Surname Change in Uttarakhand
Adding, dropping or replacing a surname: when a Gazette is needed, when another paper does the work, the wording, the fee and the order of record updates.
A surname change in Uttarakhand, with no marriage, divorce or adoption paper behind it, is a change of name and goes through the Gazette. The Gazette of India charge is commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult and Rs 1,700 for a minor. A surname that changed by a registered marriage or a divorce decree usually needs no Gazette.
A surname change in Uttarakhand can mean four different things: adding a surname, dropping one, replacing one, or correcting how one is spelt. Each takes a different route. This page explains surname change in Uttarakhand for each case, so you file the right paper once and do not pay for a Gazette you never needed.
For the Gazette steps in full, read gazette name change in Uttarakhand. If your surname changed because of a wedding, start with name change after marriage in Uttarakhand.
What Counts as a Surname Change?
People say "surname change" for four different jobs. Work out which one is yours before anything else.
| Kind | Example | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Adding a surname | Rakesh Kumar becomes Rakesh Kumar Negi | A change of name |
| Dropping a surname | Suresh Singh Rawat becomes Suresh Singh | A change of name |
| Replacing a surname | Anil Rawat becomes Anil Rana | A change of name |
| Correcting a spelling | Bist, in one record, should read Bisht | A correction, if the true name never changed |
The Department of Publication's guideline for a change of name covers a change of name and the addition or deletion of a surname. So the first three rows are all filed as a change of name. The Department also lists separate guidelines for some surname cases, so read the one that fits yours on its website.
The fourth row is different. If one record misspelt a surname that is right everywhere else, you have a correction, and the office that made the mistake may fix it with no Gazette. See name correction vs name change.
When Does a Surname Change Need a Gazette?
You need a Gazette when
- You are adding, dropping or replacing a surname by your own choice
- No marriage certificate, divorce decree or adoption paper explains the change
- An office has asked for a Gazette notification in writing
- Your papers carry two surnames and nothing links them
- A child's surname is being changed
You usually do not need one when
- Your surname changed by a registered marriage, and you hold the certificate
- You are going back to a maiden surname with a final decree of divorce
- The surname changed by adoption, and you hold the adoption paper
- One record misspelt the surname, and its office will correct it
- Only the order of your names, or an initial, is being edited in Aadhaar
The second list follows the Aadhaar rules, which allow these updates with the right supporting paper. UIDAI's own answer on name changes lists the marriage certificate, the divorce decree and the adoption certificate along with the Gazette notification. If your case is in the second list, you may not need us, and we will say so on the phone.
Which Surname Cases Do We See From Uttarakhand?
No surname on the certificates
The school wrote only "Rakesh Kumar" or "Sunita Devi". The family surname is on no paper, and a passport or a job form now asks for one.
Family uses another surname
The father writes Negi and the children were recorded as Singh. The family wants one surname on everyone's papers.
Kumar, Singh or Devi as the last name
A middle name has become the surname in records. The person wants the family name added after it, or in its place.
A different surname by choice
A person wants to take the mother's surname, or to stop using a surname altogether.
Travel and work abroad
A passport with a single name, or a surname that differs from the degree, is causing trouble with a visa or an employer.
Two spellings in use
Bisht and Bist, Joshi and Joshee, Pant and Panth. Some papers carry one and some the other.
Each of these has an answer, but not the same answer. The first five are changes of name. The sixth may be a correction, or a change with an alias, depending on which spelling your oldest record carries.
Which Route Does Your Surname Case Take?
| Your case | Route | Main paper |
|---|---|---|
| Adding a family surname that is on none of your papers | Gazette change of name | Gazette notification |
| Dropping a surname you no longer want to use | Gazette change of name | Gazette notification |
| Replacing one surname with another | Gazette change of name | Gazette notification |
| Wife taking her husband's surname, marriage registered | Certificate route | Marriage certificate |
| Going back to a maiden surname after divorce | Decree route | Certified, final decree |
| Husband taking his wife's surname | Gazette change of name | Gazette notification |
| Child's surname, both parents agree | Gazette, minor | Gazette notification, with both parents' affidavit |
| One record misspells the surname | Correction at the issuing office | That office's own form. A public notice if it asks |
| Different surnames across many papers | Gazette change of name with an alias | Gazette notification |
For the rows that do not use the Gazette, see name change after divorce, child surname change after divorce and alias name in a gazette notification.
How Does a Gazette Notice for a Surname Change Read?
The notice follows the Department's change of name specimen. These are illustrations, with made-up names and addresses.
Adding a surname
I hitherto known as RAKESH KUMAR, son of Shri GOVIND SINGH NEGI, residing at 7, Mall Road, Almora, Uttarakhand 263601, have changed my name and shall hereafter be known as RAKESH KUMAR NEGI.
Dropping a surname
I hitherto known as SURESH SINGH RAWAT, son of Shri MOHAN SINGH RAWAT, residing at 14, Nehru Colony, Dharampur, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, have changed my name and shall hereafter be known as SURESH SINGH.
Replacing a surname
I hitherto known as ANIL RAWAT, son of Shri DHAN SINGH RAWAT, residing at 31, Dharanaula, Almora, Uttarakhand 263601, have changed my name and shall hereafter be known as ANIL RANA.
Each ends with the line that the applicant has complied with other legal requirements. The form is signed in the old name and carries two witnesses. The notice gives no reason, so nothing about why you changed your surname is printed.
Which Documents Does a Surname Change Need?
For the Gazette of India, the Department's guideline for a change of name lists these papers.
| Document | What it must be |
|---|---|
| Undertaking | Signed by you, showing your old name and your new name |
| Original newspaper | Your change of name printed in a daily local leading newspaper, with your father's or husband's name and your address |
| Prescribed form | Computer typed, in two copies, signed by you in your old name and by two witnesses |
| CD | The same text in MS Word, without the witness part, with your old name typed in place of the signature |
| Photographs and identity proof | Two self-attested passport size photographs and a self-attested copy of photo identity proof |
| Certificate | Signed by you, that the hard copy and the soft copy carry the same contents |
| Request letter with the fee | To the Controller of Publications, with the BharatKosh receipt |
A notarised affidavit is made first in practice, because newspapers and the offices that update your records later often ask for it. For a child, the parents' affidavit and the child's birth certificate are added, with a custody or guardianship order where only one parent applies.
Documents must not be older than one year, and nothing submitted is returned. Each paper is explained on our documents required for gazette name change page.
How Do You Change 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: Confirm that you need a Gazette
Check your case against the lists above. A marriage certificate, a decree or a correction may do the work.
Step 2: Fix the exact new name
Write down the full name, with spelling, spacing and order, and do not change it afterwards.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: Publish the newspaper notice
Print the change in a daily local leading newspaper. 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
Confirm the charge for your wording, pay online and print the receipt. It is not refunded.
Step 8: Send the file yourself, then download the Gazette
Send it in person or by post, 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.
The application is taken from the applicant, in person or by post or courier. An agent or an advocate cannot hand it in for you.
Can You Use the Uttarakhand Gazette for a Surname Change?
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 surname will be used
For a passport, a visa, 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.
What Does a Surname Change Cost?
| 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 name is stated |
| Both "daughter of" and "wife of" | Rs 250 more | Use one relation to avoid it |
| Both present and permanent address | Rs 250 more | One address is usually enough |
| A line that the name is changed and not the religion | Rs 250 more | Only where that line is asked for |
| 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, and the Gazette commonly takes 3 to 7 weeks from the affidavit to the published notice. The Rs 250 entries come from the Department's own list of additional charges. Confirm the total for your wording before you pay.
Can a Whole Family Change Its Surname Together?
A family can decide together. The papers are still made person by person.
- Each adult files a separate notice, with a separate newspaper notice, form and fee.
- A child under 18 is applied for by the parents or the legal guardian, at the minor's charge.
- A son or daughter aged 18 or above files alone, as an adult.
- Every notice should carry the new surname in exactly the same spelling.
Plan the order. When a father changes his surname, his new name will appear as the father's name in his children's later papers. File the father's notice first, then the children's, so each child's notice can give the father's name as it now stands.
The Department's list of additional charges has its own entries for some combined cases, such as a parent who marries again and changes a name along with a minor child's. Ask the Department how your family's notices will be counted.
In Which Order Do You Update Your Records?
The Gazette is supporting proof. It does not correct any record by itself. You apply to each office, one by one.
- Aadhaar, at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra, with the Gazette and proof of the old name.
- PAN, through the correction application. Never apply for a second PAN.
- 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 and other papers, as each office directs.
Aadhaar allows a name change only twice in a lifetime, so settle the spelling before step 1. UIDAI also says the address in the Gazette should match your Aadhaar, so give the Aadhaar address in your notice.
Your degrees and marksheets are not reissued for a change of surname made later in life. Keep the Gazette with them. For fresh state certificates in the new name, apply again on the e-District portal.
What Does a Surname Change Not Change?
It does not by itself change
- Who your parents are, or your place in your family
- Your caste or community as recorded by the authorities
- Your date of birth or any other detail
- Papers already issued in your old name, which stay valid
- Your rights in family property
It does change
- The name you are known by, on each record you update
- How your name appears on later documents
- The name your children's later papers show as a parent's name
A caste, residence or income certificate is issued by the state on your family's record, not on your surname. If you need one in the new name, apply for it afresh with the Gazette. These are general points. For a question about property or a certificate in a dispute, ask a lawyer or the tehsil.
Which Mistakes Do People Make With a Surname Change?
| Mistake | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Paying for a Gazette when a marriage certificate or decree would have done | Check your case against the lists first |
| Filing a change of name for what was a spelling error in one record | That is a correction. Ask the issuing office |
| Stopping at the affidavit | The affidavit starts the change. The Gazette completes it |
| Using the new surname on forms before the Gazette is published | Use the name on your identity proof until it is updated |
| A different spelling of the new surname in each paper | Fix it once and copy it everywhere |
| Choosing a state Gazette when a passport is the next step | Use the Gazette of India |
| Changing the children's papers before the father's | File the parent's notice first |
| Leaving an old surname that is on some papers out of the notice | State it as an alias |
| Updating the bank before Aadhaar and PAN | Keep the order |
A typical case we handle: a young man from Almora had "Rakesh Kumar" on every certificate, and his father's surname, Negi, on none. A job abroad needed a surname in his passport. He filed a change of name in the Gazette of India to add the surname, updated Aadhaar and PAN, and then had the passport reissued. This is an illustrative example of the type of case we handle, not a named client review.
When you do not need us
If your surname changed by a registered marriage or a divorce decree, you most likely need no Gazette. If one office misspelt it, that office can usually correct it. And if your case is a plain adult change and you are at ease with forms, the Department's guideline and this site are enough to file it yourself. Our charge, where we prepare the file, 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 from your own district.
People Also Ask About Surname Change
How can I change my surname legally in Uttarakhand?
By a change of name notice in the Gazette, after an affidavit and a newspaper notice, unless a marriage certificate or a divorce decree already supports the change.
Is a gazette compulsory for a surname change?
For a change by your own choice, yes. Not usually for a surname changed by a registered marriage or a divorce decree.
Can I add a surname to my name?
Yes. Adding a surname is filed as a change of name in the Gazette.
Can I remove my surname?
Yes. Dropping a surname is also a change of name. Check that the offices you deal with accept a name without one.
What is the fee for a surname change in the gazette?
Commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult and Rs 1,700 for a minor in the Gazette of India.
Does changing my surname change my caste?
No. A surname is a name. Caste certificates are issued on your family's record.
Is changing my surname 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. 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.
What does the passport office need for a surname change after marriage?
Passport Seva lists the marriage certificate, or a joint photo declaration signed by both husband and wife on Annexure J.
Is adding a surname in the 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, and Passport Seva sends a full change of name after marriage through the standard name change procedure.
Can a board refuse a surname change after a caste change or marriage?
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.
Find the Right Route for Your Surname
Tell us your present name, the surname you want and why. We will tell you if you need a Gazette at all, which route fits and what it will cost in total, 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
Surname Change in Uttarakhand: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change my surname in Uttarakhand?
Do I always need a Gazette to change my surname?
Is adding a surname a change of name?
Can I drop my surname and use a single name?
What is the Gazette fee for a surname change?
How long does a surname change take?
Which documents are needed?
Is a spelling correction in my surname a surname change?
Can I take my mother's surname?
Can I change my child's surname?
Do all family members need separate Gazette notices?
Will my degrees be reissued with the new surname?
Does a surname change affect my caste certificate?
Which Gazette should I choose for a surname change?
Can someone submit the Gazette file for me?
What do you charge for a surname change?
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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 each office accepts is the usual position, so check that office's own list before you apply.
Official Sources for a Surname Change
- Department of Publication: Change of Name and Public NoticesThe change of name guidelines, the surname guidelines and the list of additional charges.
- The Gazette of India, e-Gazette portalPart IV, where a change of name is published.
- BharatKosh, the Non-Tax Receipt PortalWhere the Gazette charge is paid.
- Unique Identification Authority of IndiaSupporting documents for a name change in Aadhaar.
- Uttarakhand Gazette portalPublished state gazettes.
- e-District UttarakhandState certificates in the new name.
Surname Change in Uttarakhand: The Short Version
Adding, dropping or replacing a surname by your own choice is a change of name, filed in the Gazette after an affidavit and a newspaper notice. The Gazette of India charge is commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult and Rs 1,700 for a minor. A surname changed by a registered marriage or a divorce decree usually needs no Gazette, and a misspelling in one record is a correction.
Fix the whole name once, keep it the same in every paper, and update Aadhaar first. To find the right route for your case, send your details on WhatsApp 9540005064, and we will reply in working hours.
One Surname, on Every Paper, Done Once
Send your present name and the surname you want on WhatsApp. We tell you the route before you pay.