Removing a Surname or Caste Name in Uttarakhand
How to drop a surname or a caste word from your name through the Gazette, what form of name to choose, and what the change does and does not affect.
Removing a surname or caste name in Uttarakhand is a change of name, made through an affidavit, a newspaper notice and a Gazette notification. The Gazette of India charge is commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult. It changes the name on your records. It does not change your caste or community as recorded by the authorities.
People ask about removing a surname or caste name for many reasons, and none of them has to be explained to anyone. An adult may choose the name he or she is known by. This page explains removing a surname or caste name in Uttarakhand: the route, the form of name to choose, and what the change leaves untouched.
For every kind of surname change, read surname change in Uttarakhand. For the Gazette steps in full, see gazette name change in Uttarakhand.
Can You Remove a Surname or Caste Name From Your Name?
Yes. An adult may drop a surname, or a word in the name that points to a caste or community, and be known by what remains or by a new surname. No court order is needed, and no office asks you to justify the choice.
- It is a change of name. The Department of Publication's guideline for a change of name covers the deletion of a surname.
- It is made by the same three steps as any change of name: an affidavit, a newspaper notice and a Gazette notification.
- The Gazette form has no place for a reason, so none is printed.
- For a child under 18, the parents or the legal guardian apply.
People take this step for different reasons. Some want a name that says nothing about caste. Some have left a family or a tradition behind. Some simply want a shorter name. The process is the same for all of them.
What Are Your Options?
Removing a word is one way. There are others, and some cause less trouble on forms. The names below are only examples of form.
| Option | Example of form | Think about |
|---|---|---|
| Drop the surname, keep the rest | First name, middle name | You still have two words, which most forms accept |
| Drop everything but the first name | First name only | A single name is valid, but can be awkward for a passport, a visa or an employer's system |
| Replace the surname with a neutral one | First name, new surname | You keep a first name and a last name on every form |
| Use a parent's first name as the last name | First name, father's or mother's first name | A common form in parts of India. It keeps two names and a family link |
| Drop a caste word from the middle | First name, surname | The surname stays, so family papers still read together |
All five are filed in the same way and at the same charge. What differs is how the name behaves afterwards, on a passport, on your children's papers and in systems that insist on a last name.
If you are thinking of a single name, read adding a surname when records show only a first name. It describes the difficulties people face at the other end.
How Do You Decide the New Form of Your Name?
Step 1: Write down your name as it stands
Copy it from your Aadhaar and your class 10 certificate. Note every word.
Step 2: Mark the word you want gone
Be exact. A surname, a middle word, or both.
Step 3: See what is left
If only one word remains, decide if you are content with a single name or want a second word.
Step 4: Think about where you will use the name
Travel, work, your children's school forms. Each of these asks for a first name and a last name sooner or later.
Step 5: Write the full new name
Spelling, spacing and order. Read it aloud. Sign it a few times to see how it sits.
Step 6: Sleep on it
Aadhaar allows a name change only twice in a lifetime. Take a day before you file.
What Does Removing a Surname or Caste Name Not Affect?
It does not by itself change
- Your caste or community as recorded by the authorities
- Who your parents are
- Your date of birth, your address or any other detail
- Certificates and degrees already issued in your old name
- Loans, contracts, cases or duties in your old name
- Your children's names, which need their own papers
It does change
- The name printed on each record you update
- The name on documents issued to you from now on
- The name shown as a parent's or spouse's name in your family's later papers
- How your name is read by people who meet it for the first time
A name is a label. The Gazette changes the label and nothing behind it. That is a comfort to some readers and a disappointment to others, and it is better to know it before you pay.
What Happens to a Caste Certificate and Other State Certificates?
A caste, residence or income certificate is issued by the state on the record of your family, not on the spelling of your name. Dropping a surname or a caste word does not take you out of a community, and it does not put you into one.
- A certificate already issued in your old name stays valid for what it certifies. Keep the Gazette with it, so the two names can be linked.
- If you need a certificate in your new name, apply afresh, with the Gazette, at the tehsil or on the e-District portal.
- If you rely on a certificate for admission or a job, carry the old certificate, the Gazette and your updated identity proof together.
These are general points and not advice on your case. Whether a given benefit is open to you is decided by the authority that grants it. If anything depends on your certificate in the next year or two, ask the tehsil how it will record the change before you file, and take legal advice if it matters to a job or an admission.
How Does the Gazette Notice Read?
The notice follows the Department's change of name specimen. These are illustrations of form, with made-up names and addresses.
Dropping the last word
I hitherto known as SURESH KUMAR SHARMA, son of Shri MOHAN LAL SHARMA, residing at 14, Nehru Colony, Dharampur, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, have changed my name and shall hereafter be known as SURESH KUMAR.
Replacing it with a parent's first name
I hitherto known as ANITA SHARMA, daughter of Shri MOHAN LAL SHARMA, residing at 14, Nehru Colony, Dharampur, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, have changed my name and shall hereafter be known as ANITA MOHAN.
- The notice states the old name and the new name. It gives no reason.
- Your father's or husband's name is printed as his own papers show it. Your notice does not change his name.
- The form is signed in the old name and carries two witnesses.
- If your papers already carry more than one form, the old forms can be joined by an alias, at Rs 250 for each.
Note the second bullet. Your father's surname will appear in your own notice, as part of his name. If the whole family wants the change, each adult files a notice of his or her own.
How Do You Remove a Surname Through the Gazette of India?
The notice goes in Part IV of the Gazette of India, which is accepted across the country.
Step 1: Fix the exact new name
The full form, the spelling and the order. Write it down.
Step 2: Make the affidavit
State the old name, the new name, your father's or husband's name and your address, and sign before a notary. One plain line of reason is enough.
Step 3: Publish the newspaper notice
Print the change in a daily local leading newspaper. Keep the original newspaper.
Step 4: Type the form and sign the undertaking
Two typed copies of the specimen, signed in your old name with two witnesses, and an undertaking showing the old and the new name.
Step 5: 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 6: Pay the charge on BharatKosh
Commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult. It is not refunded.
Step 7: Send the file yourself
In person or by post, with a request letter, to the Controller of Publications, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054.
Step 8: Download the Gazette
Check Part IV on egazette.gov.in each week and download the PDF.
Can You Use the Uttarakhand Gazette?
The state Gazette is printed by the Government Press at Roorkee, which sets its own practice. It can serve where every record you own stays inside the state.
Step 1: Ask where the new name will be used
For a passport, a central job or a move out of the state, choose the Gazette of India.
Step 2: Contact the Roorkee press
Take the contact from govtpress.uk.gov.in and ask if a private change of name notice is being accepted.
Step 3: Ask for the papers, the format and the fee
Note what the press wants and how the fee is paid.
Step 4: Publish the notice and submit the file
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.
Does the Gazette Keep Your Old Name Private?
No, and it is right to say so plainly. A Gazette is a public record. The whole point of the notice is to tell the world that the person known by one name is now known by another.
- Your old name and your new name are printed side by side, with your father's or husband's name and your address.
- The newspaper notice does the same, in your own district.
- The Gazette stays on the Government portal for good, and anyone can open it.
- Your degrees and older papers stay in the old name, and you will show the Gazette with them when asked.
So a change of name moves you forward under a new name. It does not erase the old one. Offices that need to check your history will see both. In daily life, on your new Aadhaar, your new bank card and your visiting card, only the new name appears.
If your reason for the change involves a risk to your safety, speak to a lawyer before you publish anything. There may be other steps to take first.
What Happens to Your Records Afterwards?
The Gazette is supporting proof. It does not correct any record by itself. You apply to each office, in this order.
- Aadhaar, at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra, with the Gazette and proof of the old name.
- PAN, through the correction application. The PAN number stays the same.
- Bank accounts, insurance and investments, once Aadhaar and PAN agree.
- Passport, as a re-issue in the new name.
- Voter ID, driving licence and employer records.
- Property papers and state certificates, as each office directs.
UIDAI says the address in the Gazette should match your Aadhaar, so give your Aadhaar address in the notice. Your degrees and marksheets are not reissued. Keep the Gazette, the affidavit and the newspaper page with them for life.
If you have gone down to a single name, check how each form wants it entered. Some systems ask for a last name and will not take a blank.
What Does It Cost, and How Long Does It Take?
| Item | Typical cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gazette charge, adult | Rs 1,100 | Paid on BharatKosh. Revised from time to time |
| Gazette charge, minor | Rs 1,700 | For a child under 18 |
| Each alias | Rs 250 more | Where more than one old form is stated |
| Affidavit | Rs 100 to Rs 500 | Stamp paper and notary |
| Newspaper notice | Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 for each paper | Depends on the paper and the edition |
| Our assistance | Quoted per case | Shown as a separate line |
If you do everything yourself, the total is usually Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000. The Gazette commonly takes 3 to 7 weeks from the affidavit to the published notice. The charge is the same whichever word you remove, and the same as for any other change of name.
Which Mistakes Should You Avoid?
| Mistake | What to do |
|---|---|
| Dropping the word in Aadhaar alone | Change the name through the Gazette, then update every record |
| Simply leaving the surname off new forms | That creates two names on record. Change it properly, once |
| Expecting the Gazette to hide the old name | It prints both. Know this before you file |
| Expecting the change to alter caste status | It does not. Certificates rest on the family record |
| Going down to a single name without thinking of travel | Consider keeping two words |
| Filing days before a certificate is needed for admission or a job | Ask the tehsil first, and leave time |
| Assuming children's names change with yours | Each child needs separate papers |
| Changing once, then again a year later | Aadhaar allows two changes in a lifetime. Decide the final form now |
A typical case we handle: a schoolteacher in Dehradun wanted his children to grow up with a name that said nothing about caste. He first thought of a single name. After thinking about his passport and their school forms, he chose to keep his first and middle name and drop only the last word, and filed one notice in the Gazette of India. This is an illustrative example of the type of case we handle, not a named client review.
When you do not need us
You can file this yourself. The Department's guideline and specimen are free, the form gives no reason, and a plain adult case has no hard part. We are useful when you want the form of name thought through, when several old forms are on your papers, or when a child's name is involved. Whatever you tell us about your reasons stays with the person handling your file. Our charge is quoted per case.
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. The file is prepared on WhatsApp and sent by post, so you need not visit any office in your own town for the Gazette step.
People Also Ask About Removing a Surname
Can I legally remove my surname in India?
Yes. An adult may drop a surname by a change of name notice in the Gazette.
Can I remove a caste name from my name?
Yes. It is filed as a change of name, and the notice gives no reason.
Does removing my surname change my caste?
No. Caste and community are recorded on your family's record, not on your name.
Will my caste certificate still be valid?
It stays valid for what it certifies. Keep the Gazette with it, and ask the tehsil for a fresh one in the new name if you need it.
Can I have only one name?
Yes. A single name is valid, though some forms and travel rules expect a last name.
Will my old name be visible after the change?
Yes, in the Gazette and on older papers. New documents carry only the new name.
Is changing my name a fundamental right?
The Allahabad High Court has held that the fundamental right to keep or change a name is vested in every citizen under Article 19(1)(a) and Article 21 of the Constitution.
Can I change my surname so I am not identified with a caste?
Yes. The Delhi High Court has said a person may change a surname so as not to be identified with a caste that may cause prejudice.
Does a new surname give me the benefits of another caste?
No. In that case the Delhi High Court made clear the change was only of the name, and did not entail a change of caste to take advantage of any reservation or benefit.
Is the right to identity protected by the Constitution?
The Delhi High Court has held that the right to identity is an intrinsic part of the right to life under Article 21.
Can a board refuse a name change because it follows a caste or religion change?
The Allahabad High Court read down a UP board regulation that barred name changes after a religious conversion, a change of caste or marriage, finding it arbitrary and disproportionate.
Is the right to change a name absolute?
No. Commentaries on these rulings note it is a fundamental right but subject to reasonable restrictions, and the Gazette office may still refuse unlawful or misleading matter.
Talk It Through Before You File
Tell us your name as it stands and the form you are thinking of. You need not tell us why. We will tell you how that form behaves on a passport and on your family's papers, and the total cost, before you pay anything.
- 📞Call 9540005026
Mon to Sat: 9 AM to 6 PM - WhatsApp 9540005064
Send your scans here, it is the fastest way - ✉️Info@uttarakhandnamechange.com
- 📍Dehradun District Court, 47/9, Haridwar Road, Near Prince Chowk, Court Road, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001
Removing a Surname or Caste Name: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remove my surname in Uttarakhand?
Is removing a surname a change of name?
Do I have to give a reason?
Can I remove a word that shows my caste?
Does removing a caste name change my caste?
What happens to my caste certificate?
Will I lose any benefit by removing my surname?
Can I keep just my first name?
Can I use my father's or mother's first name as my last name?
What is the Gazette fee?
Will my old name be hidden after the change?
Will my father's surname still appear on my papers?
Do my children's names change too?
Will my degrees be reissued?
Does a new name end my loans or cases?
Is what I tell you kept private?
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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 Gazette papers, wording and charges follow the Department of Publication's change of name guideline and its list of additional charges. What is said about caste and state certificates is general. The authority that issues a certificate or grants a benefit decides each case, so the page tells you to ask it first.
Official Sources
- Department of Publication: Change of Name and Public NoticesThe change of name guideline, which covers the deletion of a surname.
- The Gazette of India, e-Gazette portalPart IV, where a change of name is published and stays public.
- e-District UttarakhandApplications for state certificates in the new name.
- Unique Identification Authority of IndiaSupporting documents for a name change in Aadhaar, and the limit on name changes.
- Passport Seva, Ministry of External AffairsPassport re-issue after a change of name.
Removing a Surname or Caste Name: The Short Version
An adult may drop a surname or a caste word from the name. It is a change of name: an affidavit, a newspaper notice and a Gazette notification, commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult. No reason is printed. Think about the form that is left, because a single name can be awkward for travel and forms.
The change alters your name and nothing behind it. Your caste as recorded, your older papers and your duties stay as they are, and the Gazette shows both names in public. To talk the form through, message us on WhatsApp 9540005064, and we will reply in working hours.
Your Name, in the Form You Choose
Send your present name and the form you want on WhatsApp. You need not say why.