations will treat it as a full change of name rather than a correction, so you will need to update your records in the usual way rather than simply asking them to amend a spelling.
Bilingual documents
Our Deed Poll documents are prepared in English. Public bodies in Wales operate bilingually under the Welsh language standards, and an English-language Deed Poll is normally accepted as evidence in the usual way. If you need a document in Welsh for a particular purpose, check with the organisation concerned before ordering, as we cannot supply one.
Applying from Wales
The application process is the same wherever in England and Wales you live. You complete the form, we prepare your documentation, and it is posted to your address. You then sign and date it in front of an independent adult witness before using it as evidence of your change of name.
Applications are available for an adult, a child under 16, or a family changing surname together.
Ready to apply?
Adult, child and family applications can all be completed online.
Start your application