Last Updated on April 7, 2023 by Kanakkupillai

How to Change Your Name Online on a Birth Certificate

We go over the steps to take in this blog post to alter your name on a birth certificate. Due to the possibility that the majority of your official documents have already been issued, changing your name in India may seem to be a lengthy process. When you feel the need to change your name or the names of your children, it is important to do so at some point. This is because the hassle of the process should not outweigh your feeling of identity.

The birth certificate is the most crucial of all the certificates. It is required to be produced while taking national level exams, getting checked out at the doctor’s office, changing schools or jobs, and the list may go on.

A birth certificate essentially includes the following information:

The person’s name

Parent’s name

Born on [date]

Age at birth

A birth certificate issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, a state-level official, is one that is legally legitimate. Anyone in India who is at least 18 years old has the legal right to alter their name if the proper legal steps are taken.
Some states have even made it possible to update birth certificate information online. As an illustration, the Telangana government recently unveiled Meeseva, an integrated service delivery gateway, which serves this function.

The process for updating a birth certificate’s name

Step 1: Send a request to the granting authority.

First, submit a written application to the Municipal Corporation’s Registrar of Births and Deaths. The general issuing authority for all states is the Registrar. Your previous name, your new name, and a succinct justification for the request for a name change should all be stated in the letter.

Step 2: Create documentation to support the requested modification

You must submit some supporting documents with your application. In the event of a name change, this will also include an adequately notarized affidavit. The accompanying paperwork, however, differ from state to state if you want to change your last name or date of birth. For instance, you must complete the Deed Changing Surname form in the city of Bengaluru. When requesting a change in date of birth, you might in some circumstances even be needed to present the hospital discharge certificates.

Step 3: Complete the verification stage

The Registrar will either accept or deny your application when you have provided the required paperwork. Generally speaking, the likelihood of rejection is slim if all the paperwork are accurate. However, if the authority denies your request for a name change, you can ask the Registrar or other issuing authority to provide justifications by filing a petition of mandamus in the relevant High Court.

Step 4: Declare a name change in the local press

You should run a brief advertisement in your neighborhood newspaper as a public declaration following the issuing authority’s approval of your application. The advertisement will be formatted as follows:

I, XYZ, residing at, have changed my name to ABC and will be known as ABC from here on in. I have submitted an affidavit to this effect, which was signed by on.

Step 5: Publication in the official gazette

This completes the name-change procedure. You must publish your name in the State Gazette (such as “The Delhi Gazette”) to have it legally recognized. A Gazette is a publication of the government, and in many cases, it is required that name changes be recorded in the Gazette.

You must submit a written application to the State Gazette Office for this reason. Generally speaking, the application should include the following files:

Three copies of each application, along with any supporting documentation
Affidavit copy
A replica of a newspaper ad
Demand draft of the requisite deed
Attested passport size photos
The subject of the publication-related notification
The applicant and one witness must testify to each of these documents themselves. The gazette publishing takes place roughly 2 months after the date of your submission, although it can take much longer. After it has been printed, make sure you have copies of the gazette where your advertisement appears for your records.

Name change on the birth certificate for the mother or father

Take this as an example: Your spouse (wife) is a divorcee, and she already has a child. In addition, you are no longer the biological father but the child’s stepfather. The father’s name on the child’s birth certificate needs to be changed. You can now ask for the birth certificate of the child’s father to be changed.

However, to apply to have the father’s name changed on the birth certificate, you might first need to adopt the child and have the adoption officially recorded and declared by a court order. Check the eligibility conditions for adoption before moving forward. It might be necessary to follow the same process to change the mother’s name on a birth certificate.

Things to keep in mind when changing your name on a birth certificate

Please pay special attention to the instructions supplied by the state government agency as each State has a slightly different process for updating information on a birth certificate.
Depending on the state regulations, there may be a cost that you must pay while submitting the application. However, it is a small price.
Keep a copy of every document that is created, published, and acquired because it might be needed at any time.
Get a copy of your birth certificate that has been updated from the Registrar of Births and Deaths. There is a small fee that you must pay for each copy you want to get.

The takeaway

Additionally, you are only permitted to make one adjustment to the data on your birth certificate during your lifetime. The information in the new certificate will follow you for the rest of your life, so use utmost caution. Therefore, it is always best to look for the help of a seasoned service provider who can lead you through the entire procedure, including follow-up with government representatives.

It is crucial that parents document the birth of their kid. The hospital staff issues a voucher that parents can use to apply for a birth certificate at the relevant municipal or Mandal office. Birth certificates are issued in just 15 to 20 days, which is a short period of time.

However, changing a name or making changes to a birth certificate is a difficult process. You can carry it out offline or online.

There are two offline methods: (1) affidavits, and (2) newspaper publications.

How to Alter Your Name on Your Birth Certificate Using an Affidavit

Visit a local office that is closer to you. Take the name-change application with you.

Go to local notary and make an affidavit.

Give a compelling justification for the name change.

This affidavit is used to change a person’s first, last, or full name. Once the affidavit has been created, it should be sent to the municipal office together with the previous birth certificate, the address evidence, and any further documentation. You will receive your replacement birth certificate in 15 to 20 days.

Changing a name on a birth certificate via newspaper publication

Sri……………………..(Old name) have changed my name from ……………(Old name) to ……………. (new name) by affidavit sworn before the Notary Public, …………(place) on …………..(date). Henceforth, I shall be known as ………….(new name) for all purposes………….(Name) and ………………….(complete postal address).

Full Signature

This is a newspaper application proforma. Candidate must correctly complete all fields and publish in a local newspaper. It applies to persons of all ages, but notably to majors. Keep the hard copies and scanned copies safe for upcoming verification (if in case required by the authority upon notice to you).

The term “name change” refers to the act of altering one’s name, whether through the addition of initials, a single letter, or through legal action if one chooses to choose a name other than one’s given name at birth, through marriage, or through adoption. Name changes are a pretty typical occurrence today. Many people do so for a variety of reasons. They can be used to change the spelling, for marriage, or for good luck. It should be remembered that once a name has been changed, it takes on legal significance and becomes the person’s identity and legal name. When a person formally changes their name, there are lengthy and intricate legal procedures that must be followed.

Reasons for changing a name

There are many reasons for a name change, such as the following:

birth certificate mistake
mistakes on the school certificate
after women’s marriage
after a woman’s divorce
spelling mistakes
for adoption
If the religion is modified
Astrology or number theory
to alter a last name
shift in gender
Unfavorable present name
Identity shift

Eligibility to change one’s name

One should be a citizen of India.
He or she ought to own a legitimate official ID.
He or she must have a good reason for the name change.
Minors should be accompanied by their parents when visiting a government office.

Who may submit a name change request?

Husband
Wife
Family member
Anyone can change the name at any stage of life any point in their lives, anyone can change their name.

Importance of following all legal requirements when changing one’s name

Given the extent to which technology is now used in our daily lives, particularly for identity verification, it is crucial to remember that any alteration to a person’s identification must be done lawfully.

Our names are listed on numerous papers, including permanent account numbers, Aadhaar cards, bank accounts, mark sheets, birth certificates, etc., which are used to verify our identities. Therefore, it is crucial that your identification be legally validated and changed by the party or officer chosen by the Center/State before making changes to these documents with relation to the name change.

Some people who engage in identity theft, credit card fraud, unlawful signatures, acting as spies or terrorists, or engaging in credit avoidance, among other criminal activities, will go by multiple identities.

A legal name change should be carried out so that the new name can be kept on file permanently and used for all reasons. Transparency and responsibility for your identification or verification will be ensured through the legal process.

Advantages of officially altering one’s name

No need for a lawyer:
Although the name change services are laborious, you may handle them on your own and do not need a lawyer to process and carry them out.
Simple and easy throughout marriage and divorce:
Changing one’s name during marriage and divorce is a straightforward process. If a woman decides she does not wish to take on her husband’s name after marriage, divorce proceedings may be started in her maiden name or any other name that has been officially recognised. Even after divorce, anyone who wants to keep using their marital name can do so, unless one person is trying to trick the other partner.
It gives you formal recognition:
If you apply for any official document or public service as an Indian citizen, the application will be authorized and granted with your new name listed as your official name. If you choose to alter your name via a technique that is insufficient or improper, the same will not be available. Some government agencies, public sector banks, etc., might reject such a person for providing false identification.
Permanent on record:
If a name change is accomplished through the proper channels, it becomes an authentic permanent record that anyone may examine or access. It becomes simple to confirm this. Additionally, it makes it easier to obtain paperwork, pay taxes, etc.
Aadhaar is still available after a name change:
If you change your name, you might also need to update other crucial identification documents, including your Aadhaar, PAN, bank account number, employment ID, etc., to reflect your new identity. Therefore, for the records to be updated, the formal name change procedure must be followed for it to be accepted and handled by the relevant authorities.

To get a name change

Publication of a name change in India’s official gazette

You must submit an application along with the relevant paperwork and a demand draft for the money to publish the name-change notification in the Indian gazette. Following the release of the advertising, applications and supporting documentation must be sent to the Department of Publication in New Delhi for publication of name changes in the official gazette.

Publication in an official gazette

Within 30 days of the date of application, the name change will be published in an official gazette.

Sending out the official gazette

The responsible authorities will courier you a copy of the official gazette after it is published.

In urban areas, the Municipal Corporation or Municipal Council is responsible for issuing birth certificates. In rural areas, the Tahsildar, who is in charge at the Taluka level, and the Gram Panchayat Office, who is in charge at the village level, are responsible. It’s not that difficult to update or modify a person’s name on their birth certificate. By following the easy instructions listed hereunder, you can have your name changed on your birth certificate.

How to modify your name on your birth certificate

Step 1: Get a “Birth Certificate Update/Correction Form” from the gram panchayat or municipal corporation office where your child was born.

Step 2: Approach the officer about the birth certificate name change after obtaining an affidavit from a nearby notary. Create an affidavit on paper with a nonjudicial stamp, and include the justification for the name change.

Step 3:Complete the correction form and deliver it to the municipal corporation along with an original-signed affidavit or certified copy from a judge.

Step 4:After the application process is complete, publish the advertisement in your local newspaper and the official state gazette.

How to request a birth certificate

Step 1:Visit the registrar’s office to obtain a birth certificate registration form (from your municipal authority).

Step 2: The medical officer in charge provides the form when a kid is born in a hospital.

Step 3:Within 21 days of the child’s birth, complete the form.

Step 4:The birth certificate is granted following police verification if the birth is not recorded within 21 days after the event.

Step 5: The registrar issues the birth certificate to the applicant after verifying the birth records (date, time, place of birth, parental ID proof, nursing facility, etc.).

Step 6:Follow up with the municipal administration to receive the birth certificate after 7 days of applying.

Step 7:The birth certificate is posted to the appropriate address within 7–14 working days if a self-addressed envelope is given to the municipality office.

A birth certificate’s significance

For a child to be admitted to schools or colleges, qualify for hospital care, and prove inheritance and property claims, a birth certificate is crucial. It establishes a child’s identity and is his or her first right. It is crucial for the subsequent processes:

Calculating age for insurance purposes

Establishing parentage

Age verification for employment

Proof of age for marriage

Enrollment in a school or college

Defining the electoral roll enrollment age

Adding oneself to the National Population Register (NPR)

Requesting a passport

Immigration criteria (like getting a green card)

Without a birth certificate, a person cannot be recognized as an Indian citizen and cannot use any of their rights. Therefore, never forget to obtain your child’s birth certificate as soon as possible following the child’s delivery! We anticipate that this blog will act as a basic primer for anyone who wishes to know the steps that must be taken to alter their name on a birth certificate.