'Sir'

[CLOTHEAD]

Does anyone on this forum know how to conclusively check if somebody claiming to be knighted really has been? Burke's Peerage is no good because putting in Bruce Forsythe or Chris Hoy - who definitely have been knighted - yields no results

[jno]

Wikipedia? Not official but usually correct.

[Flyhalf]

Whitaker's almanac, but of course the most recent will be missing.

[Calibax]

Who's who

[The Builder]

I doubt if Burke's would list them, Clothhead, since Knights are not members of the Peerage.
The London Gazette publishes the Honours Lists........ see if their archive is online.

[Mosaic]

You can simply purchase any title you want. You needn't be knighted to change your name to 'Sir' or 'Lady'.
You find in genealogy searches first names such as 'Baron' or 'Gentleman'.
Local papers - usually on microfim in libraries local studies - generally give coverage to local boys made good, so you could do a trawl through them.

Can I ask the real question please? ie why does it matter? Is someone misprepresenting themselves to you?

[Mosaic]

'misrepresenting' and that's before the gin.....

[CLOTHEAD]

Thank you all very much.

[ChuckFickens]

"You needn't be knighted to change your name to 'Sir' or 'Lady'."

You can't change your name to any title (nobility, religious or social)

"Name restrictions
We will not accept an application for a name that:....
..... may result in others believing you have a conferred or inherited honour, title, rank or academic award, for example, a change of first name to Sir, Lord, Laird, Lady, Prince, Princess, Viscount, Baron, Baroness, General, Captain, Professor or Doctor etc."

http://www.ukdps.co.u...trictionsOnNames.html

[Mosaic]

http://www.regaltitles.com/

[woofgang]

that's a deed poll change which is not required. You can call yourself whatever you like provided it isn't done with intent to defraud.

[jno]

"may result in others believing you have a conferred or inherited honour, title, rank or academic award, for example, a change of first name to Sir, Lord, Laird, Lady, Prince, Princess, Viscount, Baron, Baroness, General, Captain, Professor or Doctor etc....

or may result in others believing you do anything that might involve aerially propelling one or more fickens".

[grffindoor2011]

You can call yourself whatever you like as long as it is not offensive.

I once knew someone who called themselves 'Lord Of Luxury'. An old family friend called himself 'Mr X'.

I could quite easily change my name tomorrow to Sir Answerbank Of The Internet'.

One of my early ex girlfriends brothers had a dog he named 'Cat' because his parents wouldn't let him have one.