DC wants to change their surname

[dcnamechangedilemma]

Long time poster, name changed.

DC is now teenage , and wants to change their surname from their Father's name to mine. I reverted to my maiden name several years ago.

DC has asked school and school say that I have to be ok with this. No mention of father, whose details they do have.

Legally DC cannot change surname until they are 16, but apparently they can have a "known as " name at school.

Father has seen DC around 4-5 times in 2020 and same in 2021 using covid as an excuse. Father has not seen DC since before Christmas. Father rarely contacts DC between visits. Father moved several hours away a couple of years ago. DC has become more and more disillusioned with them.

I am concerned that if DC changes their name and father sees this on social media/school reports etc, then their father will ditch them for good. DC has half siblings with same surname. I would love DC to have my surname , but don't want DC to make such a huge decision if not taking on board the potential consequences.

I have tried to warn DC of the potential fall out from this, but DC is adamant that they want to change their name. What would you do if your DC wanted to do this? Have you been in a similar situation?

@notanothertakeaway

Re exam certificates being in a different name, surely that's no different from change of name on marriage ie need to provide evidence of change of name, but not an insurmountable problem

Yes. That is what I and others have pointed out. I think you are misunderstanding the issue being highlighted.

The issue is not changing your name afterwards - like you say you just show the Deed Poll to evidence that was your name at the time.

The certificates must be correctly issued originally - ie in the name that matched the ID documents at that time.

The issue is certificates being issued in an unofficial name because you cannot prove that was your name at that date, and therefore cannot prove they are yours.

It would become a problem much quicker today, because colleges and universities are running electronic ID verification and qualification verification.

There would be massive scope for fraud if people could just pick any name they liked for examination certificates rather than one they have evidence to show is their name (birth certificate, deed poll, etc).

@RedCandyApple so you can't legally drop one surname? Honestly, I had no part in doing any of it my, my mam did it all. I just had my dad surname. If your DD does change it officially when she is older she will just need to keep hold of her change of name cert, I have the original but I've also scanned a copy to my emails, it will be a pain in the arse if I ever lose it!

There's a flurry of name related activities at the start of Year 11 each year where kids need to sort out the name they want to appear on their exam certificates. Sometimes it's because they've been known as one name but now want their full birth name on them, sometimes it's the reverse or where they've got a double barrelled surname they want included or part removed.

I know of at least one who was still able to be known by and have his certificates issued under his choice of surname even though his absent father pitched up just long enough to refuse permission for an official name change in the last six years - and it definitely happened even back in the Dark Ages when one of my friends changed hers so that she didn't go through life with her qualifications in different names between GCSE and post 16 education.