I don’t like my son’s full name

[Koijoi]

I’m not 100% with my baby’s full name. He’s 6 months now and ultimately I could’ve not gone through with it at the registry, but at the time I felt pressured and was doing what his dad wanted. We’re now no longer together and I feel so weird about it.
Negatives of keeping his current middle name … I genuinely struggle to pronounce it and don’t like it, it’s after some uncle I’ve never met. Positives of keeping it.. I don’t have to go through the changing palaver as I’ve had my name changed as a child and didn’t like it, it’s his dad’s name as his surname and he still has a relationship with him.
Most likely I won’t change it as it’s done now, but just looking for some other opinions from now single mums and what’s best for a mother and son unit and his own future. I don’t even like mentioning his middle name.

you can reregister and remove middle name easily before age one. I would definitely add your surname I wouldn’t want to have a different name to my child

I tried to do it a few months ago when baby was under a year old and they wantsd father's address and signature.

Changing a child's name | Gingerbread

I agree. My son has my surname and his dad's double barrelled, with my surname first. I regretted it right away but was coerced into doing it. Thankfully, with my surname being first, it's so easy to drop the last part of the name. Even when booking gp appointments etc I only give my surname. I know it's not the same as a middle name but I would definitely get your surname in there OP, you won't regret it.

You can't change the surname. I was told it's extremely difficult, even with consent from both parents. They said they've had cases where dna has proved the named father isn't the biological father and they still couldn't change the surname to the bio dad's name. I tried this a few months ago, they refused to even take my money to process the application.

@sharkstale , who are 'they'?

From what you’ve said, I think it’s unlikely the dad will consent to this, regardless of what he said at the time to get you to agree to it.

And while you could lie; there definitely have been cases where people have been forced to change the name back, and it is technically fraudulent to tick that you have consent when you don’t.

Sorry, the general registry office.

You absolutely cannot change the child’s surname on the birth certificate.
You can add your surname as a middle name, or any other name for that matter. However the original names stay on there. So it’s added like a correction if that makes sense, as long as you do it within the first year of registering.
Think about the benefit to your child though versus the hassle you will cause them.
They will always have to declare all legal names when say getting married or applying for a passport.
The passport office are really clamping down now on name changes because people use it to commit fraud.

Why don't you change the middle name to a name that is meaningful to you if it is easy to do?

Your surname
Your mother's surname
a grandfather's name
You brother's name
Your hero's name
Your favourite tree, bird etc.

You absolutely cannot change the child’s surname on the birth certificate.

@Koijoi , don't take MNers' word for this. Find out for yourself.
I'd contact the Register Office where your child was registered, and get the official guidelines.

It is possible that the claims on here are true, and it might be that they aren't.
If you are not in the UK, or are in Scotland, Northern Ireland or the islands, the procedure might be different.

AFAIK, a section 17 change on the birth certificate does not need to be declared when applying for DBS/SC, but don't take my word for it.
AFAIK, you must get the father's consent for changing the name.

I wish that it was compulsory for babies to be registered with the mother's surname.

When did you change the name? I know I'm correct as I did it lol. My son was nearly a year old when we changed his birth certificate. We've never had to declare his previous name. Although he didn't yet have a passport or bank account at this point.

Might be different in the case of separation. I am in a relationship with the father (but not like the checked!). No permission was seemed at all. They just asked me if he agreed.

They don't ask for previous name in the case of birth certificate amendment. It becomes their official birth name.

Been there, done that!

It was just on the birth correction form 🤷‍♀️ maybe they're different dependant on area, but it wasn't to do with being separated, just a section on the form that asked for each of our details and signature

2017, maybe it’s changed?

It might depend on the area or organisation.