Changing Your Baby’s Name After Registering the Birth: Deed Poll, Consent and Fees (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Choosing a baby’s name is a big decision, and some parents later want to add a middle name, fix a spelling or change a surname after the birth has been registered. The route depends on where the child was born and whether everyone with parental responsibility agrees. This guide summarises what GOV.UK and nidirect say about changing a child’s name by deed poll or by recording the change in Northern Ireland. GOV.UK says different rules apply if the child was born in Scotland, and those rules are not covered here. Fees, forms and processing times can change, so the official page should be checked before applying. This is general information, not legal advice. The site’s guides to registering a baby’s birth és ordering birth certificate copies cover the steps before this.

A correction is not the same as a name change

GOV.UK says a birth registration correction is for information that is wrong, for example a mistake recorded when the birth was registered. It adds that a correction cannot be used to show new information after circumstances change. A later decision to change a child’s name is therefore not a correction, and the routes below apply instead.

The two kinds of deed poll for a child

GOV.UK says that to change the name of a child under 18 a parent can either make an unenrolled deed poll using a specialist deed poll agency or a solicitor, or enrol a deed poll with the High Court. A child aged 16 or 17 can choose to make their own unenrolled deed poll. GOV.UK warns that some organisations, such as some banks, mobile phone companies or energy providers, may only accept an enrolled deed poll, and says to contact the organisation to find out which type it will accept.

Enrolling a child’s deed poll

Enrolling puts the child’s new name on public record with the High Court. GOV.UK says it can be done online or by post and costs £53.05. The applicant must be the child’s parent or guardian and needs either the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility or a court order, and GOV.UK says an attempt to reach agreement must be made before seeking an order. Enrolment can take several months, and the Deed Poll Office can be asked for an update six months after applying. The HM Courts and Tribunals Service guidance, which applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales, says that anyone with parental responsibility must sign the form, and that if one person will not sign, the other must apply to the family court for an order.

The documents required include a copy of the child’s full birth certificate and, for an adopted child, the adoption documents. Depending on the parents’ circumstances, GOV.UK says the applicant may also need to supply a decree absolute, a death certificate, a marriage or civil partnership certificate where the parent’s surname has changed, or a letter of agreement from a new partner.

The online steps

GOV.UK sets out the online route as follows:

• apply online, using a debit or credit card, and complete the forms that are emailed to the applicant: LOC022, LOC023, LOC024 and LOC028;
• sign LOC022 in front of two witnesses, and sign the other three in front of a solicitor or another authorised witness;
• post the completed forms to the Deed Poll Office; and
• wait for the office to seal the deed and post it back as proof of the name change.

Once an application has started it can be saved, but GOV.UK says it must be submitted within 28 days or the applicant must start again. If the child is 16 or 17, a letter from them agreeing to the change must be included, witnessed and signed by an adult who is not related to them. The two witnesses to the LOC022 must sign in pen and not be related to the parent or child by birth or marriage, according to the form guidance.

The public record

GOV.UK says the new name is published in The Gazette, and the applicant receives a copy of the notice by email or post. Anyone with a strong reason why the child’s details should not be published can explain this in the application, and the judge may agree to publish only the first name or the surname.

Northern Ireland: recording a change of name

Nidirect says a person born or legally adopted in Northern Ireland can record a change of first name or surname with the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI), re-register a birth, or change name by deed poll. For a child under 18, an application form must be signed by qualified applicants, usually the parents or guardian, in front of a justice of the peace, lay magistrate or practising solicitor. Nidirect says a person under 18 can change their name or surname only once, and that the fee for recording the change is £35.00 for a child, £16.00 for each additional family member applying at the same time, with £15.00 more for a certificate showing the recorded change. It also says a birth registered without the father’s details, or before the parents married or formed a civil partnership, may be re-registered to update the child’s name.

Frequently asked questions

Do both parents need to agree? GOV.UK says the applicant needs the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility or a court order.

How long does it take? GOV.UK says it can take several months to enrol a deed poll.

The bottom line

To change a baby’s name after registration in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, a parent can enrol a deed poll for £53.05 with the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility, or use an unenrolled deed poll where the organisations concerned accept it. Northern Ireland also has a £35.00 recording route through GRONI. Allow several months and gather the documents first.

Sources

• GOV.UK, "Change your name by deed poll: Change a child’s name"
• GOV.UK, "Change your name by deed poll: How to change your name"
• HM Courts & Tribunals Service, "How to complete a child deed poll form"
• GOV.UK, "Correct a birth registration"
• nidirect, "Recording a change of name"