Legal Names and Preferred Names.
This is not a question but a long-winded answer.
Monzo will always use whatever is on your ID as your legal name. If you type a name that is not your legal name in the legal name section of an application they will either edit it to what is on your ID (if it’s a typo or similar name) or have to reject it.
For example: If you type ‘Rob Smith’ as your legal name but your ID says ‘Robert Smith’ they will more than likely just change it to ‘Robert Smith’ without needing to tell you or speak to you.
If you have a middle name on your ID but you have not added it, again more than likely they will just add this for you to speed up your application.
However, If you type ‘Robert Jones’ but your ID says ‘Smith’ they will have to reject this and ask you to chat with them to ask why you’re using a legal name that is not on your ID? This is down to FCA regulations on knowing your customers.
There are many reasons why you might have entered a different name on an application though. It could be you have got married, divorced or changed your name and have not yet updated your ID. So if this is the case you can still use your old ID providing you can also submit additional proof that your name has changed dated after your ID was issued, such as a marriage certificate or a deed poll document. If you cant provide this proof you will have to use the legal name on your ID until you can prove otherwise that your name has changed.
A legal name in the UK is always your given names first & family name last. No matter what the culture is in your own country.
Preferred names are a little bit more flexible. The ‘Rob Smith’ example from above is fine here as your preferred name is a commonly accepted short form of Robert.
Having your surname first is also fine as a preferred name - in fact, your preferred name can be in any order you wish but remember it has to have a direct link to your legal name.
For example, you might be called ‘Jack Round’ but all your friends call you ‘Short Round’ so having this as a preferred name would not be allowed as ‘Short’ bears no resemblance to ‘Jack’ either as a shortened form or commonly accepted name relating to Jack. So you can’t use a nickname as a preferred name! It has to have an acceptable correlation to your legal name like Bet for Elizabeth.
Let say you changed your name but didn’t go through the hassle of doing it legally but all your friends and family now call you Janet instead of Veronica and have done so for years.
You would not be able to use the name Janet though as your preferred or legal name for that matter with Monzo as it bears no resemblance to your Legal name Veronica on your ID. Monzo will reject your legal & preferred name and ask you to chat with them to ask why you are trying to use a name that bears no resemblance to the name on your ID? Without the above-mentioned proofs of a change of name you won’t be able to use it.
Only your preferred name is used in correspondence with Monzo.
You can have your legal or preferred name on your card.
Monzo does not really use Mr or Mrs or any other pronouns for that matter.
Names are important as they define us and lets people know who we are but within banking, they cant be what we would like them to be unless we can prove it’s legally who we are.
There are other topics on this forum that discuss gender identity and names so I have not gone into this here.