Md, Mohd and Mohammad Name Spelling in Documents in Uttarakhand
When your papers carry Md on one, Mohd on another and Mohammad on a third: what it is, which form to keep, and how to bring every record in line before a passport or a visa.
Md, Mohd and Mohammad on different papers are the same name written short and in full. It is usually not a change of name. Keep the form on your passport or class 10 certificate, and have the other records corrected to match it, starting with Aadhaar and PAN. A Gazette is needed only where an office refuses in writing.
A difference in Mohd and Mohammad name spelling is among the most common reasons a bank verification, a passport or a visa is stopped. One clerk writes Md, the next writes Mohd, and the passport says Mohammad. This page explains Mohd and Mohammad name spelling in documents: which form to keep, where each record is corrected, and when a Gazette comes in.
Most readers of this page need no Gazette. For short forms in general, read short name and full name difference in documents.
Which Forms Does the Name Take on Documents?
The name is one. On paper it turns up in two kinds of variety: short forms, and different English spellings of the full word.
| Kind | Forms seen | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Short forms in English | Md, Md., MD, Mohd, Mohd., Mo., Mhd | An abbreviation of the full word |
| Full word, spelt in different ways | Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhammad, Mohamed, Mohamad | Different English spellings of one name |
| Short form in Hindi records | मो०, मौ०, मोहम्मद | The Hindi abbreviation, and the full word |
So a man may be मो० Arif in his school register, Md Arif on his Aadhaar, Mohd Arif on his PAN and Mohammad Arif on his passport. He has one name. His papers show four.
The names on this page are only examples of form.
Why Do the Forms Differ From Paper to Paper?
- Habit. Clerks and teachers have written the name short for generations, in Hindi and in English.
- Hindi to English. A Hindi record with the short form मो० is turned into English as Mo, Md or Mohd, as the person typing sees fit.
- No single English spelling. The full word is written from another script, and several English spellings are in use.
- Forms with boxes. A short form fits where the full word does not.
- The person's own habit. Many people sign and fill forms with the short form themselves.
None of this was a mistake about who you are. Each office only made a different choice. The trouble begins when a computer compares two of those choices letter by letter, and treats Md, Mohd and Mohammad as three different words.
Is Md to Mohammad a Change of Name?
Usually not. Md and Mohd stand for the same word that your other papers spell out. Writing it in full is the expansion of a short form, which is a correction of that record.
| Your situation | What it is | Usual route |
|---|---|---|
| One record has Md or Mohd, and your base record has the full word | A short form | The office that holds the short record expands it |
| Two records spell the full word differently | A spelling difference | Correct the odd one to match your base record |
| The English line and the Hindi line on Aadhaar do not agree | A transliteration error | Aadhaar update, with no Gazette |
| Papers are split between three or four forms, with no clear base | Several forms of one name | Pick one. A Gazette with an alias may be needed |
| You want to drop the name altogether, or add it where no paper has it | A change of name | Gazette change of name |
The Aadhaar rules allow certain name updates with a supporting document and no Gazette, and expanding a short form to the full word is of that kind. So the record most offices check against can be put right directly.
Which Form Should You Keep?
The full word, spelt the way your firmest record spells it. There is no official English spelling. The right one for you is the one already on your base paper.
- If you hold a passport, use the form and spelling on it. Travel papers have to match it exactly.
- If not, look at your class 10 certificate. If it has the full word, use that spelling.
- If your class 10 certificate has a short form, that is your base as it stands. See the caution below.
- If you have neither, use the full form that most of your papers carry, or the one your family uses on English papers.
Then write it on a slip, letter by letter, and copy from that slip onto every form. Do not switch between Mohammad and Mohammed from one office to the next. To a computer they are different names.
From today, stop writing the short form on any official paper, and that includes your own signature block and the name line on cheques and forms.
Why Does It Matter Most for a Passport and a Visa?
Inside India, a person at a counter can usually see that Mohd and Mohammad are one name. A visa system, an airline or an employer abroad cannot. They match the passport against a ticket, a contract or a certificate, one letter at a time.
Before you apply for a passport
- Settle the form and the spelling first
- Bring Aadhaar and your other identity papers to that form
- Decide which words go in the given name box and which in the surname box
- Write the name in full. Avoid Md and Mohd in a passport
If your passport already has a short form
- Every ticket, visa and contract must follow the passport as it stands
- To change it, apply for a re-issue with the papers on the Passport Seva list
- Do it well before you travel, not in the middle of a visa
- Ask the embassy or the employer what they need to link old papers to the new passport
People going abroad for work, study or pilgrimage are the ones who feel this most, because their degree, their experience letters and their passport are read together. Bring them in line a few months ahead.
A second point for the passport. Where the name on record is "Mohammad Arif", the two boxes are often filled the wrong way round, or all of it lands in one box. See name order and surname first in documents.
How Is Each Record Corrected?
This is the usual position. Each office keeps its own list and can change it, so check that office before you go.
| Record | Who corrects it | How |
|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar | UIDAI | A name update with a supporting document. Only two name updates are allowed in a lifetime |
| PAN | Income Tax Department | The PAN correction application |
| Bank account | The branch | Its request form, with Aadhaar and PAN in the full form |
| Passport | Passport Seva | A re-issue, with the papers on its list |
| Voter ID | Election Commission | Form 8 |
| School and board certificates | The board, through the school | Its own form, within its time limit |
| Driving licence | The transport office | A correction through the Parivahan service |
| Employer and provident fund | The employer | The employer's or the fund's own correction form |
Read both lines of your Aadhaar, the English and the Hindi. The Hindi line often still carries the short form after the English line has been corrected. See Hindi to English name spelling difference.
How Do You Bring Your Papers in Line?
Step 1: List the form on every paper
Aadhaar, PAN, passport, certificates, bank, voter ID and licence. Write down exactly what each one says.
Step 2: Find your base record
The passport if you hold one, or else the class 10 certificate.
Step 3: Fix the one form you will keep
The full word, in the base record's spelling, with the rest of your name in order.
Step 4: Correct Aadhaar first, if it differs
At an Aadhaar Seva Kendra, with a supporting document. Read the English and the Hindi line before the operator submits.
Step 5: Correct PAN next
So that Aadhaar and PAN match letter for letter.
Step 6: Correct the bank and the other records
Each at its own office, with the corrected Aadhaar and PAN.
Step 7: Support the papers that cannot be changed
Keep a correction affidavit that names each form, for an old certificate or passbook that will stay as it is.
For the affidavit, see name spelling correction affidavit.
Which Other Names Have the Same Problem?
The same thing happens with other names written from another script, and with words placed before or after a name. The rule is the same for all of them: match your base record.
| Name or word | Forms seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sheikh | Sheikh, Shaikh, Sheik, Sk. | Sk. is a short form. The rest are spellings |
| Syed | Syed, Sayed, Sayyed, Saiyad | Spellings of one name |
| Qureshi | Qureshi, Quraishi, Kureshi | Spellings of one name |
| Ansari | Ansari, Ansary | Spellings of one name |
| Ahmad | Ahmad, Ahmed | Spellings of one name |
| Words after a woman's name | Bano, Begum, Khatoon, Bibi, present on some papers and absent on others | A word missing, not a short form. Check your base record |
| Words before a name | Haji, Janab, Mst. | Forms of address. Leave them out of a name box unless your base record carries them as part of the name |
Where a word such as Bano or Begum is on some papers and missing from others, it is a word left out, and offices treat that more strictly than an abbreviation. Decide which form you will keep, and see the section on a missing middle name on our short name and full name page.
When Is a Gazette Needed?
An office refuses in writing
It will not expand its record or accept the forms as one person without a Gazette notification.
Three or four forms are in use
Your papers are split, no base record settles it, and correcting them one by one is not working.
A visa or a job abroad depends on it
An embassy or an employer wants one public proof that every form is you.
A certificate cannot be corrected
The board's time limit has passed, and the certificate will stay in the short form.
The passport and the degree differ
Neither office will move, and the two have to be linked.
You are changing the name itself
Dropping the name, or adding it where no paper has it. That is a change of name.
Where a Gazette is used, the notice states every form in use as your old name, joined by "alias", and the one form you will use from now on. This is an illustration, with a made-up name and address.
I hitherto known as MD ARIF alias MOHD ARIF alias MOHAMMAD ARIF, son of Shri MOHAMMAD YUNUS, residing at 12, Jwalapur Road, Haridwar, Uttarakhand 249407, have changed my name and shall hereafter be known as MOHAMMAD ARIF.
Each alias adds Rs 250 to the charge. Because the old and new forms are the same name, send your draft to the Department of Publication and ask if it will be printed that way before you pay. See alias name in a gazette notification.
How Does the Central Gazette Route Work?
Use this only where the offices have not been able to settle the matter. The notice goes in Part IV of the Gazette of India, which embassies and offices across India accept.
Step 1: Confirm that a Gazette is needed
Get the refusing office to say so in writing, or check your case against the list above.
Step 2: Draft the notice and ask the Department
Write every form in use, joined by alias, and the form you will keep. Ask if it will be printed as drafted, and the charge.
Step 3: Make the affidavit
State every form in use and the one you will use from now on. Sign before a notary.
Step 4: Publish the newspaper notice
In a daily local leading newspaper, in the same wording. Keep the original newspaper.
Step 5: Type the form and sign the undertaking
Two typed copies of the specimen, signed in your old name with two witnesses, and the undertaking.
Step 6: Prepare the CD, photographs and certificate
The same text on a CD in MS Word, two self-attested photographs with identity proof, and a certificate that both copies match.
Step 7: Pay the charge on BharatKosh
Commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult, with Rs 250 more for each alias. It is not refunded.
Step 8: Send the file yourself, then download the Gazette
Send it, with a request letter, to the Controller of Publications, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Then check Part IV on egazette.gov.in each week.
Check every form on every page, letter by letter. Where the forms differ by a letter or two, a typist will make them all alike without telling you, and the notice then says nothing.
Can the Uttarakhand Gazette Be Used?
The Government Press at Roorkee sets its own practice. Cases that reach the Gazette stage here usually involve a passport, a visa or an office outside the state, and for those the Gazette of India is the right one.
Step 1: Ask which office wants the Gazette
If it is the passport office, an embassy, a central body or an office outside the state, use the Gazette of India.
Step 2: Contact the Roorkee press
Take the contact from govtpress.uk.gov.in and ask if a private notice of this kind is being accepted.
Step 3: Ask in which language the notice is printed
The forms here differ in English. If the notice is in Hindi only, ask how they will be shown.
Step 4: Ask for the papers and the fee, and submit as directed
Keep photocopies of everything.
Step 5: Download the notice
Search gazettes.uk.gov.in and save the PDF.
To weigh the two, read Uttarakhand Gazette vs Gazette of India.
What Does It Cost, and How Long Does It Take?
| Item | Correcting records directly | Central Gazette route |
|---|---|---|
| Each record | That office's own fee | That office's own fee, afterwards |
| Affidavit | Rs 100 to Rs 500, only if an office asks | Rs 100 to Rs 500 |
| Newspaper notice | None | Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 for each paper |
| Gazette charge | None | Commonly Rs 1,100, with Rs 250 for each alias |
| Time | As long as each office takes | Commonly 3 to 7 weeks, then the offices |
The first column is cheaper and usually enough. Our own charge, where we prepare a Gazette file, is quoted per case and shown as a separate line. If a passport or a visa is the reason, start a few months before you need it.
Which Mistakes Do People Make?
| Mistake | What to do |
|---|---|
| Paying for a "name change" to expand Md to Mohammad | Ask the office to expand its record |
| Writing Md or Mohd on a new form out of habit | Write the full word, every time |
| Switching between Mohammad and Mohammed | Use the spelling on your base record |
| Applying for a passport before the other papers agree | Bring Aadhaar and certificates in line first |
| Booking a ticket in the full form when the passport has Mohd | Follow the passport until it is reissued |
| Correcting the bank before Aadhaar and PAN | Aadhaar, then PAN, then the bank |
| Checking only the English line on Aadhaar | Read the Hindi line too |
| Leaving one form out of a Gazette notice | List every form that is on a paper |
| Starting a child's school record with the short form | Give the school the name in full |
A typical case we handle: a welder from Roorkee had "Md" on his Aadhaar, "Mohd" on his class 10 certificate and trade certificate, and applied for a passport as "Mohammad". The three did not match, and his file was held. He had his Aadhaar corrected to the form on his class 10 certificate, applied for the passport in that same form, and it was issued. He filed no Gazette. This is an illustrative example of the type of case we handle, not a named client review.
When you do not need us
To expand a short form that an older paper spells out, or to correct one spelling against your base record, you need only the office that holds the record. We are useful where an office has refused in writing, where three or four forms are in use with no clear base, or where a visa depends on it. Send us the papers and we will tell you which, free.
Which Areas of Uttarakhand Do We Cover?
All 13 districts: Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat and Pithoragarh. We also help people from Uttarakhand who are working abroad. Send photos of your papers on WhatsApp.
People Also Ask About Md, Mohd and Mohammad
Are Md, Mohd and Mohammad the same name?
Yes. Md and Mohd are short forms of the same word. Records still match them letter by letter.
Do I need a gazette to change Md to Mohammad?
Usually not. The office that holds the record can expand the short form with a supporting document.
Which spelling is correct, Mohammad or Mohammed?
Neither is the official one. Use the spelling on your passport or class 10 certificate.
Can I write Md in my passport?
Write the name in full. A short form in a passport causes trouble with visas and tickets.
How do I change Mohd to Mohammad in Aadhaar?
By a name update at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra, with a supporting document that shows the full form.
My Aadhaar says Md and my PAN says Mohd. What should I do?
Bring both to the form on your base record, Aadhaar first and then PAN.
Are initials allowed in an Indian passport?
No. The passport form asks for the given name as the first name followed by the middle name, and says initials are not allowed. The application should give the expanded name.
Can my father's initials be expanded in my passport?
Yes. An Indian mission's guidance says initials in a parent's name may be expanded into the full name, subject to proof.
Can I split my name into given name and surname at re-issue?
Yes, by applying for re-issue. No word or spelling may be added or dropped while splitting. If it is, the change of name procedure applies.
Is adding a surname to my passport a change of name?
Yes. An Indian mission's guidance says adding a surname to the given name is treated as a change of name.
Will my alias names be printed on my passport?
No. Only the real or official name is printed. Other names you were known by are declared on the form, not printed.
Why do embassies want a surname in my passport?
Many countries insist on a surname for a visa, and some local authorities need a clear given name and surname for residence permits. An empty surname field can force a re-issue later.
Find Out Which Form to Keep
Send photos of the papers that differ. We will tell you, free, which form your base record carries, which office corrects each paper and if a Gazette is needed at all. Most of the time it is not.
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Md, Mohd and Mohammad Name Spelling: Frequently Asked Questions
Are Md, Mohd and Mohammad treated as the same name on documents?
Is changing Md to Mohammad a name change?
Do I need a Gazette for it?
Which form should I keep?
Is Mohammad or Mohammed the right spelling?
How is Md or Mohd expanded in Aadhaar?
How is it corrected in PAN?
My class 10 certificate says Mohd. What form should my passport have?
My passport has Mohd and my visa form wants a full name. What do I write?
Why is "MD" in capitals a problem?
The Hindi line on my Aadhaar has the short form. Does that matter?
Will an affidavit be enough?
How is the Gazette notice worded if one is needed?
What about Bano, Begum or Khatoon on some papers and not others?
Should I write Haji or Janab in the name box?
Do you charge to tell me if I need a Gazette?
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Who Wrote and Reviewed This Page?
This page is written by the Documentation Desk Team of UttarakhandNameChange.com, the team that prepares Gazette files for people across Uttarakhand.
It is reviewed by Advocate Vipin Chauhan.
The forms and spellings listed are examples we see, and none is more correct than another. How each office corrects a record, and what an embassy or airline accepts, is decided by them, so check before you rely on this page. The Gazette charges follow the Department of Publication's list.
Official Sources
- Unique Identification Authority of IndiaName updates in Aadhaar, in English and the local language.
- Income Tax DepartmentPAN and the correction of PAN data.
- Passport Seva, Ministry of External AffairsHow names are entered in a passport, and re-issue.
- Voters' Service Portal, Election Commission of IndiaForm 8 for a correction of entries.
- Department of Publication: Change of Name and Public NoticesThe Gazette guidelines and the list of additional charges.
Md, Mohd and Mohammad: The Short Version
Md and Mohd are short forms of one name, and Mohammad, Mohammed and Muhammad are spellings of it. Expanding or matching them is a correction, not a change of name. Keep the full word in the spelling on your passport or class 10 certificate, and bring Aadhaar, then PAN, then the bank and the rest to that form.
Settle it before a passport or a visa. A Gazette is needed only where an office refuses in writing or several forms are in use with no clear base. To find out which form to keep, send photos of your papers on WhatsApp 9540005064, and we will reply in working hours.
One Form of Your Name, on Every Paper
Send photos of the papers that differ on WhatsApp. We tell you, free, which form to keep.