Name

If you are “in care” Children, Schools and Families cannot change your name without your parents’ consent.  If you are adopted, your surname changes to be that of your new family.

Sometimes children or young people are unhappy with their surname and would like to change it.  You can officially do this when you are 16 by a process called “Deed Poll”.

However you can unofficially change your name by choosing to be called something else.  You will often have to produce evidence that you have changed your name, so it can get a bit complicated if you do it this way.

If you changed your name to deliberately get things that you are not entitled to, or to get out of paying tax, for example, then you would be committing a criminal offence.

If you are thinking of changing your name, you should talk to your social worker or carer and get some advice about the legal side of this from an advice centre or from the Children’s Legal Centre.