Changing childrens surname

foxy06

Just got married two weeks ago and when our kids were born we gave them a double barrel name. Now we are thinking of changing it to just the fathers name as I was going to take it too and it just made more sense. Is there a massive rigmarole involved or is it straight forward? Where could I even go for more information on this?

Aimee_gleeson

Can my child’s birth be re-registered?

There are really only two reasons to get a birth re-registered. Wanting to change the baby’s name doesn’t count. This is why it is so important to make sure all the information is correct when you initially register the birth. The Registrar will allow the birth to be re-registered if:

* The parents of a child who are not married to each other wish to have the father's details included if these were not originally registered.
* The parents of a child marry each other after the birth of their child.

Enquiries should be made directly with the Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages for the district in which the birth in question took place. The Registrar will advise you as to what documents and information will be required. Where a birth is re-registered the initial entry will be noted and all Certificates will then be written from the new entry.

Kind of along the same lines, hope that helps..

Gotten from http://www.irishhealth.com

foxy06

Thanks Aimee thats great. Has anyone actually done this before?

Aimee_gleeson

No prob! I havn't anyways but might be in the near future so let us know how you get on..

SarahMc

ASAIK it is no problem to just use one part of a double barrelled name, (same as not using a middle name) UNLESS you used a hyphen on the birth cert.

If the name is hyphenated, you will need need to go to a lot of hassle changing the name. If it is not hyphenated, just drop the unused name you do not want from common use and documentation.

Loopy

Yes I agree with Sarah. My kids have double barrelled surnames on their birth certs too and we just use the one name too.

foxy06

Thanks folks. Just wondering though is it ok to have just the on name on stuff like Passports? And will the fact that they already have passports with the double barrel name have any effect on it?

chuckles30

There is a section on the passport application form that allows you to have the birth cert name recorded as well as the name you're known by. It is under section 2B. (I just happen to be filling out my passport form at the moment). This means that you should have no problem with that.