Name Changes and Identities: An Analysis of UK Enrolled Deed Polls, 1998-2019

This project is the first to examine issues of identity through a focus on ‘enrolled’ deed polls. Using quantitative methods of enquiry, analysis of enrolled deed polls is undertaken to understand patterns of name-changes in the UK between 1998-2019, including which names are changed and why, and correlations with gender, marital and age status.

By filling in gaps in knowledge about name-based identity-changing behaviour, this unique project contributes to key academic debates about identities, and the complexities of family relationships, in contemporary societies, and will help promote public understanding of and respect for social and cultural diversity.

• Say My Name: Experiences and Impacts of Pronunciation of Names in Higher Education in Contexts of Culturally Diverse Student Identities