allthegear: can I just ask; how difficult is it to legally change gender? I can't imagine it would be quite as simple as changing your name!
And is the legal ability to do this a relatively recent thing? I would have thought it would have been absolutely impossible in the past.
Well, it kind of depends what you mean by legally change gender!
Any one of us is freely able to use any prefix to our names that we like, so long as it is not done fraudulently. For example, you can happily call yourself Mr, Miss or Ms but not Prof or Dr (unless you happen to be a Prof or Dr).
As far as identity is concerned, my specialist writes to people like the Passport Office detailing how it's a permanent change and they then issue my Passport, Driving Licence etc in the correct gender (yes, your Driving Licence indicates your gender - most people don't know how, though)
After two years, I can apply for a new birth certificate and all my old records are destroyed. 
Rachel
What about ジェームス - the Japanese for James
Rolls off the pen/keyboard/tongue nicely
Rachel, I salute you for being honest with yourself (unless I'm too drunk for my own good in which case I beg for forgiveness).
C_G, so now you are legally known as Auntie C_G?
Jeez, time to sing off, Bushmills rules my fingers.
Thanks, HairyC, you've not jumped to a bizarre conclusion!!
Rachel
I wouldn't worry about it, I never use my first name (it is on my passport, driving licence though) - in fact I would reckon that most people who know me, don't know it - and its not on my signature.
One of my uncles was Jim to everyone, turns out he was called Mervin - most people thought they'd come to the wrong funeral...
As well as....
Passport £83
Driving Licence £20
Gas
Electricity
Work details
Bank
Mortgage
Land Registry (actually, still not done this one!!!)
Water
Telephone
Broadband
Car insurance
Buildings Insurance
Contents Insurance
Pet Insurance
Bike Insurance
Life Insurance
Inland Revenue
DVLA (V5)
Mobile Phone
Pensions
Investments
Credit cards
loans
Vets
Doctors
Library
Club card/nectar card
council tax
electoral roll
(I got married this year - it's a ball ache!!)
You have just reminded me - when I informed Direct Line about my name change for my car, my premium reduced!! (not that I would recommend to anyone doing what I'm doing just to get cheaper car insurance!!)
Rachel
Thanks Rachel that last post has given me my first laugh of the day!! 
wallop - MemberAs well as....<lots of things listed>
(I got married this year - it's a ball ache!!)
Has he found out yet?
It is easy to do, we've changed our sons name from his Chinese name, to an English name (for his passport and growing up in the UK reasons)
Paid by CC on-line, filled out the forms on-line. Within 1 working week, received said documents from UK to sign. Sent. All done.
Saying that, he was only 6 months old, so doesn't have any other institutions nor companies notify.
I knew a guy called Arthur Smells, he went down the registrars & said he wanted to change his name by deed poll, the registrar asked him what he wanted to change his name to & he says 'Fred Smells'
Reminds me of a car accident I heard about.
Seems this chap was driving along a quiet lane when his tyre popped and his car overturned blocking the lane. Two couples turned up shortly afterwards. Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr and Mrs Ball.
Luckily he was dragged from the wreakage by the Smiths.
when I informed Direct Line about my name change for my car, my premium reduced!
Classic! 
I haven't, but I was looking on Facebook yesterday and I saw someone I know has named their son "Herbert tiger" so I expect he'll be changing that in a few years. He lives in Brighton...
From the day I was born my parents, family & friends always called me by my second name, so I decided to drop the unused first name.
I changed my name online with The Legal Deed Poll service. It was very straight forward and I ordered extra copies of the "Legal Copy". That way I didn't have to send the original document to all the companies in the post. It also meant that if companies didnt send the copies of the legal copy back it didn't really matter. There were one or two issues where companies didn't change all of their databases, for example some letters/statements etc might be to addressed to the correct name but the salutation was still in my previous name. These small issues were normally sorted out on the phone. The only problem I had was with O2. When I login to my account it is still in my previous name. They insist that they have updated all of their databases, even after I have sent them screen dumps to prove that they haven't.
These issues are small in comparison to the issues I had before I changed my name. As I had always been called by middle name, I sometimes wouldn't hear calls for me by my first name (ie at the Doctors, Dentist etc). I always had issues with work email addresses, as IT departments would issue an address with my first name and I would then spend weeks or months trying to get them changed to my known name! I once turned up at the airport to discover my friend had booked the ticket in my known name, rather than my first name. Of course the only way the airline would change the ticket to match my passport was by paying a surcharge. In the end changing my name was the only option!
PeterPoddy - Member
when I informed Direct Line about my name change for my car, my premium reduced!
Classic!
Yeah - wasn't even affected by the fact that, after 18 years of perfect driving in my old life, a fortnight into having my licence in my new life, I got caught speeding...
It does seem a bit daft the way that insurance companies determine risk - I'm exactly the same person with exactly the same likelihood of making a claim but because one detail changes, the change the premium.
Rachel
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