When did Zack Polanski change his first name from Paul
Executive summary
Zack Polanski changed his first name from David to Zack when he was 18; reporting attributes the switch both to returning to a family surname and to distancing himself from an abusive stepfather who was also called David (age 18 cited across multiple outlets) [1] [2] [3]. Contemporary profiles also say he changed his surname at 18 back to the family's original Polanski/Polanski-style name to reclaim Jewish heritage after his grandparents had anglicised it to Paulden [3] [2] [4].
1. The headline fact: he changed his first name at 18
Profiles in major outlets uniformly report that Polanski adopted the first name “Zack” when he turned 18. The New Statesman says he “changed his name when he was 18” (describing the first-name change) and explains the personal motive in direct terms [1]. The BBC repeats that he “changed his name from David Paulden when he reached 18” [2]. ITV and other outlets likewise give age 18 for the change [5] [6].
2. Why he did it: two linked explanations in the record
Reporting gives two interconnected reasons. First, he sought to reclaim family identity: several pieces say he changed his surname at 18 to the family’s original Polanski (or Polish-origin) name to embrace his Jewish heritage after his grandparents anglicised Paulden to avoid antisemitism [3] [4] [5]. Second, profiles say he picked “Zack” because he had a fraught relationship with his stepfather, who was also named David; the New Statesman records that Polanski “changed his name from David to Zack because there was a person in his family, also called David, who was abusive,” and the Observer notes he chose “Zack” after a character in Goodnight Mister Tom to avoid being “a little version” of his stepdad [1] [3] [7].
3. How outlets frame identity and heritage
Coverage ties the name change to Jewish identity and a return to a pre-anglicised family name. The BBC and Observer explicitly link the shift to an attempt “to embrace the identity erased by his family’s anglicised surname” and to restore his grandfather’s original surname [2] [3]. Commentary pieces (e.g., Jewish Chronicle opinion) discuss the political reaction to his decision to reclaim a Jewish name, showing the name change has become a focal point in broader debates about authenticity and political image [8].
4. Variations and emphasis across sources
Different outlets emphasize different motives: New Statesman foregrounds the abusive-family explanation [1]; the Observer and BBC mix the heritage and stepfather explanations and mention the literary origin of “Zack” [3] [2]. Several lifestyle and profile pieces (Grazia, ITV, Sky, Jewish News) repeat the basic facts—born David Paulden, changed name at 18 to Zack Polanski to honour heritage and distance from his stepfather—often adding anecdotal color about the choice [9] [5] [6] [7].
5. What the available reporting does not say
Available sources do not mention any official deed-poll date or publicly released legal document that records the exact date of the change; they instead consistently report the change occurred when he turned 18 without supplying a day or month [1] [2] [3]. They also do not provide Polanski’s own full, contemporaneous statement of legal procedure or paperwork confirming the formal mechanics of the change—most accounts rely on interviews and biographical summaries [4] [10].
6. Stakes and political context
Journalists and commentators have used the name change as a political talking point: critics have weaponised it in attacks about authenticity while some Jewish commentators defended his right to reclaim heritage [8]. Profiles of Polanski’s politics often connect the personal narrative to his public persona as an outspoken, media-savvy leader—his name-change story is presented as part of how he shapes identity for political effect as well as personal safety and family distancing [1] [4].
Limitations: this analysis relies only on the provided reporting; there is no primary legal document or a direct contemporaneous quote from an 18-year-old Polanski reproduced in these sources that pins an exact calendar date to the change [1] [2].