How to change one's surname?

Question:I have been informed that one can change their surname easily. What is the process, and how long does it take?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have been informed that one can change their surname easily. What is the process, and how long does it take?

Yes you can. In the UK you can be known by any name you choose as long as it isn't for fraudulent reasons, if you wish to make the name change official without getting married you can change it by DEED POLL, it costs around ￡40:00 and is done through a solicitor.
Hope this helps.

You need to this questions not Genealogy section

get married or depole

get married, process can vary as its hard to find the one

You can change your surname and your forename for that matter very easily through a process called deed poll. Go to your local registrar of births, deaths and marriages and ask them for details.

It is easy. Contact your local court clerk and they will give you all the info. Takes about a month total.

It can be done by deed poll. Get legal advice on that.
Can be done just by using a different surname - by common usage.

simple get married

http://www.deedpolloffice.org.uk/

The deed poll office website contains all the information you need and it costs ￡39.00.

Legally you can call yourself anything you want, so long as it is not for fraudulent purposes. If you want to you can do it by deed poll, this will cost you money.

change it by depole

This is an All English Speaking board and people on it are from the U. S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

If you are in the U.S., state laws govern how it can be done. Call your county clerk or whatever at your county courthouse and that person can point you in the right direction.

You can get married,do it via deedpole or pay a solicitor.

First of all, you don't say where in the world you are. All English-speaking questions (for better or worse) get lumped into one giant pot and can be seen and answered by anyone anywhere in the world, which is not a lot of good to you, because obviously, the laws in America (and even individual states of America) are different from those in the UK, which are different again from those in Australia.

This question also depends on whether you want your new name to have any legal standing in law. The most simple way of changing your name is to simply tell all your friends, family and work colleagues that you no longer wish to be called "John Smith", and henceforth wish to be known as "Zoltar Malafraz". It's really as simple as that, though of course you won't be able to open a bank account or get a driving licence or passport in your new name. It's just an informal name change that has no status in law, just a name by which you are known as. My uncle for example was born "Dave" but uses the name "Tyree". Most people don't even know his real name - it's always Tyree, but if you look on his passport or driving licence it says Dave, his real birth name. He could change it legally and get a new passport, but he's just never bothered.

In order to make it legal (in the UK at least) you need to change it by Deed Poll. It's a relatively simple process through the County Court that is best done with the aid of a solicitor and will set you back about ￡100 probably. There are certain names that you can't use or which use is tightly regulated. For example, you can't register yourself with a title such as "Doctor John Smith" ('Doctor' being your new first name) and then go out and pretend to be a practioner of medicine, as that is fraud - the same goes for styling yourself as a 'Lord' and using this 'title' to defraud people. You also can't change your name to avoid the law or any debts in your old name as that is fraud too. But no, it's not difficult, and takes as long as it takes your solicitor to draw up the paperwork.