Baptism / changing name on birth certificate.

[MarleneH]

Good evening all
we had our daughter baptised at two months old. She’s now a little older (not quite one) and we wanted to change her name. This may sound totally crazy, but does anyone know if we can do this AFTER baptism? I.e can the birth certificate be amended to a new name if the child is already baptised under a different name?

many thanks all
Marlie x

Yes you can, a child’s baptismal name can supersede the name already given at the time of registration as long as the baptism was within 12 months. Your child’s ‘original’ name will still be on the birth but the baptism name can be recorded at the bottom of the birth entry. You will need to have a form ‘certificate of name given in baptism’ completed by the officiating minister, which you can obtain from your local register office.

Many thanks for the reply.

she has already been baptised in the name which is on the birth certificate, so I was just wondering if that can be changed? She was baptised at 2 months old with a middle name of ‘Sophie’, but we want to change her middle name to ‘Grace’ , is this possible seen as she’s already been baptised with ‘Sophie’ as a middle name?

(names are used for anonymity)

thanks again
Marlie x

Oh right sorry, it’s not possible to change her middle name on the birth entry to ‘Grace’ if she was baptised with the middle name of ‘Sophie’.
There is nothing to stop you just using ‘Grace’ as her middle name, you can use whatever name you wish.
if you approached the registrar in your area they will ask if she’s been baptised, I suppose it’s up to you how you answer but, keeping within the regulations it cannot be changed.

I would think you can just change her name by deed poll though?

www.ukdp.co.uk/name-change-birth-certificate-england-and-wales/#forname

you can change a baby's name up to 12 months after they are born.
On the full birth certificate there is a column on the far left which says 'name if changed within 12 months of birth'

I know because mine was changed!
I think you go bakc to the registra, but I don't know.

sorry, column on the far right

Thanks again for the reply.

this is what I don’t understand. Baptism is between us and god, and has no legal worth. I don’t understand what baptism has to do with changing a name on a birth certificate?

Im not sure how they’ll find out if she’s been baptised? Surely all that information is confidential.

Hii we are in the same situation was you able to change the name? X