Story in THE SUN newspaper about the number of people changing their names by deed poll – often to something crazy…
Last week at Featureworld we spent several hours following up the number of people who have changed their names.
For this story in The Sun newspaper we found Daniel (Emperor Spiderman) and Kelvin (Baron Venom) – friends who on a whim both decided to change their names to Marvel characters. They now have the longest names in the world…
We also spoke to Pudsey Bear (Eileen DeBont) who changed her name to raise money for Children in Need but is now very used to being called Pudsey.
Then there was Willy Wonka (John Denton) – another person who has changed his name to raise money, this time for cancer research. He will change all his documents when he has raised around £5000. Fiancee Heather jokes she doesn’t want to marry until he’s changed his name back though – she’s not that keen on becoming a Mrs Wonka apparently.
Then there is Michael Knight (he was Stuart Morgan), a Knight Rider fan, who recently changed it because he has a car like the one hero Michael Knight had – he has adapted this car to say ‘Hello Michael’ when he got in. Only the problem was he was still a Stuart so changed his name to fit the car…
What I didn’t realise until I began researching this feature was how popular changing your name is. Online site Legal Deed Poll – which offers the fastest way to change your name – tell me in 2010 some 90,000 people changed their names. Some couples ‘blend’ their surnames on marriage. I did this myself when I married my husband – he was a Smith and I was a Squire! But it’s actually incredibly simple to change your name to anything you want. Going through Legal Deed Poll means the whole process can be done online and costs around £33 – within a couple of days you will have legally changed your name…
If you’ve changed your name by deed poll, I’d love to know the story behind it – and it could be a saleable story for a newspaper or magazine. Contact me here: Sell My Deed Poll Story
