Impact of baby name change

[Cookiemonster2022]

Hi, I am considering changing my baby's name at 3 months old. He has already got birth certificate and passport with original name. Can you share any similar experience. I am particularly interested in the impact it had like if you need to fill form if he was previously known by any other name etc.

Hello, my parents kind of did this. They changed their mind shortly after I was born and started calling me an unusual shortened version of my middle name. Say my name was Jayne Elizabeth (not real) and they started calling me Betsy.

They didn't officially change it and it became an issue when I applied to uni because all through school I'd been Betsy and that's what my exam certificates were under, but my actual name was Jayne. I changed it by deed poll when I was 17.

So if you're going to change the name then do the admin properly! You do have to put the previous name on forms. Just the same as if you change your name when you get married. I rarely fill in forms though so it's not too much of an inconvenience.

I actually much prefer the second attempt name to the first.

In England:
You do have to go round informing the doctor and anything official. At 3 months it probably is only the doctor and passport office.

Get new short form birth certificate which will only have the new name.

New passport will only have the new name.
For almost all future signups, the passport is sufficient, it's very rare to be asked for the full birth certificate which has the new name in small print at the bottom of the page.

The main thing is to ensure all the child's parents and immediate family know and use the correct name. It was the thing I found hardest.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Hi, I am doing the same thing, my baby is 4 months and we have never used his registered name, we just call him 'baby' and I cringe whenever anyone calls him by his name. I know it's the right thing to do.
Up until 12 months you can change the name and that will be the name when filling out forms etc no need to state the original name.

On the birth certificate the original name will stay at the top of the certificate and then "new name after registration" at the bottom which is a bit annoying but hey ho...

My friend changed her name (as an adult) by deed poll and has had to state her original name when filling out official forms, like passport, applying for a new bank account etc.

Hope this helps.

We did this at almost 12 months because nobody EVER used DD's first name. All fine.

@arrrrgggggrrrhhhhhh
I also changed my DD name at the same age like you we didn’t use her original name we always knew she was going to be the short name which was a diminutive from the long name ( although not obvious one and a lot of people didn’t even no her name was from the longer name )
I can just in the process of applying for her passport however unsure whether I need to declare the first name. How do you know that you don’t need to ?

Yeah, I am just worried about the fact that I don't want my son to end up declaring his original first name and new name all the time. Can someone who has been through this aware if he will have to or not if we get him a new birth certificate before 12 months of age?

Hi
I’m in exactly the same boat as you! X

@Cookiemonster2022
You can change your child’s name on the birth certificate in the first 12 months. Straight forward sign a form and your done. That will then be his legal name, so technically he shouldn’t be known as anything else

I’m in process with two month old. Please feel free to msg me xxx

@Lolamoon123 thanks for your post. I am all set to change the name. Received the form from council as there were some issues doing it online. Sent you a DM. Please keep us posted on how you get on with the process. x

Hi how has ur all
gone? I’m looking to change the name of my 6 month old and really don’t want to
cause her any trouble in later life with forms ! Is it one form with the council for birth certificate and then the passport ?

Hey we changed our dd at 4 months. We actually put the formal name on birth certificate and knew we wouldn’t use it and she was just the short name, it began to bother me so we made the official change on her bc at 4 months. It’s caused no problems. Her short bc only has new name and we sent long one for her passport and it was fine no problem at all. We will use her passport now moving forward for ID.
if you really want to do it listen to your heart and do what’s right for you. So many people said it didn’t matter to me but it did for me. Hope that’s helps

Hi I want to change baby’s name.
My main concern is if will need to declare the old name on any forms in future in the “previously known as” section. Anyone who’s already changed baby’s name can advise on whether this is the case ?

@Blueolive1 , you've opened an old thread, but there are loads of similar threads, and I think (but can't say for certain), that if the baby is under 12 months old when you change the name, it won't need to be declared on forms when he or she is an adult.

An acquaintance misspelt the baby's name when registering, then later had it corrected, and said the BC had the old name and the new one on it . New passport had only the new name. You hardly ever use your BC in real life.

There should be some links to related threads if you scroll down.

Just do the admin so everything is in order for them. At that age it’s easy.