Civil Naming Ceremony

What is a Civil Naming Ceremony?
Special Adults
What happens during the service?
Example promises
Cost
Contacts

A few years ago the government introduced a scheme to offer civil naming ceremonies as an alternative to a religious ceremony – the same concept as offering a civil wedding as an alternative to a church wedding. Over the last few years the scheme has been adopted by most local authorities in UK who now offer a civil naming ceremony service through their Register offices.
The celebrant who officiates over these naming ceremonies is usually one of the registrars who would officiate over civil weddings and partnerships.

Each local authority has adopted their own standard naming ceremony, some working in conjunction with other companies or associations that also offer the service (See Other Naming Ceremonies). In most cases this ceremony has similar elements to those in christenings; the naming of the child, the introduction of adults who will play a special role in the child’s life, promises of commitment to the child as well as readings and music - however no religious content is permitted.

To make the ceremony more relevant to you and your child, there is usually some scope to customise certain elements including the promises that are made to the child. If you want to make the ceremony even more personal then extra options may be included such as involving grandparents in ceremony, remembering absent friends or family or presenting your child with a gift. Talk to your local register office to find out more about the options available to you.

A civil naming ceremony can be held for a child of any age as well as for babies. It is also possible to adapt the ceremony to welcome children from different marriages or adopted children

For the registrar to officiate, the naming ceremony usually needs to take place in “approved premises” which are venues approved by the local authority for civil ceremonies. See our Venues directory for those local to you.

If you want to hold your naming ceremony at home, the British Humanist Association and some commercial businesses offer alternative naming ceremonies. Some companies allow you to include some religious elements in the ceremony, perhaps to reflect the mixed religions of the parents or family. If you would prefer a more informal ceremony conducted by a friend or family member then there is also the option to purchase the ceremony script without having to use an official celebrant. See Other Naming Ceremonies for more information.

Special adults

The role of Special Adults is akin to godparents at a christening – they make promises of commitment and support to the child and sometimes to the parents. These Special Adults can be referred to by a variety of names - Supporting Adults, Mentors, Guide-parents or even Odd-parents!! There is no required number; it’s entirely up to you.
Religious welfare aside, the criteria for choosing Special Adults are usually similar to those for Godparents – for inspiration see our Choosing Godparents article and read what other people think in our Experiences section.

You may like to recognise the special bond between grandparents and grandchild by including them in the ceremony. Most registry offices offer an option of including commitments made by grandparents to the child.

What happens during the service?

As described above, the ceremony may differ slightly between authorities and some elements can be customised but the main elements are similar. The following illustrates the typical structure of a ceremony.

The entrance can be formal with the parents and child entering after the guests have assembled or an informal gathering around the celebrant; the guests are then seated
The celebrant welcomes the guests and introduces the special adults and grandparents if specifically included
The child is formally named
The parents, special adults and possibly grandparents make promises of commitment to the child
Readings and music can be incorporated in the ceremony (so long as there is no religious reference). See our Poems and Readings section for suggestions.
A record of the ceremony is signed and presented as a memento

Depending on the number of readings and the options chosen, the ceremony usually lasts about 20 minutes.

Example promises

Parents

I promise that I will always love and support my child to the best of my ability
I promise to work hard to create a loving, cheerful and comfortable home in which to raise our child
I promise that I will always ready to listen to N so that he will bring to me both his joys and his concerns
I will teach him honesty, generosity of spirit and tolerance
I will do my best to teach my child about responsibility, not only to each other, but to the world in which we live
I promise to try always to be realistic in my hopes for N’s future, and to accept the choices he makes as he matures

Special Adults

I promise that N will be able to trust me with his thoughts, his dreams and his hopes
I promise that I will always be there for N, be a shoulder to cry on, someone to confide in, and a hand to hold
I promise to teach N that we can learn and benefit from both success and failure, and I will remind him that joy is everywhere, even in the darkest times
I promise to find time for N, to be non-judgemental and supportive and to love him

Grandparents

We promise, as grandparents, before you all that we will give to N the same love and support that we gave always given to our own children
We look forward to being part of N’s life and we promise to use our experience of live to enhance his development

Shropshire County Council also give an example of their full service on their website

Cost

The cost of the ceremony, including the celebrant, ranges from about £100 - £250, depending on the local authority and whether the ceremony is to be held on a weekday or at the weekend. Contact your local register office for details.

The venue that you choose for the ceremony may charge for the hire of the licensed room, although sometimes this is included in the price if you have the reception in the same place. See our Venues directory for approved premises local to you.

Contacts

Contact the register office for the area in which you want to hold the naming ceremony to make arrangements.

Visit your local authority website to find out more about the service that is offered in your area. The DirectGov directory lists all local councils with links to their website. Usually the County Council website has more information on naming ceremonies than the one for the District Council.

The Register Office website www.gro.gov.uk has a search facility to find individual register offices in England; www.gro-scotland.gov.uk covers Scotland

To find approved venues see our Venues directory or contact the register office for that area

See also the Ceremony section of our Supplier Directory for other private organisations local to you.

Links to related articles