Changing the name on your birth certificate (Northern Ireland)

The original details registered on a Northern Irish birth certificate cannot be changed.  It’s considered a matter of fact — it’s a historical record of the facts at the time it was made.

There are some cases where the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI) will re-register a birth or make a correction to an existing record.

You can also record a change of name on the birth certificate in addition to the original details.

Adding the father's details

If you’re the parents of the child, you’re unmarried and you’d like the father's details added to the birth record, then you can re-register the child's birth showing the father's details.  The new birth record replaces the original record and future birth certificates are issued from the new record.

You can change the child's forenames or surname at this point — so long as:

  • both parents agree to the change
  • if the child is aged 16 years or over, you also have the child's written consent
  • the original birth registration doesn’t show any father's details

To apply for this re-registration, you’ll need to complete application form GRO 12 ↗ from the GRONI.  Both parents should attend the register office for the re-registration.

Registering the marriage of the child's natural parents

If you are the natural (biological) parents of your child, and you’ve got married since your child's birth, then you can re-register the child's birth showing them to be a child of your marriage.  The new birth record replaces the original record and future birth certificates are issued from the new record.

You can change the child's forenames or surname at this point — so long as:

  • both parents agree to the change
  • if the child is aged 16 years or over, you also have the child's written consent
  • the original birth registration shows the natural father's details, or no father's details

To apply for this re-registration, you’ll need to complete application form GRO 15 ↗ from the GRONI.

Recording a change of name generally

The General Register Office for Northern Ireland will record in the register a change of forenames or surname for anyone:

  • whose birth was registered in Northern Ireland
  • who has been legally adopted in Northern Ireland

The change will be recorded against the original entry in the register, although the original details won’t actually be removed (the Registrar will make an annotation to the entry).

It costs £ 50 to record a change of name on the birth register, including your new birth certificate, and then £ 8 for any additional certificates, although there’s a reduced rate for the recording fee if multiple family members make an application together.

There are some limitations to the changes you can make:

  • Only one change of forenames and one change of surname may be recorded for a child under the age of 18 years.
  • For people aged 18 years or over, only one change of forenames and up to three changes of surname may be recorded.
  • For people aged 18 years or over, if you’ve already changed your surname, you must wait 5 years before you can change your surname again.

To apply for a change to you or your child's name, you’ll have to complete one of the forms below and sign it in the presence of a solicitor, Justice of the Peace, or Lay Magistrate.  For children under the age of 18 years, everyone with parental responsibility must sign the form.  People aged 18 years or over should apply on their own behalf.

Bear in mind that a solicitor (in Northern Ireland) will normally make a charge for witnessing your form (a Justice of the Peace or Lay Magistrate will witness it for free).

Why change your name by deed poll instead

Although Northern Ireland law allows changes to the birth and adoption registers that aren’t permissible in England and Wales, a person whose birth or adoption was registered in Northern Ireland can nonetheless make use of a deed poll to change their name — their deed poll will be accepted by all U.K. government departments.

You might therefore consider changing your name by deed poll if:

  • you don’t want your birth certificate to be permanently changed — most people would want to adopt a new name, but keep their birth record intact, in the same way that a woman (traditionally) takes her husband’s surname on marriage
  • you’ve changed your name the maximum number of times permissible by the GRONI, and you want to change it again
  • you’re aged 18 years or over, and you’ve had your surname changed within the last 5 years, and you want to change it again before the 5 year period is over
  • you want to keep the change of name private.  Bear in mind that changing your name with the GRONI records the name change on a public register and anyone would have access to the change of name.  If you’re a victim of domestic violence, for example, it may be in your interests not to have the change recorded publicly.
  • you want to change your name more cheaply.  The GRONI will charge you a base fee of £ 50 (including the cost of your new birth certificate).
  • you want to change your name more quickly.  The GRONI will take up to 3 weeks to process your application.