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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Have you changed your child's name by deed poll

67 replies

Leena78 · 18/04/2012 11:13

Hi there, I am just curious if you have ever changed your child's name by deed poll and if you have ever found it to be a problem or hassle with his or her future with regards to applying for a passport, bank account, driving licence etc?
Thanks

OP posts:

whatsallthefuss · 18/04/2012 11:16

my sister changed her DDs surname, but my DN was so little at the time, she never knew her birth name.

she had a huge shock later in life when they couldnt find her birth certificate and had to apply for another one.

So there were problems with it, but emotional ones.

shushpenfold · 18/04/2012 11:18

Nope - dh and I changed dc's surname and no problems at all - passports applied for straight after.

redwineformethanks · 18/04/2012 11:18

I've done it before for clients (not in England) . How to do it will depend on where you live. Deed Poll is English procedure. Both my brothers changed their name as children, didn't seem to cause them difficulty. Main thing is to choose a name and then stick to it for everything, don't cherry pick

crescentmoon · 18/04/2012 11:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FoxyRoxy · 18/04/2012 11:26

Maybe get this moved to parenting and you'll get more responses? I changed my ds last name by deed poll and have never had any issues except with passport, I had to get a letter from his biological dad to say that he'd agreed to the change.

TroublesomeEx · 18/04/2012 11:51

Hi, we did this.

No problems. But then I haven't applied for a passport. I hope I wouldn't encounter Roxy's problem - I've had no contact from DS's biological father since before the birth and wouldn't have a clue where to start looking for him!

Part of the commitment is that you mustn't use their old name any more. From the day you change it forward, they must only be known as their new name.

I keep the Deed Poll with DS's full birth certificate (no father named - classy man. I wrote and gave him the chance to be on it. Twice. But heard nothing back). We've not had to present either yet, but don't anticipate any problems.

Wouldn't be any point in doing it if it was an issue. It's not different to changing your name on marriage really.

Original poster

Leena78 · 18/04/2012 12:20

Thanks, FoxyRoxy, how do I move this thread to parenting? Thanks

OP posts:

TroublesomeEx · 18/04/2012 12:21

Just email MNHQ (you could report it I think) and ask.

sarahtigh · 18/04/2012 12:32

if you want to change surname and childs father is on birth certificate assuming he has fathers surname you will need his permission and he does not have to give it

TroublesomeEx · 18/04/2012 12:33

That is right. If the father has PR then they have to consent to you changing the child's name.

Original poster

Leena78 · 18/04/2012 12:41

No, I want to change his first name. Unfortunately I changed it once before he was 1 but DH and I don't like it enough so we want him to be called by a name that we both like and just seems to fit him well. I just don't want there to be complications in the future with him having a birth certificate and a deed poll. I'm starting to worry about this now.

OP posts:

Babylon1 · 18/04/2012 12:47

OP you don't say how old DC is but isn't changing his first name going to be very confusing for him?

Original poster

Leena78 · 18/04/2012 12:57

We changed it at 9 months and have been calling him this name as often as possible.

OP posts:

gobbledegook1 · 18/04/2012 13:06

Why didn't you just pick a name you liked in the first place! Your gonna confuse not only the poor child but everyone who knows him and all his friends.

It can cause issues if you lose the deed poll papers. My ex was a qualified HGV driver but went in to building for a while when we moved house and he had to leave his job, he decided the quickest way to get some work would be to go to an agency for driving work. They said they needed his birth certificate and some photo ID (passport or driving licence) problem was his birth certificate had his original surname on and his driving licence had his new surname on so they didn't match up. No problem they said just as long as you can provide the deed poll papers to show that your surname was officially changed from whats on your birth certificate to whats on your driving licence. He asked his mum for them and she said she didn't know where they are, after much searching they were never found and the result is that he will never be able to work for agency.

So if you do change the name don't lose the deed poll papers. Apparently it can be done online these days and only takes a few minutes and costs a few pound, my friend had her daughters surname changed about 18 months ago and did it online, she didn't need fathers consent.

gobbledegook1 · 18/04/2012 13:12

He also won't be able to apply for a passport in his new surname either which mean's both of his forms of ID would be conflicting.

FuckTheFuckOff · 18/04/2012 13:17

Both my DC have have their first and last manes changed (long story) we never had a problem with passports or school or anything, given the choice I would avoid changing them but we unfortunately had to.

thatisall · 18/04/2012 13:38

my name was changed as a child but not by deed poll (I don't think), my step-father adopted me.

Caused no legal issues whatsoever as there is an easy paper trail.

The only confusion came when I got married and the registrar was a bit of a dope :-S

I'm not suggesting you have your dc adopted, just saying that so long as you keep hold of the paper trail and be honest with your dc about it (so that it isn't a shock when they're older) you should be fine.

I have been told repeatedly as an adult that name changes done pre-18 aren't really an issue.

bejeezus · 18/04/2012 14:12

can I just ask, why would you change your childs name?

RhinestoneCowgirl · 18/04/2012 14:17

If it's a first name could you not just keep calling them by that name? Do you really need to officially change it?

When DS started school we filled in forms that asked for full name, but there was a space for 'known as xx'. I was at school with a girl I knew as Ruth, but only at the time we did our GCSEs realised that her real name was Jessica. Similarly my mum has been known as a different name from her given first name from about 18 and has never done the paperwork to change it.

Original poster

Leena78 · 18/04/2012 14:17

Well we love the first name we gave him but it's just way too similar to his brother's name that we can't differentiate it so we decided it has to be changed but I did it too quickly and posted the new name off and that was that before I knew it, he had a new name on his birth certificate. A name that is nice but to me it just doesn't fit. So we decided together we love this other name and it fits him so well, when I look at him I see it but I'm just concerned about it all now. I've told the family so many times about this that they are sick to death of it and don't even ask anymore. They just call him by the new name.

OP posts:

AKissIsNotAContract · 18/04/2012 14:20

So are you now giving him a third name or returning to the original name he had?

bejeezus · 18/04/2012 14:21

Original poster

Leena78 · 18/04/2012 14:22

Giving him a third name. So he will need his birth certificate and deed poll.

OP posts:

AKissIsNotAContract · 18/04/2012 14:28

So is the name you gave him at 9months name number 2? At what age did you start using name number 3? Won't a change now be confusing for him?

Original poster

Leena78 · 18/04/2012 14:34

He seems to respond to the 3rd name quite well. I don't think he is confused but his mum is.

OP posts:

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