Name change for children is quite common and can occur for a number of reasons: children may take a new surname as parents divorce or marry, spelling mistakes on birth certificates may be corrected or a child feels disconnect with their name, just to name a few. A child is anyone under 16 years. From 16 years onwards, any person can apply to change their own name by deed poll.
Parental consent
All parties with parental responsibility will need to agree to the change. Parental responsibility usually means the father and mother who were married at the time of the child’s birth or the parents named on the child’s birth certificate. Even if divorced, both parents must give consent if they have custody. If a parent is absent or has unusual custody arrangements then you may need to get a court ruling to change the child’s name. If you need to ask for a court ruling for a child’s name change then the circumstance and consent of the child is also important (particularly older children).
Apply to a reputable Deed Poll Company
Easy Name Change do not provide deed polls. We assist adults in notifying organisations of their new name once it has been changed. As we are a notification service, we can’t assist in changing your child’s name or proving further information beyond what appears on this page.
There are a number of reputable online deed poll services. We recommend https://www.deedpolls.co.uk/ as they issue solicitor-checked and legally compliant deed polls and can provide copies in the future if your deed poll is ever lost. If you have any specific questions on parental consent or any other part of the process be sure to contact Deed Polls UK.
The notification process
Once your child’s deed poll certificate has been issued it’s your responsibility to notify all the necessary organisations. Children have very few organisations to notify so our notification kits are not suitable. The parent or legal guardian should find this process easily enough to manage alone. We’ve provided a quick checklist below to assist with the notification process.
- School
- HMRC/National Insurance
- The child’s bank (if they have an account)
- Health care providers
- Insurance (ie: beneficiaries for life insurance)
- Family and friends
- Update your will if the child is named
Safeguarding their future
Evidence of your child’s new name could be lost over time. We recommend either enrolling the deed poll with the Royal Courts of Justice or using a reputable deed poll company that has been in business for years and can provide duplicate records when needed. If your child can’t prove their name change many years down the track they may encounter various legal issues. It is a good idea to order 2-3 copies of the deed poll and keep one in a safe, secondary location.
Questions?
If you have any further questions regarding changing your child’s name, you should contact a deed poll organisation as they will ultimately handle your child’s name change. They are better qualified to answer questions on parental consent and any other laws around children’s name change. Easy Name Change will not respond to any queries regarding name changes for children.
