Naming your child
Normally the child would be given the surname of one of the parents. You can choose the surname you give your child.
Even if the parents are not married and the father does not attend the registration, the child can be given his surname.
Changing the child's registered surname
Once the surname has been registered, it can be changed only if one of the following happens.
Parents marry after the child is born
If parents marry after the child is registered, you must re-register the birth. This includes if you entered the father’s details at the original registration and if the child was given the father’s surname at the time.
It’s a legal requirement to re-register the baby within 3 months of the marriage or civil partnership. Contact us even if you are outside the 3 month period. There are no penalties for being late.
You re-register the child to include the father's details
Parents can apply to re-register the child if they want to add the father's details. You can only do this if the father's details were not entered in the original birth registration.
Changing a child’s forename or forenames
If you are within 1 year of the original registration, you can:
- change the spelling of the forename
- add more forenames
- remove existing forenames.
You can only do this once.
The original register will be annotated and you can buy a new birth certificate.
If the original registration was more than a year ago, you must contact a solicitor. You will need to organise a deed poll name change.
For more information, contact Slough Register Office.