Change your child's name in London

You can change the name of a child under 16 in London if everyone with parental responsibility for them agrees.

The usual way to do this is with a child deed poll.

Who can change a child's name

You can apply to change your child's name if:

• your child is under 16
• you have parental responsibility for them

Children aged 16 or 17 can change their own name. Read the guide to changing your name.

Who needs to agree

Everyone with parental responsibility for your child must agree to the change.

A mother always has parental responsibility. A father has it if:

• he was married to the mother when the child was born
• he is named on the birth certificate, for births registered in England or Wales on or after 1 December 2003
• he has a parental responsibility agreement or court order

Adoptive parents, appointed guardians and anyone given parental responsibility by a court also have it.

If both parents have parental responsibility, both must agree. This applies even if they are separated or divorced, or your child lives with only one of them.

If only one person has parental responsibility, only their agreement is needed. This might be the case if the father is not named on an older birth certificate, or if a parent has died.

Where more than 2 people have parental responsibility, such as both parents and a guardian, all of them need to agree.

Read more about who must consent.

Changing your child's name by deed poll

A child deed poll is a legal document that changes your child's name. It records their old name and their new name, and is signed by everyone with parental responsibility and 2 witnesses.

Once signed, it is accepted as proof of your child's new name by organisations such as schools, GP practices and HM Passport Office in the United Kingdom.

Your child's new name is legal as soon as everyone has signed.

How it works

1. Make sure everyone agrees

Check that everyone with parental responsibility agrees to the change, as they will all need to sign the deed poll.

2. Apply online

Apply online with the London Deed Poll Office. You will be asked for:

• your child's current name
• their new name
• the names of everyone with parental responsibility

The deed poll will be posted to you, with instructions on how to sign it.

3. Sign in front of 2 witnesses

Everyone with parental responsibility signs the deed poll in front of 2 witnesses, who then sign it as well.

Each witness must be 18 or older and know you personally. A witness cannot be a close relative or live at your address. Read more about who can be a witness.

4. Update your child's records

Show the deed poll to the organisations that hold your child's records, so they can update their name.

Applying online costs £25, and you can pay by debit or credit card.

Choosing your child's new name

You can change your child's first name, middle names or surname. You can also add or remove names, or change the spelling of a name.

Their new name must not:

• contain numbers or symbols, apart from hyphens and apostrophes
• be offensive
• suggest a title they do not hold, such as Lord or Lady

Read more about names you cannot use.

If someone does not agree

If someone with parental responsibility does not agree, your options are to:

• try to reach an agreement, for example through mediation
• apply to a court for permission to change your child's name
• wait until your child is 16, when they can change their own name

Before you apply to a court, you will usually need to attend a meeting to find out about mediation. This is called a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM).

A court will make its decision based on your child's best interests. Read more about what to do if the other parent does not consent.

If you cannot contact the other parent

You cannot change your child's name just because the other parent is out of contact. If they have parental responsibility, their agreement is still needed.

Make genuine efforts to contact them, and keep a record of each attempt. If you still cannot reach them, you can apply to a court for permission. The court will want to see evidence of what you have tried.

After you change your child's name

You need to tell the organisations that hold your child's records. Each one will usually ask to see the deed poll.

For most children, this includes their school, GP and dentist, and HM Passport Office if they have a passport. There is no deadline for doing this.

Read more about updating your child's documents.

Your child's birth certificate

Changing your child's name does not change their birth certificate. You use the deed poll alongside it as proof of their new name.

If your circumstances are different

If you are a stepparent

Marrying a child's parent does not give you parental responsibility for them. You need the agreement of everyone who has parental responsibility, or you can apply for parental responsibility yourself.

If a parent has died

You only need the agreement of anyone else with parental responsibility.

If your child is adopted

Your adoption order will show whether anyone else needs to agree to the change.