Boho Loves: Name Change Navigator – Making One of Marriage’s Biggest Admin Jobs Feel Effortless

Today I am delighted to welcome Rebecca Dawson from Name Change Navigator onto the blog to talk to us about her fantastic app. Getting married is such a happy time, there is so much to organise for the wedding, but what about once you are married. I remember changing my name being completely overwhelming, there were so many people to contact and so much to organise.
Name Change Navigator was launched to help newlyweds simplify one of marriage’s most time-consuming admin tasks: changing their name across official documents, banks, subscriptions, workplace systems and everyday accounts.

The app guides users through the process step by step, helping them stay organised and avoid the spreadsheets, forgotten accounts and repetitive forms that often come with changing a surname after marriage.

The launch also comes at a time when conversations around marital surnames are changing, with more couples exploring options such as keeping, double-barrelling, blending or changing their names in different ways. Name Change Navigator is designed to support a range of name-change journeys after marriage

Meet Rebecca, Founder of Name Change Navigator: Making One of Marriage’s Biggest Admin Jobs Feel Effortless

Hi, I’m Rebecca, founder of Name Change Navigator.

By day, I’m a Head of Product, designing digital experiences that make life easier for millions of customers. Outside of work, I’m also a wife and mum of two.

Like many newlyweds, I discovered that while planning a wedding has become wonderfully digital, changing your name afterwards is anything but. What should be an exciting new chapter quickly turned into endless lists, forgotten organisations and constantly wondering, “Have I updated everyone?”

That’s what inspired me to create Name Change Navigator – a simple app that helps people stay organised throughout their name change journey.

You can find out more at Name Change Navigator

What made you start your business?

It all started with one simple Google search: “Who do I need to tell when I change my name?”

I expected to find one definitive checklist.

Instead, I found dozens of different articles, all listing different organisations. Some mentioned your bank but forgot HMRC. Others included your passport but not your pension.

Before long, I had notes on my phone, browser bookmarks, scraps of paper and a spreadsheet trying to keep track of who I’d contacted.

As someone who builds digital products for a living, I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a modern solution. So I built one.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that Name Change Navigator includes a completely free UK name change checklist covering more than 30 organisations you may need to notify after getting married.

Rather than searching multiple websites, everything is brought together in one place, with your progress saved as you work through it. Whether you have five minutes on your lunch break or half an hour on a Sunday afternoon, you can simply pick up where you left off.

You can explore the free checklist here 

When did you start?

The idea had been with me for quite a while before I decided to turn it into reality. The more people I spoke to, the more I realised I wasn’t alone.

Almost everyone had a story about forgetting an organisation, creating a spreadsheet or discovering months later that they’d missed something important.

As a product person, I love solving genuine customer problems, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to build something that could make life a little easier for thousands of people.

What makes Name Change Navigator different?

The biggest difference is that we’re not another done-for-you paperwork service.

We don’t ask people to hand over control or complete paper forms on their behalf. Instead, we’ve created a digital companion that keeps everything organised while allowing people to manage their own name change at their own pace.

The app gives users:

• A free personalised UK checklist of over 30 organisations they may need to notify.
• A simple way to track which organisations they’ve completed.
• Helpful guidance on what each organisation requires.
• A mobile-first experience that can be saved to your phone’s home screen, so your progress is always just one tap away.

It’s designed for busy modern couples who want a simple, organised digital experience.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

Launching the app has been incredibly rewarding.

Since launch, Name Change Navigator has already received more than 22,000 views, with downloads continuing to grow month after month.

Today, thousands of newlyweds across the UK are using the app to keep track of their name change journey directly from their phones.

Knowing something I’ve built is genuinely reducing stress during such an exciting life milestone makes all the hard work worthwhile.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love solving problems that people simply accept as “just the way things are.”

The best digital products aren’t necessarily the most complicated—they’re the ones that quietly remove friction from everyday life.

Getting married should be about celebrating with the people you love. Changing your name shouldn’t become a months-long admin project.

If Name Change Navigator can give people back a bit of time and peace of mind, then we’ve achieved exactly what we set out to do.

What sort of couples do you think you attract?

Our users are busy, organised people who appreciate a smart digital solution. Some are taking their partner’s surname. Some are double-barrelling. Some are creating a brand-new family name together.

Everyone’s journey is different, but they all share one thing in common—they don’t want to spend weeks worrying about who they’ve remembered to notify.

What’s next for Name Change Navigator?

We’re only just getting started. Right now, the app focuses on helping people change their name after marriage, but this is just the beginning.

We’re already gathering feedback from users about the next life events they’d like us to support, and we’re excited to expand the platform with additional name change journeys in the future.

Our goal is simple: to become the UK’s go-to digital companion whenever someone needs to change their name, whatever the reason.

Where can readers find out more?

🌐 Website: www.namechangenavigator.co.uk

📱 Try the free Name Change Navigator checklist: www.namechangenavigator.co.uk/app

📸 Instagram: @namechangenavigatoruk

If you’re planning your wedding—or you’re already married and wondering where to start with changing your name—you can download the app and access the free UK checklist covering more than 30 organisations you may need to notify, helping you stay organised every step of the way.

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