Editing Name change (section)

===Historical usage===
{{See also|Double-barrelled name#British tradition}}
From the medieval age to the 19th century, the era of family dynasties, name changes were frequently demanded of heirs in the last wills and testaments, legacies and bequests, of members of the gentry and nobility who were the last males of their bloodline. Such persons frequently selected a younger nephew or cousin as the heir to their estates, on condition that he should adopt the surname and armorials of the legator in lieu of his patronymic. Thus, the ancient family otherwise destined to extinction would appear to continue as a great dynasty in the making.

Such changes were also more rarely demanded by [[marriage settlement]]s, for example where the father of a sole daughter and heiress demanded that as a condition of his daughter's [[dowry]] her husband should adopt his father-in-law's surname and arms. Thus the progeny of the marriage would continue the otherwise extinct family's name. Such name changes were generally only demanded of younger sons, where an elder brother was available to inherit the paternal estates under primogeniture and carry on the name and arms abandoned by the younger brother. Such name changes were effected by obtaining a private [[act of Parliament]] or by obtaining a [[College of Arms|royal licence]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deedpolloffice.com/research#royal-licences |title=Researching a past change of name |work=Deed Poll Office}}</ref>

Well known examples are:
* Russell to Gorges (14th century). Ralph IV Gorges, 2nd Baron Gorges, died without issue in 1331. In an effort to preserve his family name and arms he made one of his younger nephews his heir, on condition that he should adopt the name and arms of Gorges. This nephew was William Russell, the second son of his second sister Eleanor de Gorges who had married Sir Theobald Russell (d. 1341) of [[Kingston Russell]], Dorset. The event is referred to in one of the earliest heraldic law cases brought concerning English armory, ''[[Warbelton v Gorges]]'' in 1347.
* Smithson to Percy (18th century). [[Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland|Sir Hugh Smithson, 4th Baronet]] (1715–1786) in 1740 married [[Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of Northumberland (1716–1776)|Lady Elizabeth Seymour]], daughter and sole heiress of [[Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset]], and granddaughter of Lady Elizabeth Percy (d. 1722), daughter and sole heiress of [[Josceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland]] (1644–1670). In 1740, by a private act of Parliament, the [[Hugh Earl of Northumberland's Name and Arms Act 1749]] ([[23 Geo. 2]]. c. ''14'' {{small|Pr.}}),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deedpolloffice.com/research/private-acts-parliament/1749-23-Geo-2-14 |title=Hugh Earl of Northumberland's name and arms |work=Deed Poll Office}}</ref> Smithson changed his surname to Percy and inherited the title [[Earl of Northumberland]] and was later created [[Duke of Northumberland]].

A less radical procedure adopted from the 18th century onwards was for the legator or settlor to demand only that the legatee or beneficiary should adopt his surname ''in addition to'' his patronymic, not in place of it, which gave rise to the "[[Double-barrelled name|double-barrelled]]", even the "triple-barrelled" name, frequently parodied in literature as epitomising the wealthy "[[squirearchy]]" with an embarrassment of inherited estates.