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Titles

Titles: Dr, Lord, Lady and Mx

A deed poll changes your name, not your title. Everyday titles like Mr, Ms or Mx are yours to choose, and you just ask each organisation. Dr and Sir come with a qualification or an honour, not a deed poll. And if you love the sound of Lord or Duke, you can make the word part of your name instead.

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Everyday titles: your choice
Dr and Sir: earned, not bought
Title-like names allowed
Titles and deed polls

Checked against GOV.UK, HM Passport Office’s guidance on titles and uncommon names, and the Medical Act 1983. Sources are listed at the end.

Updated: 30 October 2026
On this pageQuick answerWhat a deed poll can doMr, Ms and MxDr and ProfLord, Lady and SirFAQs

The quick answer

A deed poll can’t change your title. GOV.UK says so plainly, and HM Passport Office’s titles guidance says there’s no legal basis for changing a title, for example from Mr to Sir. Everyday titles like Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss and Mx aren’t part of your name, so you just ask each organisation to use the one you want.

What a deed poll can do is change your name, and HM Passport Office accepts a title-like word such as Duke as a forename, with a note in your passport that it’s your name and not a title. When you order from us you can add the title you use, from Mr to Mx, Dr or Prof, or leave it off. Our deed poll is £14.95, posted free.

The rule

What a deed poll can and can’t do with titles

You want toCan a deed poll do it?What to do
Switch between Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss and MxIt isn’t neededAsk each organisation to update your title
Become Dr or ProfessorNoEarn the doctorate or the post, then ask organisations to use it
Become Sir, Dame, Lord or LadyNoThese come with an honour, a peerage or marriage to the holder
Have Lord, Sir or Duke as part of your nameYesMake the word one of your forenames by deed poll
Change your name and your title togetherYour name, yesAdd the title you use when you order, then update both at once

GOV.UK says you can’t use a deed poll to change titles, such as Mr, Mrs, Sir, Lady or Doctor. HM Passport Office adds that you can change your name so it includes a description of a title, such as Duke as a forename. GOV.UK: change your name by deed poll HM Passport Office: titles included in passports

Everyday titles

Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss and Mx

These are social titles, not part of your legal name, so you don’t need a deed poll to change one. Ask your bank, employer, GP and everyone else to update it, and most will on request. Royal Bank of Scotland, for example, says it can change your title to a gender-neutral one such as Mx, as our RBS guide explains.

HM Passport Office records Mr, Mrs, Master, Miss or Ms on its application records and uses the same title in its letters to you. Its guidance tells caseworkers to remove any other title, including Mx, from the other title field. A passport doesn’t print everyday titles anyway. HM Passport Office: titles included in passports

Changing your title and your name at the same time? Add the title when you order your deed poll, and organisations that record titles can update both from one document. Our trans and gender name change guides cover titles in more detail.

Professional titles

Dr and Prof

Dr and Prof are earned. If you hold a doctorate or you’re a medical doctor, you can ask organisations to use Dr, and HM Passport Office can add an observation to your passport showing it. Its guidance tells caseworkers not to ask for evidence of an honour or professional title. HM Passport Office: titles included in passports

Don’t use one you haven’t earned. Pretending to be a medical doctor is a criminal offence under the Medical Act 1983, and organisations refuse titles that people don’t hold. Medical Act 1983, section 49

Our order form lets you add Dr or Prof to your new name, so choose one only if it’s yours.

New name, the right title

Order your deed poll with the title you use. Same-day processing when you order by 6pm, Monday to Friday, and free tracked delivery.

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Noble titles

Lord, Lady, Sir and bought titles

Peerages, knighthoods and damehoods come from the Crown, and nothing you sign can create one. HM Passport Office records genuine titles, and honours such as an OBE or MBE, with an observation in the passport. HM Passport Office: titles included in passports

Bought titles are different. HM Passport Office only shows a Lord of the Manor title if you bought the whole of the land, so souvenir plots sold with a Lord, Lady or Laird title don’t qualify, and it says the words “Laird of” don’t need to appear on a passport at all.

Love the sound of it anyway? Make it part of your name. HM Passport Office accepts a word like Duke, Lord or Sir as a forename by deed poll, and adds a note that the word is your name, not your title. HM Passport Office: how to show uncommon names in passports

Your questions answered

Frequently asked questions

No. A deed poll changes your name, not your title. You can make Lord or Lady part of your name, and HM Passport Office adds a note that the word is your name and not your title.

No. Everyday titles aren’t part of your legal name, so just ask each organisation to update it.

No. A passport doesn’t print everyday titles, and HM Passport Office’s guidance tells caseworkers to remove titles like Mx from its other title field. Many banks and other organisations will use Mx if you ask.

Only if you hold a doctorate or you’re a medical doctor. Our order form offers Dr and Prof for people who have them, and pretending to be a medical doctor is an offence under the Medical Act 1983.

Manorial titles can be bought, but HM Passport Office only records one if you bought the whole of the land. Souvenir plots sold with a title don’t qualify.

Yes. When you order your deed poll, choose Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Mx, Dr or Prof, or no title at all. Choose Dr or Prof only if they’re yours.

Check the detail

Sources for this guide

Guidance and reference pages

The official rules this guide is based on, checked in October 2026.

Continue your name change

Related guides

What names are allowed?

The rules for a new name in the UK.

Changing your name as a trans person

Names, titles and records.

Keeping your married name after divorce

Including changing Mrs to Ms.

Ready when you are

Your name, with the title you use.

A deed poll prepared from your details, with Mr to Mx, Dr or Prof, or no title. Checked by a person and posted free.

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