{"id":11560,"date":"2026-09-24T11:42:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forbabyboss.com\/changing-your-babys-name-after-registering-the-birth-deed-poll-consent-and-fees-england-wales-and-northern-ireland\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T11:42:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:42:58","slug":"changing-your-babys-name-after-registering-the-birth-deed-poll-consent-and-fees-england-wales-and-northern-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forbabyboss.com\/sv\/changing-your-babys-name-after-registering-the-birth-deed-poll-consent-and-fees-england-wales-and-northern-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing Your Baby’s Name After Registering the Birth: Deed Poll, Consent and Fees (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a> och ordering birth certificate copies<\/a> cover the steps before this.<\/p>\n

A correction is not the same as a name change<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The two kinds of deed poll for a child<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Enrolling a child’s deed poll<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The online steps<\/h2>\n

GOV.UK sets out the online route as follows:<\/p>\n