Who may apply to record a change of name?
Any person whose birth is registered in Scotland or who was legally adopted in Scotland may apply for a recorded change of name. If the person is under 16 years of age, the application must be made by a qualified applicant who is defined as follows:-
(a) where only one parent has parental responsibilities in relation to the child, that parent;
(b) where both parents have such responsibilities in relation to the child, both parents; and
(c) where neither parent has such responsibilities, any other person who has such responsibilities.
If the person is over 16 years of age, they must apply on their own behalf.
What you will need
You will need to complete an application form and may find it helpful to download the following documents:-
- Information Leaflet RCN1 (150Kb pdf file) – Recording changes of forename(s) and surname(s) in Scotland.
- Form 21 (44Kb pdf file) – Application for the recording of the forename(s) or change of forename(s) of a child under twelve months of age.
- Form 23 (46Kb pdf file) – Application for the recording of a change of forename(s) or surname(s) of a child under 16 years of age.
- Form 24 (42Kb pdf file) – Application for the recording of a change of forename(s) or surname(s) of the person over 16 years of age.
- Form PRF (27Kb pdf file) – Questionnaire to be completed where parents were unmarried at the time of the child’s birth and have not subsequently married.
Any birth certificate issued subsequent to the recording of the change will show the new forename(s) and surname(s) with the original forename(s) and surname(s) shown separately. (This does not apply to an application for recording of the forename(s) or change of forename(s) of a child under twelve months of age, ie, form 21 applications.)
How much does this cost?
The current fee is £40.00. For family applications, the fee is £40.00 for the first family member and £10.00 for each subsequent family member when applied for at the same time. The cost of a full birth extract or abbreviated certificate is £15.00 with a further £10.00 payable for each additional extract ordered at the same time.
The cheque or postal order should be made payable to the Registrar General.
The completed application form, the fee and where appropriate the Form PRF, should be sent to:
National Records of Scotland
Change of Name Unit,
New Register House
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT,