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Pregnancy

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Original poster

can you change your maiden name on your childs birth certificate

49 replies

torenova84 · 02/07/2017 22:21

i am currently pregnant with my first child and really annoyed that i will have a different surname to my DC.

been with OH for 7 years and have talked about marriage in the future but this hasn't happened yet.

a friend told me that if we were to get married i would be able to change my name on DC birth certificate is we are both biological parents. - Anyone know if this can be done ?

there is also the option of deed poll but not entirely sure how i feel about this either as whilst we've talked about it i dont want to make that assumption either.

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furryelephant · 02/07/2017 22:32

There's no reason why your DC can't have your surname if you want them to! I'm not 100% sure but I'd imagine you could change your name on there if you married though

peachgreen · 02/07/2017 22:33

Nope. Marriage or deed poll is the only way. But the baby doesn't automatically have to have your partner's surname, it could have yours!

Snap8TheCat · 02/07/2017 22:34

Yes you can, it's called re-registering the birth and we did it.

peachgreen · 02/07/2017 22:34

Oh sorry I misread your question! Yes if you get married at a later date you can change your name on the baby's birth certificate.

peachgreen · 02/07/2017 22:35

I thought you were asking if you could just register the birth under what would be your married name, before you got married. Doh!

Catinthecorner · 02/07/2017 22:36

Give the baby your name. If you marry and take your partner's name when you do you can also change the baby's name (basically it's an old school bit of legislation as your baby becomes 'legitimate' if you marry the father). Or pRtner could change to your name if he wants the shared family name?

Original poster

torenova84 · 02/07/2017 22:39

really ? :( i don't want to go as far as not giving her her dads surname, i wouldnt want to hurt him. Its more my issue that i have with my name. just hate the fact its going to be different for DC :( so unfair.

if i was to change it by deed poll it would probably mean we wouldnt end up married and thats important to me also. He would say he would get married tomorrow down at registry office but i would like the whole wedding day, or him to ask me etc etc. I know that makes me superficial but getting married is a big deal and i feel should be celebrated as such (though i do grudge the vast amounts of money they cost but thats an entirely different subject )

OP posts:

Original poster

torenova84 · 02/07/2017 22:45

peachgreen so if we got married after DC was born i could go back i get DC birth certificate changed so my married name was listed as mother?

OP posts:

Highmaintenancefemalestuff · 02/07/2017 22:47

Yes you can. The registrar explained when we first registered ds that if we were to marry it would be best to register again as any children we had after marriage would be entitled to more estate than him.
We married when he was 3 and have re-registered him.

flickerty · 02/07/2017 22:56

Hi . A (good) few years ago I was in your position. I gave DS his dads surname as I didn't want to hurt him, first born child etc. We had been together for a while and were planning on getting married so it seemed the best thing to do.

I wish now that someone had said to me to give DS my name then change it if/when we got married because lo and behold.... we didn't!
We split (amicably) and now, I'm the one facing the annoyance of passport control, mistaken identity at parents eve, doctors etc.

Just my word of warning. Of course I hope everything works out for you but please think long term

Original poster

torenova84 · 02/07/2017 22:57

i didnt realise it was like that. so if i died my children would be entitled to more estate than oh ?

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TrishanFlips · 02/07/2017 23:00

I think you should register the DC with your name if you are not married. You carry the DC and have the closest bond. If you Don't want to leave him out, perhaps you could register the DC with a joint surname - not sure whether this is legally allowed. You say you don't want to hurt him by not using his name but surely you are more so hurting yourself by not using yours

kittytom · 02/07/2017 23:00

Yes, we had DC1 then got married and I went back to change my name on the birth certificate.

AfunaMbatata · 02/07/2017 23:04

Why are his feelings more important than yours on the matter? Just register the baby as with your name unles he marries you.

MeanAger · 02/07/2017 23:08

Give the baby your name. Much easier for things like travelling etc. Then if you decide to get married later and you decide you want to have the same name as your husband you can discuss who will change their name. It would make more sense for him to change his to match yours as less hassle than changing both yours and the baby's name.

RoseVase2010 · 02/07/2017 23:15

DS was born before we were married, he took DH's name. We married later on and I just needed to fill in a form and send off with the marriage certificate and now DS has a new birth certificate with my married name on.

According to our solicitor historically if you didn't do this and passed away with no Will it would mean that younger children born in wedlock would be the rightful heirs to the estate over the elder child born out of wedlock.

Original poster

torenova84 · 02/07/2017 23:24

thanks for your responses, gosh its all so complicated! didn't realise the rules with regards to children born in and out of wedlock. actually brings into question some things about my own birth certificate :O

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Original poster

torenova84 · 02/07/2017 23:30

also i'm happy for DC to have OHs name so that's not an issue for me. Growing up my mum re-married and changed my name so there was a bit of hassle at the time changing it etc doesn't affect me now as passport and everything all sorted but i don't want that scenario for DC.

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DancingLedge · 02/07/2017 23:32

Why not just slip down the registry office now, having extracted a promise,( preferably signed in his blood) that you will at a suitable future date have a blessing of your marriage, big day and all the trimmings?
That way, names and legal security sorted, party later.

MeanAger · 02/07/2017 23:33

i don't want that scenario for DC.

You do know you don't have to change your child's name every time you get married don't you? You can get married eleventy billion times and have however many names you like but your child doesn't have to have them too!

Original poster

torenova84 · 02/07/2017 23:52

lol meanager yeah i know :) i would hope that if i got married it would be a one time deal (but i know life doesn't always work that way and i wouldn't want to jinx anything, and everyone that gets married says the exact same thing )

my birth father didn't want anything to do with me so i have my mothers maiden name. when my mum married my dad that's when i got my name changed, so i guess i should have explained that better :)

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Original poster

torenova84 · 03/07/2017 00:02

i like your thinking dancing

OP posts:

flickerty · 03/07/2017 00:17

Hi OP your mum would've been able to change your name no problem but the rules changed... 2003 maybe?? So any child born after that would have to have the permission from both parents that are named on the BC to change surname. Just another thing to keep in mind

M5tothesouthwest · 03/07/2017 05:35

Yes you can. I married DH between having DC1 and DC2 (he's Dad to both kids) and the registrar advised reregistering DC1's birth to have my married name, as it could affect DC1s inheritance if we didn't.
It was very straightforward.

EdithWeston · 03/07/2017 06:06

I agree - it would make this easier if you did do a non-weddingy quickie at a registry office, then you can use your married name on the birth certificate - but not change it completely, or indeed tell anyone that you've married - until you have your actual wedding day.

Also, the legal underpinnings of marriage are different from that of cohabitation. You might want to read up on them and decide if you want those in place before DC are born.

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