English names are personal names used in, or originating in, England . In England, as elsewhere in the English-speaking world , a complete name usually consists of one or more given names , commonly referred to as first names, and a (most commonly patrilineal , rarely matrilineal ) family name or surname , also referred to as a last name. The given names after the first are often referred to as middle names .
20-499: Blennerhassett is an English surname . The name originates from the village of Blennerhasset (with one t) in Cumbria, England. English name Few given names used in England have English derivations. Many names are of Hebrew ( Daniel , David , Elizabeth , Susan ) or Greek ( Nicholas , Dorothy , George , and Helen ) origin. Some are Germanic names , sometimes adopted via
40-573: A baptismal ceremony – that could be done only by an act of Parliament . Deeds that change a person's first name can be registered by the applicant in the Enrolment Books of the Senior Courts of England and Wales, which is located within the Royal Courts of Justice on Strand, London, and they are usually endorsed "Notwithstanding the decision of Mr Justice Vaisey in re Parrott, Cox v Parrott ,
60-633: A legal name, though most people use their birth name (as registered on the Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths , regulated by the Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations 1987 , which allows only characters that are used in English or Welsh), often using a spouse's surname (proved with a marriage certificate), or (if an adult) a name formally declared by deed poll . No regulations include any specific provisions regarding what names are acceptable. Nonetheless,
80-543: A person or family. It is one use of a deed poll . Some organisations, such as government departments issuing passports and driving licences, may not recognise a name change without a deed poll. However, an official document is not a legal requirement for a valid name change in common law. In England and Wales , such a deed may be registered in the Central Office of the High Court . Deeds so registered are advertised in
100-548: Is a result of a combination of greater individualism in the choice of names, and the increasing ethnic heterogeneity of the UK population, which led to a wider range of frequent given names from non-European traditions. Oliver and Olivia were the most popular baby names in England and Wales in 2018. According to Christopher Daniell, in 1140 marked what might be the first recorded use of a modern surname, inherited by multiple generations. These were not always regularly formed: for example,
120-618: Is not unusual for compound surnames to be composed of separate words not linked by a hyphen, for example Iain Duncan Smith , a former leader of the Conservative Party , whose surname is "Duncan Smith". Deed of change of name A deed of change of name is a legal document used in the United Kingdom , Ireland and some other countries with legal systems based on English common law , to record an intended change of name by
140-620: The London Gazette . A deed of name change on behalf of a minor must be approved by the Senior Master on behalf of the Master of the Rolls who will take into account the child's best interests . A deed poll can also be used to change a child's name, as long as everyone with parental responsibility for the child consents to it and the child does not object to it. Registration of deeds is regulated by
160-520: The General Register Office and various organizations that help with creating and enrolling deed polls will reject anything that is unreasonable (racist, offensive, fraudulent, implying a title of nobility not held, unpronounceable, not in the Latin script, etc.). Double-barrelled names may be formed for a variety of reasons, including combining of spouses' surnames upon marriage or, more commonly in
180-596: The Republic of Ireland , a deed poll of change of name ( Irish : Athrú Ainm de réir Gníomhais Aonpháirtí ) is obtainable from the Central Office of the Four Courts , Dublin at a cost of €30. Like in the UK, there are very few restrictions on name changes. One is that foreign nationals must also obtain a change of name licence from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service. One of Ireland's most noted name changers
200-508: The Enrolment of Deeds (Change of Name) Regulations 1994 ( SI 1994/604) (as amended). Compared to some other European countries, for example Germany, a name change in the UK is easy and virtually unrestricted regarding choice. Registration of a deed of change of name is not a legal requirement in the United Kingdom. A standard legal document, with stock wording, filled in by the person making
220-562: The General Register Office. However, only one change of forename and three changes of surname are permitted. This restriction does not apply to transgender people who have a Gender Recognition Certificate , as a new entry in the Gender Recognition Register bearing one's new name and acquired gender is established by the General Register Office, and all subsequent birth certificates are issued from that register. In
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#1733085217455240-510: The boys born in London in the year 1510, 24.4% were named John , 13.3% were named Thomas and 11.7% were named William. A trend towards more diversity in given names began in the mid-19th century, and by 1900, only 22.9% of the newborn boys, and 16.2% of the newborn girls in the UK shared the top three given names for each gender. The trend continued during the 20th century, and by 1994, these figures had fallen to 11% and 8.6%, respectively. This trend
260-495: The deed poll, and signed in presence of a witness , carries sufficient legal authority to be recognised. The witness need not be a solicitor, but can be anyone over the age of 18 independent of the person changing their name. The procedure, requirements and law surrounding the issue in Northern Ireland are similar to those in England and Wales. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales, a deed of change of name will not change
280-414: The name on a birth certificate. For instance, when applying for a passport, both the certificate and the deed would need to be presented as documents of identity. In Northern Ireland, for children between the ages of two and eighteen years, only one change of forenames and one change of surname may be recorded. In Scotland, it is also possible to record a change of name on the original birth register entry at
300-402: The new name cannot exceed six Chinese characters or 60 English characters. Like in the United Kingdom, a deed poll used to change a child's name needs to be signed by everyone with parental responsibility for the child. In re Parrott, Cox v Parrott [1946] Ch 183, Mr Justice Vaisey stated that he did not believe that a deed poll could be used to change a person's Christian name if given in
320-433: The past, adding another family's surname as a condition of inheritance. Compound surnames in English feature two or more words, often joined by a hyphen or hyphens: for example, Henry Hepburne-Scott . A few families have three or four words making up their surname, such as Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton and Alexander Charles Robert Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 9th Marquess of Londonderry . However, it
340-471: The saint's surname Xavier is often used by Roman Catholics. During the majority of the 19th century, the most popular given names were Mary for girls and either John or William for boys. Throughout the Early Modern period, the diversity of given names was comparatively small; the three most frequent male given names accounted for close to 50% of the male population throughout this period. For example, of
360-456: The sons of a certain French named Robert used a modern inheritable surname, FitzGerald , in honour of an earlier relative, named Gerald . While it is normal for a child to be given one of their parents' surnames, traditionally the father's (or increasingly some combination of the two), there is nothing in UK law that explicitly requires this. Under English common law, a person may use any name as
380-800: The transmission of French ( Robert , Richard , Gertrude , Charlotte ) or originate from idoeuropean ( Adrian , Amelia , Patrick ) or Celtic. A small fraction of given names has an actual English derivation (see Anglo-Saxon names ), such as Alfred , Ashley , Edgar , Edmund , Edward , Edwin , Harold and Oswald . A distinctive feature of Anglophone names is the surnames of important families used as given names, originally to indicate political support or patronage. Many examples have now become normal names chosen because parents like them, and any political sense lost. Most are male names like Cecil, Gerald , Howard, Percy, Montague, Stanley or Gordon, though some of those some have female versions like Cecilia or Geraldine. Other languages have few equivalents, although
400-507: Was the politician Seán Loftus , who repeatedly added middle names referring to his political views so that they would appear on election ballot papers. In Hong Kong , a deed poll of change of name needs to be signed in the presence of a Hong Kong solicitor and submitted to one of the Registration of Persons Offices together with the relevant forms for a name change to be approved. There are very few restrictions on name changes, including that
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