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About
Deed Polls
What is a Deed
Poll?
Why
is it called a Deed Poll?
What
is the purpose of a Deed Poll?
Who can apply?
Can
I change my children's names?
Are
there any restrictions on names?
Is
a Deed Poll registered anywhere?
Can a birth certificate be
changed?
Why
do people change their name?
Answers to other
FAQs
Applying
for a Deed Poll
Change
your name online now
Example
letters of consent
General
name change information
Introduction
A
woman's rights upon marriage
A
man's rights upon marriage
A
woman's rights upon divorce
A
woman's rights upon being widowed
Your
rights upon adoption
Who to advise
after changing your name
UK
Deed Poll Service
Contact us
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions
and your rights
About
Deed Polls
Can
a birth certificate be changed?
There are a some circumstances that enable you to get the name entry amended or changed on your birth certificate. If you are able to get a new or amended birth certificate issued, a Deed Poll is not required as the new birth certificate is sufficient to get all documents and records changed.
If
you were born or adopted in England or Wales:
In England and Wales, with the following three exceptions for
children, you cannot get your birth certificate changed if you
change your name.
- If
changing a child's forename(s) within 12 months of registration:
If you only wish to change the forename(s) of a child for which you have parental responsibility [What is parental resonsibility], you can have the child's birth certificate amended to include the child's new forename(s) providing the change occurs within 12 months of the original registration. The new full birth certificate will show both the original and the new forename(s) but the short birth certificate will only show the new forename(s).
- If
changing a child's surname from the mother's surname to the father's
surname (parents not married):
If the parents of the child were not married to each other at the time of the birth and the father did not attend with the mother to register the child, it is possible to re-register the birth at any time in the future to include the father's details and change the surname of the child to that of the father (only if both parents agree, otherwise a court order is required). Upon re-registration, a new birth certificate will be issued.
- If
changing a child's surname from the mother's surname to the father's
surname (parents married since birth):
If the parents have married each other since the birth was registered, the birth can be re-registered to show the father's details. The birth will then be re-registered and the child and mother's surname can be changed to that of the father as part of this process. Upon re-registration, a new birth certificate will be issued.
Please note, if the parents were not married to each other at the time of the birth and the child was registered with the father's surname, it is not possible to change the child's surname back to the mother's on the birth certificate. To change the child's surname back to the mother's, a Deed Poll should be executed, for which the father's permission is not required. However, a Deed Poll will not get the child's birth certificate changed.
For further information e-mail the General Registrar Office for England and Wales, or call them on 0151-471 4806. Alternatively, telephone or visit your local register office.
If
you were born or adopted in Scotland:
In Scotland, you can get your birth certificate changed in the
following two circumstances:
- Children
aged one and under:
If a child's forename(s) (but not surname) is changed within the first year of life, the change may be recorded in the birth register if notification is made within two years of the birth of the child. When an extract or abbreviated certificate of the child's birth entry is subsequently issued, the new name is substituted for the name originally registered.
- Persons
aged two and over:
For persons aged two years and over, providing documentary evidence [What is documentary evidence] that the new name has been used for at least two years, the change of forename(s) and/or surname can be recorded in the birth register, but in the subsequent issue of an extract or abbreviated certificate the original forename(s) and surname are shown in addition to the new names. By changing your name by Deed Poll, you will be able to get your documents and records changed your new name for subsequent use as documentary evidence that you have used your new name for the two year period.
For further information e-mail the General Registrar Office for Scotland, or telephone them on 0131-314 4444.
If
you were born or adopted in Northern Ireland:
A person's forename(s) and surname as recorded in the birth register
cannot be changed. However, upon providing documentary evidence
[What is documentary evidence]
that a new name has been used for at least two years, the new
forename(s) and/or surname can be recorded. Any certificate of
birth will continue to show the forename(s) and surname as originally
registered but the new forename(s) and/or surname as recorded
will be shown in a separate space in any certificate subsequently
issued, together with the date on which the change was recorded.
By changing your name by Deed Poll, you will be able to get your documents and records changed your new name for subsequent use as documentary evidence that you have used your new name for the two year period.
For further information e-mail the General Registrar Office for Northern Ireland, or call them on 028-9025 2021.
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