Change your child's name in Northern Ireland

You can change the name of a child under 16 in Northern Ireland, as long as everyone with parental responsibility for them agrees to the change.

Most parents change their child's name with a deed poll.

Who can change a child's name

You can change your child's name if they:

• are under 16
• live in Northern Ireland

You must have parental responsibility for your child to apply.

If your child is 16 or 17, they 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 Northern Ireland on or after 15 April 2002
• 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 one of them.

If only one person has parental responsibility, only they need to agree. For example, the father may not be named on an older birth certificate, or one parent may have died.

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

Find out 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 sets out your child's former name and their new name, and is signed by everyone with parental responsibility and 2 witnesses.

Your child's deed poll is accepted as proof of their name change by organisations such as schools, GP practices and HM Passport Office, in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK.

You do not need:

• your child's birth certificate
• a solicitor, lay magistrate or Justice of the Peace

How it works

1. Check that everyone agrees

Make sure everyone with parental responsibility agrees to the change. They will all need to sign the deed poll.

2. Apply online

You can apply for a child deed poll online. You will need:

• your child's current name
• the name you want to change it to
• the names of everyone with parental responsibility
• your address in Northern Ireland
• an email address

Your child's deed poll is posted to you with instructions for signing.

3. Sign in front of 2 witnesses

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

The witnesses must be 18 or over and know you personally. They cannot be close relatives or live at the same address as you. Find out more about who can be a witness.

4. Update your child's records

Use the deed poll to update your child's name with the organisations that hold their records.

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 cannot:

• include numbers or symbols, other than hyphens and apostrophes
• be offensive
• suggest a title they are not entitled to, such as Lord or Lady

Find out more about names you cannot use.

If someone does not agree

If someone with parental responsibility does not agree to the change, you can:

• 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

If you apply to a court, it will decide based on what is in your child's best interests. Find out 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 only because the other parent is out of contact. If they have parental responsibility, they still need to agree.

You will need to 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 your attempts.

After you change your child's name

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

For most children, this means their school, their GP and dentist, and HM Passport Office if they have a passport.

There is no deadline. Most parents update the main records within a few weeks.

Find out more about updating your child's documents.

Your child's birth certificate

Your child's birth certificate does not change. The deed poll is used alongside it as proof of your child's new name.

If your circumstances are different

If you are a stepparent

Being married to 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 who has parental responsibility.

If your child is adopted

Check your adoption order. It will show whether anyone else needs to agree to the change.