Change your legal or preferred name

Applicants and registered students can submit an online request choosing either:

1. legal change of name
2. preferred change of name

Change of Name requests are confidential and adhere to our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy.

• Request a Change of Name

If you have any questions, please contact your campus Registry/SSHQ office.

Number of changes allowed

A student can request a maximum of:

• three surname changes
• one first name change

There must be a gap of five years between each change of surname.

Find out more about changing your name on the NI Direct government services webpage.

Legal and Preferred Change of Name Explained

• Legal Change of Name

  A legal change of name means changing our records to reflect a change to the name provided on your initial application. This may be because:

  • there is a spelling error or a forename has been omitted;
  • to agree with the name on your birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate, driving licence or decree absolute;
  • if you would like your name to be registered in Irish;
  • if you have undergone gender reassignment or have a statutory declaration and a doctors letter as outlined in the  University's Transgender Policy;
  • if you wish to remove a forename which was included in your application, for example Emma Jayne White can be changed to Jayne White.

  Supporting documents

  We will ask you to provide one of the following supporting documents and photographic ID:

  • birth certificate;
  • marriage certificate;
  • passport;
  • driving licence;
  • change of name deed (previously known as ‘Deed Poll’);
  • decree absolute;
  • Statutory declaration and doctors letter as outlined in the University’s Transgender Policy.
• Preferred Change of Name

  A preferred change of name means updating our records with your preferred, or ‘known as’ name to inform class lists. However you should note that legal documents such as  your degree certificate and academic transcript will still be printed in your full legal name. A preferred name may be requested:

  • If you are known by another name such as your middle name. For example, instead of Emma-Jayne you are known as Jayne.
  • if you are transgender or transitioning

  Supporting documents

  We will ask you to provide one of the following supporting documents and photographic ID:

  • birth certificate;
  • marriage certificate;
  • driving  licence;
  • passport;
  • decree absolute;

  Where your Preferred Name will be used

  • Your preferred name will be visible on student lists within your Faculty and School;
  • You can request a replacement student card to reflect your preferred name;
  • You can request a replacement student email address to reflect your preferred name;
  • University correspondence taken from student lists will be sent in your preferred name, however the University cannot guarantee that all individual correspondences will be issued in your preferred name and on occasion your legal name may be used;
  • Degree certificates and academic transcripts will be printed using your full legal name.  Postage of these certificates will be sent using your full legal name on the address label and will be sent to the home address you have provided on your student record.

Once you have changed your name, there are some steps you may need to take:

• Notify other official bodies

  Once you decide to change your name you should notify other relevant bodies.

  More information about the legal recording of a change of name is available on the nidirect government website.

  The University accepts no responsibility for any consequences arising from a change of name which occur outside the University. If you change your name you are advised to notify all other relevant bodies of the change.

• Update your email address

  Once you've received confirmation of your change of name, you can request that your student email is updated.

  1. Check that your name has been updated as requested using Self Service Banner (SBB) 
  2. Log a student email rename request using the UniDesk self service portal. There is a self-help guide in UniDesk explaining how to do this.

  You can also contact the Digital Services IT Service Desk directly or ask your campus Registry Office to co-ordinate this request on your behalf.

  Your student email rename request, must be for the same name approved on your student record.

• Update your student card

  Please contact your campus Registry Office if you require a new student ID card with your updated details.

• Action required for Preferred Name and your Graduation

  Degree Certificate and Academic Transcript

  Your degree certificate and academic transcript will be issued using  your full legal name. You must check your name is correct before graduation by using Self Service Banner (SBB)

  Steps to take if you require your Preferred Name to be used for Graduation

  All graduation listings where your name will appear, for example on University webpages, Graduation booking system,  in the Class of Brochure and in Newspaper listings will use your full legal name.  In addition during your graduation ceremony, the Dean will call you forward to receive your award using your full legal name.

  If you would rather have your preferred name used in graduation listings and announced at graduation for receipt of your award, you need to contact your campus Registry Office/SSHQ when the graduation booking system opens to request that your preferred name is used.

  Change of Name after you have Graduated

  Retrospective changes to the name printed on your degree certificate and academic transcript can only be made in circumstances where:

  • an administrative  error has occurred
  • you did not update your full legal name on the student records system
  • if you have undergone gender reassignment or have a statutory declaration and a doctors letter as outlined in the  University's Transgender Policy;

  Requests for reprint of your degree certificate or academic transcript will be subject to a charge as detailed on the Certificate section of the Graduation Webpages.