How to register additional first names for your child in the first 12 months and the fees involved.
You can change your child’s first name or add more names within 12 months of registering the birth.
The original names will still appear. The change will appear at the bottom of the register entry to show the new information.
If you need to correct a mistake on the birth certificate you will need to apply for a correction.
If your child is given new first name(s) and has not been baptised we can add them to the birth certificate.
If your child was given new first name(s) when they were baptised in a Christian church we can add them to the birth certificate.
Send the completed form to us at:
Registrars
Torbay Council
Town Hall
Castle Circus
Torquay
TQ1 3DR
Once we get your form we will contact you to make an appointment.
There is a £40 fee to change a name. There is also a fee to buy replacement birth certificates.
New full certificates show both the original and the new names.
You can buy more certificates at any time after the registration.
If it is more than 12 months since you registered the birth you could think about changing it by deed poll.
The new name cannot be on the birth register entry but it is a legal way to change the child's name.
You can't usually change the last name on the birth register unless you apply to re-register the birth.