Man who changed his name told it’s ‘too rude’ for passport so he can’t go abroad

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A man who changed his name for a laugh isn't finding the consequences quite as funny, as he claims the Home Office is refusing to issue a passport as the name "may cause offence".

Kenny Kennard changed his surname by deed poll to 'Fu-Kennard' in 2016 as a joke, and although he's been able to get a driving licence under the new name, he's been told he cannot have it on a passport, meaning holidays abroad are off the cards.

The supermarket worker from Bude, Cornwall, has challenged the HM Passport Office's verdict three times but so far has been unsuccessful. Instead, he now faces having to stick to staycations instead.

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He said: "I'd decided to change my name to Fu-Kennard a few years back. When I had to apply for a driving licence, it was accepted fine, so I figured it wouldn't make much difference in applying for a passport. How wrong I was. I got refused on grounds that my name could cause offence or was vulgar. So I complained, but they upheld their decision so I complained again.

"I was then told they'd keep the fee for administration costs. If I wanted to take the matter further, they said I'd need to contact my MP. So I wrote to MP Scott Mann, and he replied saying they're within their remit to refuse.

"Now I'm skint with no passport, like a prisoner in my own country. On the one hand, I find the whole thing funny – as do all of my friends. But I'm also finding it hard to believe the name could be construed as anything but funny and slightly ridiculous. It's just a joke. I agree with Home Office policy that not all names are acceptable, such as racial hate words or anything that invokes hatred. 'Fu-Kennard' is not offensive, and I object to them denying my chosen name."

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It's not the first time that he has changed his name – when he was 16 he opted for 'Coco Kenny' but was asked to change it when he joined the Army at 19 due to it being "immature".

ome Office guidelines list names that might be deemed offensive, including: "the use of swear words; sexually explicit references; inappropriate religious connotation; is vulgar, offensive, or libellous to an individual; makes use of a name of a person living or dead which may cause public concern".

It also states: "This applies to phonetic, as well as actual use of words comprising of part or the entire name."

It's not just name changes that can cause issues when it comes to travel documents; earlier this year one woman says she was stopped by border officials because her passport photo is 'too hot'. Alisha Marie, 30, from the USA, claims she glammed herself up so much for her passport photo that she wasn’t recognisable. When she headed to the airport without any make-up on and wearing some casual clothes, officials in Turkey questioned whether it really was her in the photo.

In a video on TikTok she quipped: "I’ve never been SO HUMBLED IN MY LIFE."

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