Whether you are picking that all important name for your new-born child or wanting to change your own name for whatever reason, it is important to note that some titles just are not allowed.
Unique and uncommon names have been rising in popularity over the years, often seeing a change from tradition to expression. All births in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must be registered within 42 days of the child being born and although parents have a free reign when it comes to naming their child, some names can be refused if they are deemed 'offensive'.
According to the UK Deed Poll Service, some people 'like the idea of having a fun name'. In the past, Deed Polls have been issued for fun names such as Jellyfish McSaveloy, Toasted T Cake, Nineteen Sixty-Eight, Hong Kong Phooey, Daddy Fantastic, One-One-Eight Taxi, Ting A Ling, Huggy Bear, Donald Duck, Jojo Magicspacemonkey and James Bond.
READ MORE: Furious in-laws demand parents change baby's name
However, if you are considering a fun name and belong to a professional body, you should check to ensure there will be no problems registering your new name with them. In relation to 'fun names' HM Passport Office (HMPO) has introduced a policy for inappropriate and temporary name changes in passports.
Under the policy, HMPO will not issue a passport in a name that is temporary or that may cause public offence, breach copyright or trademark laws or includes numbers or symbols. Some examples include swear words, sexually explicit references or offensive language.
There may also be restrictions on the number of characters and the number of names. The passport office will only print 30 characters (including spaces) for forenames and 30 characters for a surname on your passport.
However, the UK Deed Poll Service will not accept an application for a name that:
- does not include at least one forename and one surname;
- is impossible to pronounce;
- includes numbers or symbols
- includes punctuation marks that do not have a phonetic significance. However, you can have a hyphen to link forenames or surnames (for example, if you want a double-barrelled name) and an apostrophe in the case of surnames like O’Brien;
- is vulgar, offensive or blasphemous;
- promotes criminal activities;
- promotes racial or religious hatred;
- promotes the use of controlled drugs or includes the generic or slang name for them;
- ridicules people, groups, government departments, companies or organisations;
- may result in others believing you have a conferred or inherited honour, title, rank or academic award, for example, a change of first name to Sir, Lord, Laird, Lady, Prince, Princess, Viscount, Baron, Baroness, General, Captain, Professor or Doctor etc.
- exceeds the maximum number of characters allowed in a name
Other than the above restrictions, you can change your forenames, surname (or both), add names, remove names or rearrange your existing names.
