Changing your name
Alternative content
Pudsey Bear (the real one!)
Every year the BBC asks its TV viewers to give money to a special appeal called Children in Need. The money is used to help charities which work with sick or disadvantaged children. The last Children in Need day was last Friday. For the whole evening, BBC television had programmes which asked people to give money to Children in Need, and appearances by celebrities who told us about all the wonderful things that Children in Need was doing, and news about special fund-raising events all over the country. Children in Need has been very successful. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million to help needy children.
Children in Need has a mascot. He is a large yellow bear called Pudsey. There is a picture of him on the website and, I hope, on your iPod screens. Pudsey has a bandage over one eye. Has he injured his eye? Or perhaps he is a pirate? I am not sure.
Last year, a woman who lives in Wales, called Mrs Eileen de Bont invented a new and interesting way to raise money for Children in Need. She asked people to sponsor her to change her name – that is she asked them to promise to give money to Children in Need if she changed her name. She even allowed her sponsors to choose her new name. And the name they chose was – Pudsey Bear.
In Britain, we often complain that we do not live in a free country any more. There are too many rules and regulations which prevent us from doing what we want to do. But in one area we still have perfect freedom – we can call ourselves by whatever name we want. There is a simple legal process called a Deed Poll which allows anyone who wants to change their name to whatever new name they like.
Over 50,000 people change their name by Deed Poll every year. Many of these changes are connected to marriage or divorce. For example, when people get married they may decide that they want to use the woman’s family name (or surname) instead of the man’s name. Or they may decide to use both names . When John Smith and Wendy Brown get married they might want to be called Mr and Mrs Smith-Brown. And then, a few years later if their marriage breaks down, they might want to go back to their old names. These changes of name are not a problem in Britain. John and Wendy just need to fill in a few legal forms, and they have new names.
Naturally, a few people change their names for more frivolous reasons. Last year a football fan in Scotland changed his name to Motherwell Football Club. Another young man thought he would be more attractive to the girls if his name was Elvis Presley. And the former Mr Daniel Westfallen is now called Mr Happy Adjustable Spanners. These people are mad, of course, but in Britain you are free to be mad if you want.
So, it was no problem for Mrs de Bont to fill in the forms to change her name to Pudsey Bear . No problem to get her employer, the gas and electricity companies, her bank and the tax people to change her name in their records and computer systems. Then she applied for a new passport. She received a bureaucratic letter from the Passport Office saying, no, they could not give her a passport with the name Pudsey Bear because …well, because it was silly. Mrs de Bont (or Mrs Pudsey Bear as we must now call her ) said that her sponsors had paid a lot of money to Children in Need for her to change her name; and that everyone now called her by her new name, and even her children called her Mummy Bear.
Mrs de Bont (sorry, Mrs Bear) then told the newspapers what had happened, and for a few days we could read all about it. The newspapers were on Mrs Bear’s side (I got it right that time). The Guardian, for example, roared “The right to call yourself whatever name you please is one of the small but great British liberties. Who do the passport people think they are? If a citizen can change her name, she must have a passport in that name too.”
And then we heard no more. The story disappeared from the newspapers. So we never heard whether Mrs Bear or the passport people won. Perhaps you can help. If you meet any British tourists in your country, ask to see their passports. And if you find a passport with the name Pudsey Bear on it, send an e-mail to Listen to English.
In your country, are you able to change your name if you want to? And have you ever thought that it would be wonderful to have a new name? Please put a comment on the Listen to English website to tell us about it.
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Comments (57)
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30 April 2010
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Im from VN
27 March 2010
I have changed my name, and I think that changing of the name could also change a life. But it's more psychological aspect! And my friend also wanted to change name, but still she had it unchanged.
24 March 2010
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6 March 2010
Hi, I´m live in Spain. I think that here, if you want to change your name it must be for a good reason… For example, if you change of sex, if there are a lot of mistakes or confussions with others people, for example father and grand-father, both their names and surnames are similar and others reasons…So, they must do a lot of papers.
Congratulations. I like a lot their podcats.Bye.
I don´t understand what I must write in "Your URL".
16 January 2010
Hello Peter. I am from Mongolia. In my country changing name is allowed by the government. But it is so difficult to obtain your new registration. There are some reasons for people to change their names. in one case, Mongolian main religion is a buddism. And there are some amazing superstitious from the religion. sometimes, if a child have a sick, his or her parents directly go to a church to ask about their child's problem from a monk. But monks usually say that change your child's name. And the monk give a new name to the baby himself which have a too religious means.
10 January 2010
im from burma.. we dunt have law at all.. so u can grab any id u like from government.. as long as u know how to bribe.. that is how u chang your name.. but if your name is black listed by the military intelligent.. well.. no matter what kind of name u have .. off u go to the prison.. in burma the military gov will kill u for no apparent reason.. u could be executed just because u have changed your name.
10 January 2010
hi peter, in egypt is allow chang your name .but you must respect the rules of the low.for example you must public the new and the old name in news peper, you must to be free for all your debit .you must be over 18years old,and you cant chang your family name.almost yours
4 January 2010
Hi, I come From Canada..And peaple can change easey
If the name are ridiculos and the person have some dificul to find job, he can change for free..
If not you can pay if you want to change your name…
And you cannot give to your childreen a ridiculos name..The new rooles…
Have a nice day Peter
I alway to enjoy your wonderful podcast..
23 December 2009
Hi, In Sri Lanka, they allow to change your name. Most of people have more than 4 parts in their name. I got 5 parts in my name.
Our names give some details about the name holder. we allow to change first and middle names, we have to ask for it, if you want to change the surname, all of the family members should be agree to change their surnames, that's how it goes here.
And you have to put paper advertisment to let others to know your old name and new name. If you read major newspapers you can see these kinds of advertisments on newpapers.
20 December 2009
Hi, I come from Vietnam,a small country in Asia.
My country – Vietnam-is a beautiful and friendly country but they don't allow to change your name.Almost Vietnamese people have the last name is the family name of their father but with some one,it is the family name of their mother or both of them.Lucky me and thanks dad and mom for gaving me a beautiful name "Thanh Hoa",it means "blue flower" :-).
Thanks very much for your post card and Merry Christmas for everyone !!!
14 December 2009
hi ! thx so much for
here in my country it's hard if u want to change ur name or last name
Hi Angelica how are you do u remember me ????
11 December 2009
Thank you a lot for your postcasds. They're helping me to practise English. I understand much better.
11 December 2009
Hello for everyone
I am Angelica, I come from Colomobia.
In my country you can change your name just one. You can change your first name or surename and you just need a copy of your ID, and one more of you born register. Thats all.
Bye and hugs.
8 December 2009
Hello,
here in Chile your firstname (usually two of them) are given by your parents when you born, and you die with the same name. Your second name is the family name of your father and the family name of your mother, and in certain reasons it could be the mother's family name twice.
The officials of civil register had the right to deny the registration if they consider the names could affect the life of the baby in the future; also you can change your name if you have founded reasons, but again the application could be denied.
Thanks for your podcast, Peter.
5 December 2009
HI Syed from India
That was an interesting story on the name. Her in India people do change names for the reasons that you you've stated in the pod cast ( marriage, divorce etc.)
4 December 2009
hi all,
I am from Sri Lanka, in my country we are allowed to change the name only if it is too long or it too ugly that owner is embarrassed to tell it to somebody.I think it will be a long process because it has to change in several places starting from the birth certificate to the death certificate. Since government agencies here are too slow on work it will be less painful to keep the name as it is :)
4 December 2009
Dear Peter,
in Switzerland you are not free to be mad, exept by going to vote.(it happend 29.11.09 obout the minarets in Switzerland)
i went to the local autority to ask about changing names. It’s very difficult—
exept: maarriage or divorce.
Good bay Peter, thank you for your interesting Potcast
3 December 2009
Dear Peter and folks,
Actually, Brazilian people have written enough about changing names. I really agree with the Justice about it. So, if there is a name and this one brings to you rather than proud but prejudice, you may change it, why not?
I really love my name. It comes from Sweeden and means "Bastão de guerra".
Now, talking about these events which TV use to get money from people, ordinary ones, here in Brazil, there are plenty of them. All times, especially now during the Christmas festivities, people call others asking for money….year after year is the same story!
What do you folks thinks about it?
3 December 2009
Hi,
I am from Indonesia. I think in Indonesia it would be a long process to change your name. We need to go to the lawyer and process it in the court. Like my case, I only have one single name like the most other people from Indonesia. So my official name is only Tommy. No surename, no last name. At the school i could put my father's name after my name. E.g. Tommy Gunawan. But it would be a problem if you want to apply a visa for some countries because somehow they need the full name in the passport and air ticket. So how is it? Do you think i should change or add the last name?
2 December 2009
Hi! i come from Vietnam !
you might not love your name at the moment because of some reasons ,but i believe that one day you would realize its meaning and really esteem it.At least,it is your parent's trust in you.
Thanks for useful poscasts!
30 November 2009
here in Turkey people is able to change their name or lastname. Yes it is very hard and long way but it is possible. before to cahnage your name as person you have to find a good reason and you have to apply to the court… and you have to convince the juge. after that pocess, of course ?f you have achieved, another long office work is still waiying for you…. when I am writing all these process, I understand one more time that deciding to change your name is not a good idea if you are living in turkey. I love my old name… I will live with it to forever.
adem
30 November 2009
Hi, I'm from Russia.
To change your first or last name you have to go to registry office in Russia and fill in the blanc, pay about 20$ and you will have a new one =).
i read a story in newspapers about young people that changed their surnames for some time to support some ethnic minority, for example: Ivanov – Ivanian (classic armenian surname's ending ).
It's funny.
I've just changed my surname (i got married). It's too borring to change all your official documents when you change your name!
30 November 2009
Hi, I'm from Russia.
To change your first or last name you have to go to registry office in Russia and fill in the blanc, pay about 20$ and you will have a new one =).
i read a story in newspapers about young people that changed their surnames for some time to support some ethnic minority, for example: Ivanov – Ivanian (classic armenian surname's ending ).
It's funny.
I've just changed my surname (i got married). It's too borring to change all your official documents when you change your name!
30 November 2009
i admire v much with you. you really help us to learn english+know more about Britain.thank you .in Egypt.my mother in law insist to name my daughter on her name(old-unknown) her name unknown because she was born in iraq .you know she had 4 girls.their name is beatiful and not on her mother in law name.why because she had a lot of money so that my father in law think that her name is the most beatiful name in world.
30 November 2009
Hi Peter!
In Pakistan, I think, it will be one of the difficult thing to change your name. We don't have full plege computerized system over here. Any ways, if I would have this liberty to change my name in Pakistan, I would not change it. I liked it !! because it was given to me by my mother.
Thank you for nice podcast.
Usman.
30 November 2009
Hi,
I am Bulgarian. Here is a man who recieved the name 'MANCHESTER UNITED'. It is true. The newspapers and tv broadcasted this. The man is just Man utd' s fan . Amazing, but it is true!
28 November 2009
Hi Peter,
For my opinion, this is insecurity, silly and without any logical thought..
Name is something with high significant meaning to anybody, to change the name just because.. Hardly to believe!! in my country, Israel, you can change your name only for a good reason.
i enjoy to read your articles!
27 November 2009
Hello! I am from Hungary. I would never change my name.It was given by my Mum and everybody can see my origin.
27 November 2009
In Poland we can change name but it is not easy. You should need good reason for this. Your name must be very ugly etc. You can't get a histirical name or name of famous people. Elvis Presley or Maria Sk?odowska it's not possibly.
27 November 2009
I live in Mexico. Here is difficult to change our names. If there is a mistake in your birth certificate you are really in trouble. A long, long time has to pass to correct an error. If you want to change your name you have to apply for a legal process. Well, if you dnon't like your name , you have to bear it for ever. But don't worry, nicknames are abundant here. Most of nicknames are better than real names.
27 November 2009
I live in Mexico. Here is difficult to change our names. If there is a mistake in your birth certificate you are really in trouble. A long, long time has to pass to correct an error. If you want to change your name you have to apply for a legal process. Well, if your name don't like it, you have to bear it for ever. But don't worry, nicknames are abundant here. Most of the times nicknames are better than real names.
26 November 2009
Hy everybody…
yes i am the REAL PUDSEY BEAR.
CLICK ON MY TWITTER AND PLEASE SUPPORT ME?
I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL, THANK YOU:
http://twitter.com/autism_tweet
xxx
26 November 2009
Hello Peter
Thank you so much for your kind words….
especially about my daughter. Perhaps you coulf create a podcast about my daughter and how Autism has affected her ability to attend school?
Please email me if you think it may be possible. Thank you.
Pudsey
26 November 2009
Hi!! I live in Spain, in an area called Galicia. Here is very normal to change your Spanish name in a Galician name. For instance, Eugenia is Uxía, Jose is Xose…
Thank you for your podcast.
Biquiños (Kisses)
26 November 2009
The person can request to change his first name in Brazil. Modification of surname is not allowed in this case.
I wouldn't like to change my name.
Thats funny history when my Mum decided to put a name on me. She took my name in a butter called Claybon. Bom means good in English. She just changed B to T. so then I got my name from a delicious butter in Brazil. huummm
26 November 2009
Welcome, Pudsey Bear. I am very pleased that you have posted a comment here. We all wish you success in your battle with the Passport Office. Best wishes also to your daughter.
26 November 2009
Hi, I am spanish from Barcelona , "catalan".
We can change the name if it is a good reason. If is a confuse name, if you want translation in other language, if you change the sexe… but you must do a lot of papers. In Catalonia people can change name from spanish to catalan name eg. Jose by Jordi.
Thank you for all podcast, congratulations again.
26 November 2009
Hello, Mr Peter:
Good to listen to your podcast again.
In my country-VietNam, it's legal to change name but like Britain, many procedures have to be followed. Reason for changing name may come from the feeling that the name a person got from his/her parents is not popular one, so he/she wishes to change it! It's not a custom to change name when a women is married.
26 November 2009
Dear Friends,
I am Behnam from Iran.
First of all, I would like to take this perfect opportunity to thank Peter for running this powerful useful, and helpful site.In my country, it is not easy for someone to change their name.
Apart from some rules, there are other difficulties as well. For example, someone's name has been Behnam for a long time. Therefore, his friends, relatives, and all people who are connected to him will call him Behnam. This person reminds them Behnam, although his new name is something else. Sometimes, the situation is painful for people who change their names.
There is a powerful site called "www.english-at-home.com'. Many people from all over the world visit this site. There is a section on it; called 'I need a Pen pal'. If you click on it, you will see many threads. My thread is 'let's learn together!' I have been writing in this thread for more than two years. Please kindly have a look at it. I would appreciate if you could put a message in my thread. I would welcome any suggestions with open arms.
All the best,
Behnam, 26 November 2009
26 November 2009
I live in Taiwan . We can change our name to whatever we want . There are a lot of people change their name to special name , for example, ex-president's name .I've never thought about it because of the special meaning of my name . My grandfather named me when I was born. He was dead when I was a baby. I miss him so I would never change it.
Chien-hsien
26 November 2009
I live in Slovakia, and you can change your name here, if you want to, but you can't choose any silly or libellous names. I think Slovak version of Pudsey Bear would be impossible.
My colleague changed his name by famous French football player – sorry, I forgot the name, I'm not a football fan :)) – and it was quite funny, I'm sure you can imagine it. Finally, he's got his original name back.
25 November 2009
Yes, i really am Pudsey Bear
Here is the link to my twitter pic page!
http://twitpic.com/qxhh6
25 November 2009
Here is my URL/website
http://twitter.com/autism_tweet
25 November 2009
Good evening everybody. I am the lady being talked about in this article! I think it's great that the issue is being discussed.
And here is the answer…. i do not yet have a passport in the name of Pudsey Bear but I may have soon, though i can't disclose the details right now.
Please click on my URL, there is lots of information about me and my daughter there. She has recently been diagnosed with Autism.
25 November 2009
In Guatemala to change your name you need to go through a lot of paper work. People usually change their names when they sound so fool or ridiculous, (I once met a guy whose first name was Hitler!), or when it causes a lot of trouble because some criminal have the same name. But you've got to spend money and time because you definitively have got to do it.
Thanks for your podcasts, they are interesting and helpful!
25 November 2009
Hi Peter,
In brazil people can change names only if the name prejudice in his life. Frequently Fathers and moms always give strangers names to their child's and this affect in the school and work.
I think that freely names change would be nice in brazil, but my name I don't want to change noway.
Great website and I hope you continue with him.
hugs
Bruno Henrique
25 November 2009
People, in Italy, aren' t free to do anything.
25 November 2009
Hello,
here in France if you to change your name you must have a good reasons to do that, for example you are politician or singer celebrety or some things like that.
but the big problems is if everyone change his name even we have a file in computer we can lost all information about the family members in the cases of heritance.
I know a right case when you can change your name without problem is when your name is ugly and can choc people
25 November 2009
Hi folks,
In live in Romania and here is like in Brazil, if you want to change the name must have a good and strong reason for this. Nice podcast,congratulation.
Paul
25 November 2009
hello!
firstly, congratulations, your podcasts are wonderfull!
In Brazil, is relatively "common" parents put names nothing commons in their children. For example, i heard a story about a child named Himen (The mother would want call his He-men), and, as mentioned, is really difficult and expensive change of name, in many cases, including marriage breaks.
25 November 2009
Waiting so long for your new post. :). Thank you so much
25 November 2009
The same in Russian. I know the girl who change her name from Nadya to Nastiya. Also if you want to change your surname it is able to do either.
25 November 2009
hi Mr.peter
I Osama from sudan and my orginal name is Amin and whan I had 14 years old my partent changed my name to Osama and that according to my desire..
also I want to tell you that is many sudanese used your podcast to improve their language…thanks a lot
25 November 2009
Hi folks… I've found on internet about the Brazilian law that says you can change your name just if it causes any constraint or put you on embarrassment. It isn't usual to happen these days, but beforetime people used to put names on their children that caused problem to the person's life on the future, for example. I'm sorry to write this, but just to clarify the ideas, the name cited on the description of the law below "Jacinto Leite Aquino Rêgo" would be a commom name, but when we pronunciate the name it seems to: "Já sinto leite aqui no rego", in English the phrase means: "I can feel milk just here in my ass" (I'm sorry to put this word). So this name would be embarrassing when you go on an Job enterview or whathever, wouldn't it be? Even though the name properly cited doesn't mean the quote, the pronunciation is quite similar to us.
And Mr Peter thanks fcoming back with your stories.
Short description of the law…
"Via de regra, não se pode mudar o nome ou sobrenome (cf. art. 16, do CC´2002), ou patronímico, denominação que recebeu no Projeto de Lei n.º 634, de 11 de junho de 1975. [1]
Vige o princípio da inalterabilidade do nome, por questão de ordem pública, e cuja disciplina legal é a Lei n.º 6.015, de 31 de dezembro de 1973 (Lei de Registros Públicos; cf. art. 56 e segs.).
As exceções ao princípio da inalterabilidade do nome são:
1.ª) Quando expuser o seu portador ao rídiculo, e também a situações vexatórias.
Exs.: "Jacinto *****", "Jacinto Leite Aquino Rêgo", "Um, Dois, Três de Oliveira Quatro", "Janeiro, Fevereiro de Março e Abril", "Rolando de Alto a Baixo das Escadas", "Oceano Atlântico Pacífico" etc. Nota: este último nome eu conheci seu portador!;
2.ª) Quando houver erro gráfico evidente. Neste caso, ocorre retificação e não alteração.
Exs.: "Uóxintom" ("Washington"), "Osvardo" ("Osvaldo"), "Silvo" ("Sílvio") entre outros;
3.ª) Quando causar embaraços na seara dos negócios, ou em atividade profissional. Por exemplo, para evitar homonímia;
4.ª) Quando houver mudança de sexo. Neste caso, altera-se o nome, porque não há conflito com o art. 58 da LRP, mas mantém-se o estado individual no que tange ao sexo ("masculino"); passa a constar o termo "transexual" na cédula de identidade, malgrado o Poder Judiciário venha decidindo o contrário, em julgados recentes. Defendo opinião contrária, como se depreende do tópico Transexual pode ser vítima, no sentido de que o ato cirúrgico (transgenitalização) não transforma o homem em pessoa do sexo feminino, posição minha a qual coaduna-se recente acórdão proferido no Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. [2] "
25 November 2009
Hi Peter
In France it is the same way than in Brazil, you can change your name if it is ugly or ridiculous
Thank you very much for this again interresting podcast
ear you again soon
Catherine
25 November 2009
Hi Mr peter !!!!
I live in Brazil and here people are able to change theirs name only if the people have an ugly or offensive name. For example, here there are people with thing's name so that people who are in this situation are allowed to change theirs name. But to do it, people need to spend a lot of time and it isn't easy because the brasilian law. I think to do it is also very expensive.
For that kind of people who have thing's name I think change theirs name is cool. But I also think it would be a big problem if everyone wanted to change theirs name because all documents will need to change too.
Mr Peter you did most interesting and nice podcast. Congratulations.
Bruno.