Changing the first name of your child
If you want to change your child's first name(s) within 12 months you can do so on the original registration: it costs £44.
If your child has been baptised in the Christian faith within a year of the registration you can get a form from us for the Minister of the Church in which the child was baptised to complete, and return it to the Register Office.
If the child has not been baptised you can complete a form at the Register Office at any time after the birth, as long as you can prove that the change of name was within 12 months of the registration.
Once the form is completed the amended name(s) will be added into space 17 of the original birth registration, and you can then buy certified copies of it.
The full copy certificate will contain both the original name and the new name in space 17. The short version certificate will only record the new name.
Email us at registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk to ask for the relevant form, or come into the Register Office to collect one.
Other corrections
It costs between £83 and £99 for a correction depending on what it is. The fee is only for consideration of the correction and it will not be refunded if we don’t approve the amendment. It does not include the cost of a new certificate.
The corrections we can make
We will only make corrections to a birth registration if the information is wrong (eg a mistake was made when recording a parent's occupation).
You can't apply for a correction to show new information if circumstances change after you've registered your child's birth (eg if one of the parents changes their name by deed poll after the registration).
However, you can apply to re-register the birth if the natural parents get married at a later date.
Where to apply for corrections
You can apply for a correction to the register office where your child's birth was registered.
What happens if you change gender
If your gender change is approved, you'll be able to buy a new birth certificate with your new gender on it for £11. See the government's website for gender recognition certificates
What the correction looks like
If your application is approved, a correction is made in the register in the office for the area where your child was born.
The original information will always be shown in the register. After the correction has been authorised, a note will be added to the margin of the register. This will explain what the correct information is and when the correction was made.
All full birth certificates that are issued from this time will include the note in the margin, but short birth certificates will only include the child's correct new details.
Find out more about corrections, including details of who can apply and how long the process takes