Register a birth or re-register a birth

Choosing your child's surname

Your child can take the surname of either parent, or both. Even if you are not married and the father doesn't attend the birth registration, you can still give your child the father's surname.

Changing your child's surname

Once your child's name and surname have been registered, it can only be changed in the following circumstances:

• You get married or form a civil partnership after registering the birth. In this case, you should re-register the birth, even if you gave your child their father's surname at the original registration.

You can book an appointment to re-register a birth online.