Surname query

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Profile	Posted by	Options	Post Date
Member Since: August 2008 Posts: 3 Send Message	Lesley	Report	10 Apr 2010 18:49
Member Since: August 2008 Posts: 3 Send Message	On receiving the wedding certificate of my husbands grandfather his father was shown as Beevers although on the birth certificate it was Nixon. The greatgrandfathers birth certificate was Beevers with mothers name as Nixon but the marriage certificate was Nixon.. On 1901 census the family are all recorded as Beevers. Is it common place that two surnames can be used on certificates? How accurate are census, I am totally confused as to what we should be called and what name I should be placing on my tree. The family have been called Nixon since 1911 If you are able to follow the above rambling I would appreciate your view.
Member Since: November 2003 Posts: 28,261 Send Message	KathleenBell	Report	10 Apr 2010 19:02
	It sounds to me as if somewhere along the line one of the children was born before their parent's marriage and was called one name on the birth certificate but was actually known by the father's (or step-father's) name. They then decided to use the birth name when they married. It happens quite a bit and people sometimes change their surname for no particular reason. I just use whatever name is on the birth certificate and mention the other name in notes. Kath. x