When an adoption order is granted, the court automatically changes the child’s surname to the adoptive family’s name and issues a brand-new birth certificate (an “adoption certificate”) in the child’s new legal name. You do not need a deed poll for the surname change - the adoption order does it for you. A deed poll only becomes relevant if you also want to change the child’s first or middle names and the court did not include that in the order, or if you decide to change a name after the order is final.
This guide explains exactly what the adoption order changes, how the new birth certificate works, how and when to change first and middle names, and the timing that saves you the most paperwork.
What the adoption order changes automatically
Adoption is the most significant legal step in family law: it permanently transfers parental responsibility to the adoptive parents and ends the legal relationship with the birth parents. Because the child becomes, in law, the child of the adopters, the surname changes as part of that process.
Two things happen automatically once the adoption order is made:
- The surname changes to the adoptive family’s surname (or whatever surname is recorded on the application).
- A new birth certificate is issued. The original entry in the birth register is replaced by an entry in the Adopted Children Register. The certificate you receive from this register is a full legal birth certificate in the child’s new name, and it is the document you use for passports, school and everything else going forward.
This is the key difference between adoption and an ordinary surname change. For a child who is not being adopted, you would normally use a deed poll - see our guide on how to change a child’s surname legally in the UK. With adoption, the order itself is the legal authority, so no separate deed poll is needed for the surname.
The adoption certificate is your new birth certificate
Many adoptive parents worry that the original birth certificate will keep surfacing. It won’t. After adoption, the adoption certificate is the only birth certificate in active use. You can order additional copies from the General Register Office, and it looks and functions exactly like any other UK birth certificate - nobody receiving it needs to know it came from the Adopted Children Register.
Can you change the child’s first or middle names too?
Yes - and the simplest route is to do it as part of the adoption itself. When the adoption application is prepared, you can ask the court to record the child’s new full name, including a new first name and middle name(s). If the court approves it, the new birth certificate is issued in the complete new name. No deed poll, no extra cost, no separate paperwork.
This is by far the cleanest option, so raise it early with your social worker or solicitor. Courts are generally sympathetic to keeping a familiar first name where a child is old enough to identify with it, while allowing a fresh start where that is in the child’s best interests.
If you want to change the first name after the order is granted
If the adoption order has already been made in the child’s original first name and you later decide to change the first or middle name, the adoption order can no longer help you - it’s final. At that point the correct tool is a child deed poll, exactly as it would be for any other child name change.
The good news is that consent is straightforward. Because adoption transfers full parental responsibility to the adoptive parents and removes it from the birth parents, only the adoptive parents need to consent to a post-adoption deed poll. You do not need to trace, notify or ask the biological parents - legally, they no longer have parental responsibility for the child.
For a child under 16, everyone who currently holds parental responsibility (the adoptive parents) must consent and sign. A child aged 16 or 17 can sign their own deed poll. The deed poll must be signed in wet ink and witnessed by an independent adult aged 18 or over who is not a relative, partner or anyone living at your address.
Timing: when to change which name
Getting the order of events right is the single biggest time-saver. Here is the recommended approach:
- Surname: let the adoption order do it. Never use a deed poll for the surname when an adoption is going through - you would only create conflicting documents.
- First and middle names: if possible, include them in the adoption application so they appear on the new birth certificate. This is the cheapest and tidiest option.
- The in-between phase: while the adoption is pending but not yet granted, avoid making any formal name change yourself. The child’s legal name is still the original name until the order is made, and a premature deed poll can clash with the order. Schools and GPs will usually use a “known as” name informally during this period without any document.
- After the order, if you change your mind: use a child deed poll, then update the passport, GP, school and any other records.
Documents you’ll need for a child’s passport after adoption
Once the order is granted you can apply for the child’s first passport - or update an existing one - in the new name. HM Passport Office will want:
- The adoption certificate (the new birth certificate from the Adopted Children Register).
- The original child deed poll, if you used one to change a first or middle name after the order (HMPO needs the original wet-ink document, never a photocopy).
- The usual supporting documents and photos required for a child passport.
A UK passport currently costs £102 online (or £115.50 by post), with a 1-week Fast Track service at £192 and a 1-day Premium service at £239.50 if you are in a hurry. Updating the GP/NHS record, the DVLA (for older children with a provisional licence), school and any bank account is free.
Do you ever need to enrol the deed poll?
No. If you do use a child deed poll after adoption, an ordinary unenrolled deed poll is legally valid and is accepted by HM Passport Office, the DVLA, the NHS, banks and schools - around 98% of UK name changes are unenrolled. Our professionally printed unenrolled deed poll starts from £14.49, with same-day dispatch on orders placed before 3pm and free Royal Mail Tracked delivery. Enrolment at the Royal Courts of Justice is optional, costs £53.05, takes 2-3 weeks and publishes the change in the London Gazette - it adds no legal validity, and most families understandably skip it for a child. A solicitor would charge £150-£300+ for the same document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does adoption automatically change my child’s surname?
Yes. The adoption order changes the surname to the adoptive family’s name and a new birth certificate is issued in that name. You do not need a deed poll for the surname.
Do I need the birth parents’ consent to change the name after adoption?
No. Adoption removes parental responsibility from the birth parents and gives it to the adoptive parents, so only the adoptive parents need to consent to any later name change.
Can I change my adopted child’s first name?
Yes. The simplest way is to include the new first or middle name in the adoption application so it appears on the new birth certificate. If you decide after the order is final, use a child deed poll instead.
Will the original birth certificate still be used after adoption?
No. After adoption the original entry is replaced by an entry in the Adopted Children Register, and the certificate from that register becomes the child’s working birth certificate for passports, school and everything else.
How is this different from fostering?
Fostering does not transfer parental responsibility or change a child’s legal name, so the rules are completely different. See our guide to the name change rules for foster children.
Can an older child sign their own deed poll?
A child aged 16 or 17 can sign their own deed poll. For an adult changing their own name, see our adult deed poll service.
Ready to finalise your child’s new name?
If you need to change a first or middle name after the adoption order, get a professionally printed, legally valid document delivered fast. Order a child deed poll online from £14.49 with same-day dispatch before 3pm and free tracked delivery - trusted by 160,000+ customers.
