This is a brief guide to researching records of a change of name. Original deed polls will be with the person who changed their name and not in an archive. Any copies given to a solicitor are likely not to be kept for more than five years. Since there is no legal obligation to formalise a change of name, there is no guarantee that you will find any records.
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What do I need to know before I start?
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Try to find out:
- the name of the person (before or after the change)
- a date range
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What records can I see online?
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Search Gazettes-online for advertisements of a name change in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes.
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What records can I find at The National Archives at Kew?
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Supreme Court records (1903-2003)
Consult the enrolment books of the Supreme Court in J 18. Indexes to original and new names are available in the reading rooms for years up to and including 2001.
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Close Rolls (1851-1903)
Consult the close rolls in C 54. Indexes to original names are available in the reading rooms.
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To access these records you will either need to visit us, commission research (£there will be a charge) or, where you can identify a specific record referencea unique set of letters and numbers identifying a document in The National Archives, order a copy (£there will be a charge).
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What records can I find in other archives and organisations?
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Deed polls enrolled after 2003
Contact the Royal Courts of Justice for deed polls enrolled after 2003.
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Advertisements or articles in local newspapers
Browse local newspapers, which may have details or advertisements concerning people who changed their names. Many local newspapers can be found in the British Library or local reference libraries.
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What other resources will help me find information?
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Books
Consult An Index to Changes of Name, 1760-1901 by W P W Phillimore and E A Fry (London, 1905) for a composite index from several sources of name changes from 1760 to 1901, excluding deed polls.
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In-depth research guides
Births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales
Census
Births, marriages and deaths of British nationals at sea or abroad