British Man Denied Passport Because Of His “Vulgar” Last Name
A former soldier from the UK who changed his surname to “Fu-Kennard” for a laugh says the joke has backfired — he was denied a passport.
Kenny Fu-Kennard, 33, whose surname used to be Kennard, changed his name in 2016 and even got a driving license under his new moniker.
But when his passport expired and he applied for a new one this year, his application was denied because his name “may cause offense.”
The supermarket worker from Cornwall has contested HM Passport Office’s verdict three times — but the Home Office has refused to budge.
Keen traveler Fu-Kennard said he doesn’t want to change his name again, so faces a life of UK holidays instead.
“I’d decided to change my name to Fu-Kennard a few years back,” he said.
“When I’d had to apply for a driving license, 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 offense or was vulgar. I complained, but they upheld their decision so I complained again. I was then told they’d keep the fee for administration costs.”
Fu-Kennard said he finds it hard to believe the name could be construed as anything but funny and slightly ridiculous.
“It’s just a joke,” he said.
