Genealogy Chat

Old Crone is right, it is the name used at the first marriage. This can be different to the birthname (rare). Just looked at my cousins index (who's mother had remarried ) and it's indexed under the birthname. Bob

A woman's maiden name is the surname she used when she was a MAIDEN, i.e. unmarried. I have never known the term 'maiden name' to mean anything else. OC

Hi Maggie, on my daughters birth certificate it only has my one surname. The registra never asked me if I had been married. Her father was there when we registered so I think the registra presumed as we weren't married that I'd never been married. I Guess it should have said F.... H..... Late F...... O...... Formally F...... H........ But it only says F....... H........ Fiona.

Hi Jim Thanks for your reply. Mine just had one name, but I was hoping.

Hello Maggie I have a copy birth certificate for the year 1868 for one of my wife's ancestors. On the details of the baby's Mother it states the present married name also previous married name ( obviously was wed twice ) and finally the maiden name of the baby's Mother. Like this - Amelia DUGAN, previously HOW, formerly BLAKE Regards Jimbob

Marie Add another thing I learned today!! I did not know that. It could mean a big difference in my brick wall if she did use a previous married name. Gives me another direction to look anyway. Thanks very much!

Thanks Shirley and Alexandra. Sounds as if it could be either one then, I suspected as much but wondered if they had to show any form of proof of identity. This thickens the plot even more. I have been trying to solve this mystery for a long time, with the help of lots of the good people out there, seems there are no easy answers. Back to the trawling. Cheers.

Just a line to say that in Registration a maiden name is the name you were known by before your last marriage, NOT always your birth name as is usually assumed.

Well I have a lady who was married twice and the cert says mother - Mary Ann Pratt, late Patmore, formerly Pilley. So Patmore was her widowed surname and Pilley her maiden name. At the end of the day it was up to the woman as to how much information she gave. Also if it wasn't the mother registering the birth someone might not know her previous married name or thought her previous married name was her maiden name... if that makes sense!

I suppose it all depends how the question was asked by the registrar.If he said what was your previous name instead of what was your maiden name then he may have got her name before she married the present hubby. There are many combinations on how the question was asked as to what reply he got. For instance my paternal gran was Emma Anne ,her second hubby registered their first born and put mums name as Annie cos that was what he called her.so the cert is only as accurate as the informant gives Shirley

When giving details for a child's birth certificate would the mother always have given her birth name? If she had been married previously might she have used the name she was last known by? Grasping at straws here! thanks for any opinions.