Documents › Formats › Affidavits
Parents change a child's name after a naming ceremony, to add a surname, to correct a spelling, or after adoption. Because a minor cannot swear an affidavit, a parent (or guardian) does it on the child's behalf, and the school, municipality or passport office acts on it with supporting documents.
I, Sunil Thomas, aged 36 years, son of Thomas Kurian, residing at Flat 5B, Lakeview Apartments, Kakkanad, Kochi, Kerala 682030, do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as under:
1. I am the father and natural guardian of my minor son, born on 14 February 2018 at Lakeshore Hospital, Kochi, whose birth is registered with the Kochi Corporation (registration no. B-2018-12345).
2. The name of my son is recorded as AARON in the birth certificate, without a surname.
3. My wife, Anju Thomas, and I have decided that our son shall be known as AARON SUNIL THOMAS, adding the father's name and family name, for all purposes.
4. AARON and AARON SUNIL THOMAS refer to one and the same person, my minor son, and this change is made in his interest and with the consent of both parents.
5. This affidavit is made for correcting his name in the birth register of Kochi Corporation and in the records of St. Mary's Public School, Kakkanad.
Verification: Verified at Kochi on 2 November 2026 that the above contents are true and correct.
Names, numbers and dates above are examples. Replace them with yours.
Rs. 10–100 non-judicial stamp paper by state, notarised. For a birth-certificate correction the municipality has its own form; this affidavit supports it. For a change (not a correction) in the passport, Passport Seva also asks for a Gazette notification; for Aadhaar, the affidavit plus both parents' Aadhaar is enough.
For school and Aadhaar, no. For a passport and for a complete change (not a spelling fix), the Gazette notification is expected, with the parent as applicant.
Then the child swears their own name-change affidavit; use the regular name-change format.
Attach the adoption deed or court order; the affidavit then records the new name and parentage.
This page is a template and general guidance for a common situation, not legal advice. Rules differ by state and office; check with the office that asked for the document. Last reviewed October 2026.