Guidance

Names: the names we use in passports

Updated 9 April 2025

Version 8.0

Guidance for His Majesty’s Passport Office operational staff about the names we use in passports

About: Names: the names we use in passports

This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office operational staff about the names we use in passports.

Contacts

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Publication

Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:

• version 8.0
• published for Home Office staff on 25 March 2025

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to tell examiners adding a name to a passport does not breach trademark or copyright laws.

The name we use in passports

This section tells His Majesty’s Passport Office operational staff what names a customer must use in their passport and what they must do, if their name changes,

cannot be used in the passport, is unusual, does not match the name on the customer’s supporting documents or includes a title.

We will only issue a passport when we are satisfied with a customer’s identity, nationality and entitlement.

A name is part of the customer’s identity. We do not use it on its own to confirm their identity, as we consider other personal details (for example, date and place of birth).

A customer’s name is usually taken at birth and will be proven by a:

• birth certificate
• adoption certificate
• naturalisation or registration certificate
• baptismal certificate (this is when a name is given during a baptism and you can find details about them, in the relevant countries profile section of Knowledge Base

Customers can choose to change their name and will need evidence to show how they changed it. We will carefully consider it (with other evidence) so we can be satisfied with the customer’s identity.

The name a customer must use in their passport

Customers must apply for their passport using the name they use for all official purposes. The name on a customer’s passport application must match the name on their UK or overseas supporting documents (for example, their birth certificate).

Our names guidance meets the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines. They explain the rules and format of how a customer’s name is used in the biographical and observation pages of a British passport.

Passport applications that have a change of name

Customers applying for a passport with a change of name, must send evidence that shows the name change. For example, when a customer applies:

• for their first passport and have changed their birth name
• to renew a passport and have changed their name from the name shown on the old passport

The type of evidence we accept, depends on how the customer changed it (for example, by deed poll, change of name deed or through marriage using a marriage certificate or by civil partnership using a civil partnership certificate).

In most cases, the customer must send us:

• evidence that their name has changed (for example, a marriage certificate, civil registration certificate or statutory declaration)
• evidence that they use the new name for all official purposes (for example, bank statements, utility bills or pay slips)
• the consent of everyone with parental responsibility (if we do not already have it) if the change of name is for a child under 16

Some customers are not allowed to change their name and will usually be on the watchlist. If they are, the passport processing system will automatically refer the application to the Counter Fraud team.

When dealing with a change of name, you, the examiner, must refer to the Names: change of name passport applications guidance.

Names subject to trademark or copyright laws

Having a name that is trademarked or copyrighted in a passport does not breach trademark or copyright law. The customer themselves will breach these laws if they use the trademarked or copyrighted name for commercial gain without permission.

You must not ask for any evidence that proves the customer has permission to use the name.

Uncommon names

The name a customer uses may be uncommon. For example:

• when there are naming conventions (cultural traditions that say how a name must be shown)
• Welsh names that include ‘ap surname’ (son of)
• Irish and Gaelic names that customers have translated into English
• names that include ‘Junior’ as a prefix or suffix (before or after the name)
• stage, professional and religious names
• when the customer only has 1 name
• names that include titles as part of the actual name (for example, ‘Sir David Jones’ where ‘Sir’ is the customer’s forename’)

You must refer to Names: how to show uncommon names in passports, when dealing with these types of names.

Names on passport applications that do not match supporting documents

Customers may send us a passport application in a name that does not match the name on their supporting documents (for example, their foreign passport or previous British passport).

If the customer has not sent in evidence of the change of name and the error appears to be a spelling error, for example, Mathew instead of Matthew, you the examiner must phone the customer to confirm the correct details.

1. If the customer confirms the error you, must case note the details.
2. Correct the customer’s name on the system.

If the customer confirms the name is correct on the application, you must request evidence to confirm the spelling of the name.

You must refer to Names: aligning names on foreign documents when dealing with applications where the name on the application is not the same as the name on the foreign passport.

In these cases, before we issue the passport, we will ask the customer to change the name on their documents, so it matches the name they want to use on their British passport.

However, there are some exceptions when we will issue a passport to a customer, using the name they supplied on their passport application, even though it is different to the name on their supporting documents.

Names that have titles

When the title is not part of the name

You, the examiner, must refer to titles when dealing with applications that include a title that is not part of the name. For example, if the customer is ‘Lord John Smith’ and ‘Lord’ is the title, ‘John’ is the forename and ‘Smith’ is the surname.

When the title is part of the name

You must refer to Names: how to show uncommon names in passports, when dealing with applications that include a title as part of the name. For example, if the customer is ‘Doctor John Smith’, where ‘Doctor’ is the forename, ‘John’ is the middle name and ‘Smith’ is the surname.

Names that cannot be used in a passport

The name the customer uses is up to them and in most cases it will be acceptable to use in their passport. However, there are times when we cannot accept the name.

For example, names that:

• cause public offence
• our passport system cannot accept due to technical reasons (for example, names that contain symbols)

You must refer to Names: names that cannot be used in passports, when dealing with these types of names.