Different Personalised Plate Ideas for a Creative Private Number
A private number plate is an ideal way to express yourself and personalise your vehicle without adding anything flashy.
And, with over 50 million options available, you can be as creative as you want. From a subtle reference to your initials, to a unique personalised plate that is sure to make your car stand out from the crowd, the choice is yours.
Are you looking to add custom plates to your vehicle but are unsure of what to choose? Here are some great personalised plate ideas to inspire you.
Understanding Autonumerology
Before you decide on the format for your personalised plates, you need to master the art of 'autonumerology'.
Autonumerology is a phrase first coined by Noel Woodall in 1962. It involves exchanging numbers for letters to create a unique licence plate.
With a little creativity and some simple visual trickery, you can make words from a mix of numbers and letters that the brain can easily decode.
For example, you can use the number 4 in place of an A. A 5 can represent an S, and a 7 represents a T. And 1 replaces the letter I, which is rare on UK number plates.
What Do You Want Your Personalised Plates to Say?
With an idea of how to use autonumerology, you need to decide what message you want your personalised plates to say:
Names
An obvious choice, name number plates are the ultimate way to make your plates personal to you.
Short names like Sam and Tom are easy to figure into most plates. And with autonumerology, the options are endless. Some ideas include DAV 1D, JE55 and P8 LLY.
But, since named plates are in high demand, they're often more expensive.
Initials
Displaying your initials on a custom number plate offers a subtle way to personalise your vehicle.
It's easy to incorporate your initials into most plate styles. But the price can vary depending on which style you choose. For example, if your initials are STM, a plate like S1 STM would be cheaper than 1 STM.
Jobs
Personalised plates tailored to your job or business are a great way to advertise your services or display a career you're proud of.
Doctors might like a 'DOC' or 'MED' plate, a baker could opt for B4 KER, and makeup artists can boost their business with 'MUA' plates.
Hobbies and Interests
If you're passionate about your hobby then why not display what you're into on your car?
If you love golf then G8 LFR is the perfect plate for you, 'FLY' is great for plane enthusiasts while 'FOO 71E' will show the world you're a football fanatic.
What Type of Personalised Number Plate Is Right for You?
When you have an idea of what you want your plates to say, you have to narrow down your search. This means knowing the options for possible number and letter formats:
Current Style Number Plates
First introduced by the DVLA in 2001, the current style number plates take the following format:
Letter - Letter - Number - Number - Letter - Letter - Letter
Personalising a plate to fit in with this format is easy as there are many options to tailor your message to you.
It's also a subtle way to personalise your plates without standing out too much, which can be a selling point for some.
An example could be to make the first letters and numbers relate to your birthday, so someone born in August 1963 could go for AU63. Then the last three letters could represent your name, initials, job or hobby.
But, when choosing personalised plates it's important to remember that you cannot make your car appear newer than it is. So, if your car is from 2010 then you wouldn't be able to choose a plate like XX18 JON as this would make it seem that your car is a 2018 registration.
Prefix-Style Number Plates
Used between 1983 and 2001, prefix-style number plates take the format:
Letter - Number (1-3 digits) - Letter - Letter - Letter
Since cars haven't displayed this type of plate for a while, it's obvious that your car has a private plate.
And, with a choice of between one and three numbers, you can get creative with personal plate ideas. Some examples include L4 URA for Laura, K33 LEY for Keeley, and C100 KER for a chef.
Suffix-Style Number Plates
Suffix-style number plates existed between 1963 and 1982, following the format:
Letter - Letter - Letter - Number (1-3 digits) - Letter
As this plate format ended over 35 years ago, it's a popular choice for car owners who want to stand out from the crowd.
With the opposite format to prefix-style plates, your name or initials can go first, followed by personal information such as your birth year and month. For example, Rachel Louise Edwards could go for RLE 81F to represent her initials and birthday in February 1981.
Or, you can use this format to play around with names and words, so Katie could have KAT 1E, or a professional poker player could go for POK 3R.
Classic Dateless Number Plates
Dateless number plates were used from 1903 until the introduction of suffix plates in 1963.
With no reference to the year of registration, it is legal to assign them to newer cars, making them perfect for custom plates.
And, as dateless number plates can mix numbers and letters in any format, the options for personalised plates ideas are endless.
But, depending on what letters and numbers you choose, dateless plates can be some of the most affordable but also some of the most expensive.
Northern Ireland Number Plates
Northern Irish number plates can be legally transferred to vehicles in all parts of the UK. They are also dateless plates in the sense that they do not show the year of registration. Instead, they follow the format:
Letter - Letter - Letter - Number (1-4 digits)
With this format you can put your name or initials first and then follow them with your birthday, so Timothy Ian Green could go for TIG 6699 to show his birthday on the 6th June 1999.
Or, you could use it to spell out a name, such as SUZ 13 for Suzie, or display a clever message, such as FIG 2020 for an optician.
Personalised Plate Ideas to Inspire You
As these personalised plate ideas show, the options are endless when it comes to finding the perfect creative private number for your vehicle.
In fact, with the range of formats available and the ease of making words using autonumerology, the hardest part is narrowing down your search to just one set of personalised plates!
For more information about personal number plate ideas, feel free to contact us today.
