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Practical UK name-change guide

Can I change the name on my birth certificate?

Usually not, and you don’t need to. In England and Wales a birth certificate records the facts when you were born, and your deed poll sits alongside it to show the change. There are a few narrow exceptions, and Scotland and Northern Ireland do things differently.

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England, Wales, Scotland and NI
Sources linked below
Clear answers, with the source behind them

Practical guidance for your next name-change step. References are linked throughout and collected at the end.

Updated: 28 October 2026
On this pageQuick answerWhat can changeDeed poll and birth certificateA baby’s first nameCorrecting a mistakeScotland and Northern IrelandFAQs

The quick answer

In England and Wales a later change of name, whether by deed poll, marriage or divorce, isn’t added to your birth certificate. GOV.UK says the register can’t be corrected to show new information when circumstances change. Instead you use your original birth certificate together with your deed poll. The exceptions are narrow: a child’s first name within 12 months of registration, a genuine mistake made at registration, re-registration in specific cases, and a new certificate after legal gender recognition. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own recording services for people born there.

The practical details

What can and can’t change in England and Wales

SituationDoes the birth record change?What you use instead
An adult changes their name by deed pollNoYour deed poll, shown with your original birth certificate
Taking a spouse’s or partner’s surnameNoYour marriage or civil partnership certificate
A child’s first name, within 12 months of registrationYes, onceAn application to the register office
A child’s surnameNot as a simple changeA child deed poll, signed by everyone with parental responsibility
A mistake made when the birth was registeredYes, as a correctionA correction application with evidence from the time
Legal gender recognitionA new certificate can be issuedThe Gender Recognition Certificate process

GOV.UK gives the example of someone who changes their name after marrying again: they can’t apply for a correction to show the new name, because the register records what was true at the time. GOV.UK: correct a birth registration

The practical details

Why your deed poll and birth certificate work together

When an organisation asks for your birth certificate, it wants to see who you were at birth. Your deed poll shows the step from that name to the one you use now. Together they tell the whole story. That’s how HM Passport Office, banks and most other organisations use them: the birth certificate for who you were, the deed poll for the change.

Two things make this go smoothly. First, your deed poll should give your former name exactly as it appears on your birth certificate, middle names included. Second, if you’ve changed your name more than once, keep each link in the chain. Our guide to several name changes and lost deed polls explains what to do if one is missing.

Your next step

Changing a child’s first name within 12 months

If your child’s birth was registered in England or Wales less than 12 months ago, you can apply to the register office to record a different first name. Cumberland Council’s guidance is typical: you can only record a change to the first name or names once, the fee is £44 and non-refundable, and a new certificate will show both the original and the new first names. Cumberland Council: change your child’s first name

It’s for first names only, and the route depends on whether your child has been baptised, so ask the register office which form you need. After 12 months, or to change a surname, a deed poll is the usual route. Our guide to changing a child’s name covers consent and the deed poll itself.

The practical details

Fixing a mistake on a birth certificate

If something was wrong when the birth was registered, such as a misspelt name, you can apply for a correction. GOV.UK says it costs £83 or £99, you’ll need to show the information was wrong at the time, ideally with documents dated around the birth, and a reply can take up to 25 days. GOV.UK: how to apply for a correction

A correction doesn’t wipe the original entry. The original information always stays in the register, with a note added in the margin. Short birth certificates don’t show that note.

Correction or deed poll? If the name was recorded wrongly at registration, it’s a correction. If it was recorded correctly and you’d now like a different spelling, that’s a change of name, and a deed poll is the way to do it.

The practical details

Re-registration, gender recognition, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Re-registration

Parents marrying, or a father being added

A birth can be re-registered in specific cases, such as the parents marrying after the birth or a father’s details being added. Ask the register office what the new registration can record.

Gender recognition

A new birth certificate

Once your gender is legally recognised, GOV.UK says you can order a new birth certificate showing your new gender. Torbay Council’s registration page says the birth is registered again showing the new name and gender.

Born in Scotland

National Records of Scotland

People born or adopted in Scotland can record a change of name with NRS, and a new certificate can show the new name and the previous one. It has limits on how often you can use it.

Born in Northern Ireland

GRONI

People born or adopted in Northern Ireland can record a change through GRONI, with its own limits and fees. A deed poll is a separate route.

Our guides to changing your name in Scotland and changing your name in Northern Ireland explain who qualifies and what each route costs. If you were born outside the UK, follow your birth country’s rules for its own records. A UK deed poll still works for organisations here.

Your questions answered

Frequently asked questions

No. In England and Wales your birth certificate stays as it was registered. You show your deed poll alongside it as evidence of the change.

Not as a simple change. A child’s surname is usually changed with a deed poll signed by everyone with parental responsibility. Re-registration can update a birth record in specific cases, such as parents marrying after the birth.

In England and Wales, 12 months from the date the birth was registered. You can only record a change to the first name or names once.

If it was recorded wrongly at registration, apply for a correction. If it was recorded correctly and you’d like a different spelling now, use a deed poll.

Yes, HM Passport Office accepts a deed poll as evidence of a change of name, though it has its own rules on what else it needs. Our passport guide covers them.

Check the detail

Sources for this guide

Guidance and reference pages

Use the relevant organisation’s instructions when submitting your documents.

Continue your name change

Related guides

Changing a child’s name in the UK

Consent, the child deed poll and updating school and passport records.

Changing your name in Scotland

Recording a change with NRS, or using a deed poll.

Change your name on a UK passport

The documents HM Passport Office asks for, and the cost.

Prepared for your next step

Your new name. Your deed poll, taken care of.

Your birth certificate stays as it is. A prepared deed poll shows the change, ready to use with it. Individually prepared and checked, with free UK delivery.

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