Changing your child’s forename

If your child is under 12 months old and the birth has already been registered, you can change their forename(s) on the original birth entry. You will need to prove that the child was baptised with a different name or that the different name has been regularly used in relation to the child.

Please note that this must be completed before any application to re-register the birth is made.

How do we request a name change?

If baptised

If your child has been baptised in a Christian church the vicar or minister must complete a certificate of name given in baptism form(PDF).

If not baptised

If your child has not been baptised but you have used different forenames within 12 months of the date of registration, you should complete a certificate of name not given in baptism form (PDF).

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The forms can be downloaded and printed or ask us to send you a copy. The relevant form must be completed by hand with original signatures and returned to the register office that holds the birth record.

Where more than 12 months have elapsed since the date of registration, you should contact us as you will need to provide documentary evidence to prove the change took place within the 12 months from the date of registration.

How will the new name appear on the birth registration?

The change to the forename(s) will be entered into the birth register entry. Although the names given to the child at the time of the original registration will still appear, the new name is shown in Space 17 at the bottom of the entry. Any previous names given at the time of the birth are superseded by the amendment.

Do we need to attend an appointment to make the change?

No, you do not need an appointment to make the change. Please download and print off the relevant application form. Before submitting the paperwork, you must complete and sign the form, within 12 months of the registration date. This document should then be posted or delivered together with a contact telephone number on a separate piece of paper to: Reading Register Office, Reading Borough Council Civic Centre, Bridge Street, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 2LU.

How much will it cost?

You will receive a call from Reading Register Office, who will take payment. A statutory fee of £44 will be charged for this service. The application will be processed within 10 working days of receipt. The registrar will call or email to confirm the change has been actioned.

Can we get new certificates with the change of name on it?

Yes, copy certificates can be purchased for a fee after the change has been actioned.

We are not having our child baptised and we wish to change their name later than 12 months after the original registration. Can we still do this?

Where it is not possible to change the forenames by either of the above methods, you could consider completing a ‘deed poll’ or a ‘change of name deed’. The new name cannot be added or included on the birth register entry but it is a legal way to change a person’s name. Further information can be obtained from Gov.uk, Citizens Advice or a solicitor.