One and the Same Person Affidavit
General information, not legal advice. Whoever asked for this affidavit may want specific wording, and for real estate it may need recording. Confirm their requirements before you sign.
One and the same person affidavit generator
Enter your legal name, the other versions in use, and where they appear. The tool builds a printable affidavit with a notary block. Nothing is stored.
Why a name mismatch stops paperwork cold
A deed says Elizabeth A. Smith. Her driver license says Beth Carter. To her, obviously the same person; to a title company about to insure a sale, a red flag that has to be cleared before closing. That gap is exactly what this affidavit fixes. Names drift for ordinary reasons, marriage and divorce, a clerk's typo on an old document, a middle name that appeared on one form and not another, a nickname that stuck to an account. When two records have to line up and the names do not match, the institution needs something sworn tying them together, and a one and the same person affidavit is the standard fix. Real estate is where it turns up most, but banks, brokerages and pension administrators ask for it too.
It is not a name change
Keep these two apart, because confusing them causes real delay. A legal name change is a court process that gives you a new official name going forward. This affidavit does the opposite job: it looks backward and certifies that names already in use refer to a single person. You are not becoming someone new, you are reconciling records that already exist. That distinction matters when an agency tells you to "fix" a name, because if what they actually need is proof that two names are one person, a court name change is slow overkill, and if they truly need your name changed, an affidavit will not satisfy them. Ask which one they want before spending time on either.
Getting it accepted
A few habits make the difference between an affidavit that clears the file and one that bounces. Match your legal name exactly as it reads on your main ID, then list every variant precisely as it appears on the other documents, including punctuation and middle initials, since a title examiner is comparing character by character. Sign it in front of a notary, because an unsworn version carries no weight. For a property matter, ask whether the affidavit needs to be recorded with the county alongside the deed, which is common. And when you can, attach copies of the documents showing each name, so the reviewer can see the mismatch and your explanation together rather than taking your word for it.
Questions people ask
- What is a one and the same person affidavit?
- A sworn statement that two or more names, spellings or versions all refer to the same person. It resolves mismatches on deeds, titles, accounts and records without changing your legal name.
- When do I need one?
- Most often for real estate, when a deed shows a maiden name or misspelling, and in banking, retirement or insurance records where your name appears more than one way.
- Is it the same as a legal name change?
- No. It does not change your name. It certifies, under oath, that different versions of a name belong to one individual, so records can be matched and accepted.
- Does it need to be notarized?
- Almost always. As a sworn statement, whoever asks for it expects a notarized signature, and for real estate it may also be recorded with the county.
Written by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. This is a general template; the party requesting the affidavit may require particular wording or recording.