My name is Bond...

Interesting statistic that the number of Deed Poll documents issued so far this year is some 30% up on last year. The most common use of Deed Poll is to change your name.  The law regarding change of name is a bit fuzzy. The basic common law position is that you can call yourself whatever you like, provided you do not thereby break the law or seek to break the law.  But this is a two-way street - just as you can call yourself by some other name, you cannot demand that others use this new name you have chosen, and in particular official bodies are unlikely to accept you under any name other than your "official" name - that is the name which appears on your passport, driving licence, medical records and so on.  So this is where Deed Poll comes in - this allows you to officially change your name.  Of course, why you might want to do that is another matter...