Child Deed Poll –
Change Your Child's Name
Trusted by 160,000+ Families Across the UK
Apply in 4 minutes and receive a professionally prepared child deed poll dispatched same day via Royal Mail Tracked 24. Accepted by schools, NHS & all UK organisations.
Accepted by UK organisations including
Need an Urgent Child Deed Poll? We Process Same-Day.
Apply Online
Enter your child's current and new name in our simple online form. Parental consent is built in — the whole process takes just 4 minutes with no paperwork.
We Print & Deliver
Your child's deed poll is professionally printed on premium parchment paper for an official, high-quality finish. Ready to sign as soon as it arrives.
Fast Delivery
Orders placed before 3 PM are dispatched the same day via Royal Mail Tracked 24 — completely free. Track your delivery every step of the way.
Update Records
Once signed by all parents with parental responsibility, send the deed poll to your child's school, GP, passport office, and other organisations.
The Deed Poll Is the Easy Part.
Your child's printed deed poll plus a personal dashboard to update every organisation — the correct order, pre-written letters, direct links & step-by-step instructions.
Your child's printed deed poll plus a personal dashboard to update every organisation — the correct order, pre-written letters, direct links & step-by-step instructions.
How Does a Child Deed Poll Work?
If your child is under 16, a parent or guardian with parental responsibility can change their name using a deed poll. All people with parental responsibility must consent — typically both parents listed on the birth certificate.
This is the same legally valid method described on GOV.UK and is accepted by schools, GPs, and government departments.
Parental Consent Built In
Our form handles the consent declarations for all persons with parental responsibility — no extra paperwork needed.
Two Adult Witnesses
The parent(s) with parental responsibility sign in front of two adults aged 18 or over. It’s best to choose people who aren’t relatives, as some organisations prefer independent witnesses. No professionals required.
Widely Accepted
Our child deed polls are prepared in accordance with UK law — accepted by schools, GPs, and government departments across the UK.
What's Included in Your Child Deed Poll
Everything you need to legally change your child's name — drafted, printed and posted, ready to sign. One price of £14.49, no hidden fees and no subscriptions.
Your official child deed poll
A professionally printed deed of change of name for your child, prepared in accordance with the law of England & Wales and ready to sign.
Parental consent built in
The document includes signed declarations for everyone with parental responsibility, so the consent that's needed is handled in one form.
Correct legal wording
Drafted with the exact wording schools, the NHS and HM Passport Office expect, so it's accepted first time — avoiding the rejections that catch out DIY templates.
Signing & witnessing guidance
Clear instructions on how the parent(s) with parental responsibility sign in front of two adult witnesses (18 or over) — ideally people who aren’t relatives. See who can witness a deed poll.
FREE tracked delivery
Posted via Royal Mail Tracked 24 at no extra cost, with same-day dispatch on orders placed before 3 PM.
UK-based support
A real UK team if you're unsure about consent or who has parental responsibility — just email contact@uknamechange.com.
Who Can Change a Child's Name?
For a child under 16, everyone with parental responsibility must consent to the name change. Here's what that means before you order. This guidance covers England & Wales.
Everyone with parental responsibility must agree
To change the name of a child under 16, all people with parental responsibility (PR) must consent — usually both parents named on the birth certificate. We can't override a refusal.
Who has parental responsibility
The mother automatically; the father if he was married to the mother at the birth, is named on the birth certificate (births registered in England & Wales on or after 1 December 2003), or has PR by agreement or court order. Guardians may also hold PR.
If a parent won't agree or can't be found
You can't lawfully change an under-16's name without every PR-holder's consent. If a PR-holder refuses or genuinely can't be traced, the route is a court Specific Issue Order, where a judge decides on the child's best interests. Read more on changing a child's surname without the father's consent.
Children aged 16+ and your child's views
A young person aged 16 or 17 can usually change their own name with an adult deed poll. A younger child doesn't sign, but a child aged 12 or over is normally consulted and their views carry weight.
How Much Does a Child Deed Poll Cost?
You don't need a solicitor or the courts to change your child's name. Here's how our £14.49 child deed poll compares — and which fees are separate.
Free DIY template — £0
Free, but you draft and print it yourself, and one wrong word or a missing consent declaration can get it rejected by the passport office or your child's school. No support if it goes wrong.
UK Name Change — £14.49
Professionally printed with the correct legal wording, parental consent declarations built in, FREE tracked delivery and UK support — designed to be accepted first time across the UK.
Solicitor — £80–£150
Often a 1–2 week wait and a premium fee for the exact same unenrolled child deed poll you can order here in 4 minutes.
A deed poll itself has no government fee. Renewing your child's passport in the new name is a separate HM Passport Office application with its own fee, and a court Specific Issue Order (only needed if a PR-holder won't consent) carries its own court fee — these aren't part of our price.
Common Reasons to Change a Child's Name
Whatever your family's situation, the process and price are the same — £14.49, with same-day dispatch. Every change needs the consent of everyone with parental responsibility.
After divorce or separation
Align your child's surname with the resident parent's. Divorce doesn't remove the other parent's parental responsibility, so their consent is still needed.
Taking a step-parent's surname
A child can take a step-parent's surname. The step-parent doesn't need PR for this, but all existing PR-holders must still consent.
Double-barrelling both surnames
Combine both parents' surnames, with or without a hyphen. See the pros, cons and legality of double-barrelled surnames.
Reflecting your child's identity
Change a first name or chosen name to reflect who your child is, with the consent of everyone with parental responsibility.
Correcting or adapting a spelling
Fix a misspelt name or adapt a name for everyday use in the UK, for cultural, religious or practical reasons.
Adding or changing a surname
Give your child a parent's surname they don't currently carry, or a new family surname — one document accepted by schools, GPs and the passport office.
Child Deed Poll — Frequently Asked Questions
Everything parents and guardians ask before changing a child's name in England & Wales.
Everyone with parental responsibility (PR) must consent. That's usually both parents — the mother, and the father if he was married to the mother at the birth, is named on the birth certificate (births registered in England & Wales on or after 1 December 2003), or has acquired PR by agreement or court order. Guardians and anyone else with PR must also agree.
You can't lawfully change the name of a child under 16 without the consent of everyone with PR. If a PR-holder refuses, you'd need to apply to court for a Specific Issue Order, and a judge decides based on the child's best interests. We can't override a refusal. You can read more about changing a child's surname without the other parent's consent.
Only if he has parental responsibility. A father has PR if he was married to the mother at the birth, is named on the birth certificate (England & Wales births registered on or after 1 December 2003), or has a PR agreement or order. If he has PR, his consent is required.
A child can't legally give consent, and the child does not sign — the parent(s) or guardian(s) with parental responsibility sign on the child's behalf. A child aged 12 or over is normally consulted and their views carry weight, especially for older children.
Yes. A young person aged 16 or 17 can usually change their own name using an adult deed poll, signing it themselves.
Yes. A child can take a step-parent's surname or double-barrel it by deed poll. The step-parent doesn't need parental responsibility for the child to use their name, but all existing PR-holders must still consent.
Yes, but only with the consent of everyone who has parental responsibility — divorce does not remove the other parent's PR. Without their consent you'd need a Specific Issue Order. The child can keep, change or double-barrel the surname.
Yes. Schools, GPs/NHS and HM Passport Office accept a properly executed child deed poll. HMPO will also want evidence that everyone with parental responsibility consented; renewing the passport in the new name is a separate HMPO application with its own fee.
Ready to Change Your Child's Name?
Professionally printed child deed poll from just £14.49 with FREE tracked delivery. Takes 4 minutes to apply.