Name Change Online India - Apply, Process and Fees

An individual may want to change his/her name for various reasons. Since the name is a person’s identity, it is mentioned in all important documents, such as mark sheets, voter ID, driving license, etc. Thus, an individual must follow certain legal procedures to get the name changed legally. This article provides the process of a name change online in India.

Eligibility for Name Change Application

A person can change the name when the following conditions are fulfilled:

• A person above 18 years
• The guardian/parents can change a minor’s name
• The person should possess a legitimate government ID
• The person should have a valid reason for name change

Name Change Procedure in India

Below is the name change procedure in India:

Affidavit for Name Change

The first step for an online name change is drafting an affidavit for a name change. You need to obtain an e-stamp paper of Rs.10 or Rs.20 or the minimum value required by the respective state. By paying the respective fees, you can get the e-stamp paper online on the Stock-Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL) website.

After obtaining the e-stamp paper, you need to print the affidavit for the name change on the e-stamp paper. The affidavit should explain the reasons for the name change along with the following details:

• The current full name and the new name of the applicant (deponent)
• Father’s name of the deponent or husband’s name (in the case of married women)
• Residential address
• Declaration stating that the facts in the affidavit are true and correct
• Signature of the deponent

A Notary Public, Judicial Magistrate or an Oaths Commissioner should attest the affidavit. If the applicant lives abroad, he/she should submit the affidavit duly attested by the Indian High Commission or Indian Embassy to the respective authority. If a person is a government employee, he/she must submit a deed for the name change as per the Ministry of Home Affairs rules.

Advertisement of Name Change

After preparing the affidavit and getting it attested, you need to publish a newspaper advertisement for the name change. The name change advertisement should be published in one national or regional newspaper. The advertisement should include the old name, new name, residential address, name of the attesting authority, and date and place where the affidavit was made. Retain the copies of the newspaper in which the advertisement is published for future reference.

Gazette Notification Publication

The last step for changing name legally is notifying it in the Gazette of India. You must submit the required documents, printing charges and the request letter to the Controller of Publications, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054.

The documents can be sent by post/courier or personally to the Department of Publication. The concerned person of the Department will check the documents and send them for notification to the Government of India Press. It usually takes one to two months for the name change advertisement to appear in the Gazette Publication.

You can download the electronic copy of the Digital Directory of The Gazette Of India, which contains the name change notification. A copy of the name change notification in the Official Gazette will also be sent to you by post by the authority. The amount charged for the Gazette notification varies from Rs.700 to Rs.900, depending on if you want a public notice. You can make the payment by demand draft or in cash. 

Documents Required for Name Change

• The name change affidavit duly signed by the deponent and attested by the respective authority
• The original newspaper containing the name change advertisement
• The prescribed proforma duly signed by the applicant and two witnesses
• Two passport size photos
• Copies of valid ID proof, i.e. PAN card, passport or Aadhaar card
• A CD containing a soft copy of the duly filled application in .docx format 
• A letter stating that the content in the application is true
• A request letter with the registration fee to the authority

Reasons for Name Change

Following are some of the reasons why a person may want to change the name:

• After marriage/divorce by women
• During the adoption of a child
• When religion is changed
• Numerology or astrology
• For changing surname
• Dislike of current name
• Change of gender
• Identity change

Benefit of Changing Name Legally

It is crucial to change the name legally by following all the required compliances. A name is a person’s identity, and any change in the person’s identity should be done lawfully. Since technology is incorporated into many aspects of our life, our names are listed on all documents, including Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, bank accounts, birth certificates, mark sheets, etc., which are used as valid ID proof for various applications and transactions. 

Thus, it is essential that the identification of a person must be legally changed and validated by the respective authorities before making changes in the ID proof documents. Some people who resort to credit card fraud, identity theft, illegal signatures, etc., use the guise of different names to carry out their criminal associations. Thus, it is essential to record the name in a government record (official Gazette) to increase accountability and transparency.

Indian law allows citizens to change their names into anything that they prefer to except for the below names:

• Names of famous personalities unless you prove that you have no intention to mislead the public
• Names which are obscene or offensive
• Complicated names that involve punctuation

A person can change his/her name at any time in his/her lifetime. However, it needs to be done legally by creating an affidavit, publishing an advertisement in the newspaper and a notification in the Gazette of India. After the name change is notified in the Gazette, the person can start using the new name and apply for changing the name in all ID proof documents.

Disclaimer: The materials provided herein are solely for information purposes. No attorney-client relationship is created when you access or use the site or the materials. The information presented on this site does not constitute legal or professional advice. It should not be relied upon for such purposes or used as a substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in your state.