Your name at graduation

Graduation programme and certificate

The graduation programme and your certificate will record your official full name as registered with the University, in the following order:

• First forename
• Middle name(s), if any
• Surname (family name)

If your official name is recorded incorrectly see Check and update your name for information on how to get it updated. 

Note that this must be done before your award is made, except in the case of a change of gender where the name has been legally changed, or if there is an error in how the name has been recorded.

Preferred names that are not part of an official name cannot be used for the graduation programme or your certificate, except in the case of a change of gender where the name has been legally changed, or error in how the name has been recorded.  Changes to your name in these cases should be made on your student record.

Changes to names should come through to us automatically for graduation purposes, if made before the award confirmation deadline date for your congregation.

If your name is updated after the award confirmation deadline date for your congregation in permitted circumstances, you should contact graduation-office@bristol.ac.uk to check that we have the correct information for the graduation programme, as it may not come through to us automatically at that stage.

Changes cannot be made to the graduation programme if the student record is updated after it has gone to print (about a week before the ceremony).

Certificates can be re-issued free of charge at any time, if your name is legally changed due to a change of gender.   See Check and update your name for information on how to request a replacement certificate in this circumstance. 

International students who need their name to appear on their certificate in the reverse order (Family name/forenames) should contact their faculty office with evidence of their official name, before the certificate is issued, to ask if it can be updated for this purpose.

Graduation ceremony name announcement

Your name will be announced at your graduation ceremony as:

• First forename and Surname only

unless you select a different name, that is part of your official name, to be used instead of your first name e.g. if you are known by a middle name.

or you select more than one forename e.g. first name and one middle name, or for your full name to be announced.

Names can only be announced in the above order.

Your full officially registered name will be shown on your graduation registration form, for you to select from for announcement at the ceremony.  If you need to update this selection after initial registration, contact graduation-office@bristol.ac.uk.

Preferred names that are not part of an official name cannot be announced at your ceremony, except in the case of a change of gender where the name has not yet been legally changed.  Contact graduation-office@bristol.ac.uk if you wish to use a preferred name under these circumstances.

Students who have single initials as part of their full name will not have them read out as they cross the stage.  If you wish for us to read out all names including your initials, please contact graduation-office@bristol.ac.uk.

Name pronunciation

You can enter a phonetic version of your name on the registration form to assist with pronunciation when your name is announced at your ceremony.

If you have not provided this information via the form when registering, you can send it to graduation-office@bristol.ac.uk.

Name used for graduation hoodie

A hoodie which includes graduating students’ names can be purchased from the SU Shop as a memento of your graduation.

The graduation hoodie includes names as registered with the University, in the following order:

• Preferred name
• Middle name(s), if any
• Surname (family name)

If you want your official first name to be used instead of your preferred name on the graduation hoodie, contact graduation-office@bristol.ac.uk, by 21 January 2026 (for February 2026 graduation).

We cannot guarantee that it will be possible to change the name used on the graduation hoodie if we are contacted at a late stage in the production process.

Check and update your name

Check how your name is registered as early as possible before graduation at Student Info.

If your official name is not correct, please contact your faculty to update it for you.  Information and contact details can be found at:

Update your personal details | Current students | University of Bristol

Note that names can only be updated before your award is made at an exam board, except in the case of a change of gender, or error in the recorded name.

To request a replacement certificate with a legally changed name due to change of gender, contact award-verification@bristol.ac.uk.  You will need to show evidence of your name in the form of a passport, birth certificate or deed poll.

Further information and contacts

See the Student name policy for further information.

Contact your Faculty office with any further questions about registered names or updating names.

Contact graduation-office@bristol.ac.uk to discuss any issues arising in relation to the use of names at graduation.