Change of Name

Types of name changes

The following is a summary of the types of name changes.

Name change after marriage

After marriage, you can choose to continue using your own surname, or you can start using your spouse's surname. Changing to your spouse's surname does not constitute a legal change of name under the Name Act.

A spouse by marriage may use the surname he or she had immediately before the marriage, the surname he or she had at birth or by adoption, the surname of his or her spouse by marriage or a hyphenated name consisting of both spouses surnames.

Changing a name from a married name to a birth (maiden) name

When a woman (man) takes a spouse's name after marriage, the name taken is considered an assumed name. In Yukon, by convention and usage a married name has come to be accepted as a legal name.

After a divorce or separation has taken place or a person just wishes to return to a birth name, Vital Statistics does not do a legal name change to return to the birth (maiden) name. After a divorce or if a woman or man is still married, but wishes to return to a maiden (birth) name, she/he may show a marriage certificate or a divorce document and a birth certificate. This should be enough to show how she/he got the married name and the name she/he wishes to return. A person must check with the agency where the ID is being changed if other requirements are necessary.

When returning to a birth (maiden) name, nothing is done to the birth certificate because the person is returning to a birth name.

Legal name change

  • The birth name is changed and the birth certificate is changed to the new name.
  • The client will have a change of name certificate and a birth certificate in the new name.

Cost of Name Change

  • $50.00 - MO, Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), Interact, cash
  • $17.50 for each family member after the initial change of name

How to do a legal change of name

One must be a Yukon resident to do a change of name in the Yukon Territory.

An application shall be made to the registrar in the prescribed form and shall include:

  1. the present and proposed names in full,
  2. the present address and previous addresses for the three month immediately preceding the application of the applicant and the person whose name is proposed to be changed,
  3. the reason for the proposed change of name and
  4. the date and place of birth of the person whose name is proposed to be changed.

An application shall be accompanied by:

  1. any consent, notice or court order required under this Act,
  2. an affidavit of qualification signed by the applicant, and
  3. such other fees, evidence or documents as may be prescribed in the regulations.

Persons applying for changes of his or her legal name where:

  1. the person is at least 19 years of age or married, widowed or divorced, and
  2. the person is ordinarily resident in the Yukon and has actually resided in the Yukon for the three months immediately preceding the date on which the application is received by the registrar.

Application for change of name of child

Subject to the other provisions of this section, any of the following persons who have lawful custody of an unmarried child may apply to the registrar for a change of the legal name of the child: the mother, the father, a person appointed pursuant to the Children's Act to exercise the rights of custody.

A change of surname under this section shall be restricted to the surname of the mother, father, or a person appointed to exercise the rights of custody.

A change of a child's surname shall be restricted to the surname of the mother, father, or of any person having lawful custody or a hyphenated surname consisting of two of the surnames of persons named above.

Where a surname of another person is different from the applicants, consent of that person is required and when the change is deleting another name, consent must be given unless that person does not have custody of the child, is not contributing to the support of the child, and has severed his or her relationship with the child. An application shall be accompanied by the written consent of every other person who has lawful custody of the child or is lawfully entitled to access to the child.

How to obtain a change of name package

A person must contact Yukon Vital Statistics at:

Vital Statistics
Box 2703
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 2C6

Walk-in and Courier
4th Floor-204 Lambert Street
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 3T2

Phone: 867-667-5207
Toll Free in Yukon only: 1-800-661-0408, ext. 5207
Fax: 867-393-6486
Email: Vital.Statistics@gov.yk.ca