Changing your name and details at Warwick

Warwick holds a ‘preferred first name’, pronouns, title, a ‘legal name’, a ‘gender marker’ and a ‘legal sex marker’ for students. This page details how to get all of these altered, as well as how to change your details with other organisations.

Changing your preferred name, title, pronouns and / or gender marker

Sign into student records (Warwick – eVision Access) and choose ‘My Data’ in the blue menu bar.

Under ‘Edit my Personal Data’ choose ‘Edit my preferred first name’.

This name can be changed at any time and does not require and evidence to do.

Your preferred name should be used in your ID card initial, tabula, moodle, and any other uni profile (except for emails), as well as changing the name on any communication from the uni. Changing this name does not change your name on any certificates issued by the uni or the name on your student certificate document. Note that your name can take some time to update across the entire uni’s systems.

Under ‘Edit my Personal Data’ choose ‘Edit my pronouns’. You will have a list of a few to choose from, or you can select ‘no pronouns’. This should change how any communication from Warwick refers to you.

You can request a new student ID at senate house if your name starts with a different initial and you want it updated. You can also change your photo on student records (photos.warwick.ac.uk/yourphoto).

When you change your preferred name, a new email alias is created in this name. To get this email to be the default email you send from and people searching you see, you can update your email alias at Student Records (https://warwick.service-now.com/sp?id=email_address) by signing in and selecting the alternate primary email alias in your chosen name. If there are any issues with this method, you can also contact the IT help desk at helpdesk@warwick.ac.uk to ask that your default email address is changed.

Under ‘Edit my Personal Data’ choose ‘Request change to record held for gender’. Here you can change both your title (free text) and gender marker (male, female, non-binary, other, or prefer not to say). Neither of these require evidence to change, but must be accepted by the Academic Office.

Changing your legal name

Sign into student records (Warwick – eVision Access) and choose ‘My Data’ in the blue menu bar.

Under ‘Edit my Personal Data’ choose ‘Request change to record held for name and title’.

Here you can change your legal name. This request will require evidence, such as a deed poll, statutory declaration or driving licence. To show these you can either email a copy to studentrecords@warwick.ac.uk or bring in your document to student records in senate house. Alternatively, you can bring your records to senate house and request the change there instead of online. Changing your legal name changes the name shown on any certificates, including your student certificate document.

Changing your legal sex marker

To change your legal sex marker, you can email s.r.miles@warwick.ac.uk. Alternatively, you may withdraw any data you previously shared (see: Updating your gender and/or legal sex marker on your Warwick records).

Obtaining supporting documents

A deed poll is the most common way to legally prove you have changed your name. Getting one is free, as all you require is a document signed by you and witnesses saying you will use a different name. You can get a free template from a website like freedeedpoll.org.uk.

A statutory declaration is a document stating you have changed your name that is signed and witnessed by a solicitor, notary or a person in another approved field. It is very similar to a deed poll, except you will likely need to pay a professional to witness it.

There are two types of deed polls: enrolled and unenrolled (see: https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll). These both are equal legal proof of a change of name, but some places will refuse a deed poll if it is unenrolled. We strongly discourage enrolling your deed poll, as it requires you putting your name, deadname and address into permanent searchable public record. It also costs £50 and takes longer. If you need to change your name with some organisation that will not accept your deed poll it is usually best to get some other form of ID first and use that.

To get a driving license in your new name you will need to fill out a D1 form and send it to DVLA. You can update your name using an unenrolled deed poll (or use one to get a first provisional license). Driving licenses have a gender marker (M or F) encoded into the number on the card. You can request a change to this, although there is no clear place to state this on the form. One option is to include a cover letter explaining that you want your gender marker to be changed.

To change your name and gender marker on a UK passport (assuming you do not have multiple citizenship / dual nationality) you will need a deed poll, proof of using your new name (e.g. bank statements) and a letter from a registered medical professional (such as a GP) stating that your gender ‘is likely to be permanent’ (see: gov.uk, page 13). If you are just changing your name then this letter is not needed.

If you have multiple citizenship, in most cases you must update your details on your other passports before updating your UK passport (see: gov.uk).

Informing other organisations

To get your name changed with organisations you generally only need an (unenrolled) deed poll. However, often the person you talk to does not know how a deed poll works or that it is legal proof of a change of name, and need this to be explained to them before they accept the deed poll. If you are having issues, here is a list of organisations that state that they accept unenrolled deed polls:

If an organisation refuses to accept an unenrolled deed poll, you can inform them that knowingly storing out of date information about you is in breach of GDPR sections 38(1) and 46(1): the right to data accuracy and the right to reification of inaccurate personal data (respectively).

Resources

If any of this information on this page is outdated or inaccurate (or if you have any more information), please let us know by emailing exec@warwickpride.org

Last Reviewed: June 2025