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surname changes

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Tony

Tony Report 28 Oct 2004 15:42

I think there's something to be said about the degree of literacy. I have tracked my g grandfather (Irish immigrant) down as a BERGIN, though on census, marriage, birth and death records I have seen it spelt as BERGEN, BERGON, BERIGAN when the accepted form today is BURGIN. I believe the registrars and innumerators tried to spell the name as phonetically as they could, which is why you probably will find several derivations

Danny

Danny Report 28 Oct 2004 14:55

Thanks everybody, I just wanted to see if anyone had come across this. The next step is for me to get a birth cert. and cross ref a few things.The items you all have mentioned have gave me a few ideas. Cheers

Heather

Heather Report 28 Oct 2004 14:04

Hi, if he was rich he would place at advert in the London Times through a lawyer but I think a lot of people changed their names and just made them legal through usage. Actually, I remember trying to do a look up for you on Cowen and just bringing up Cohens all the time!! It may be he had a job that preferred Christian workers?

Carol

Carol Report 28 Oct 2004 13:59

As just one letter was changed, I would assume he just started using the new spelling on everything that needed his name on. Alternatively, he may have been illiterate and the new spelling was the way a registrar thought it was spelt. A possible reason for the change, I think could be, is that the original Cohen looked Jewish but Cowen didn`t. Just a few thoughts that sprang to mind.

Unknown

Unknown Report 28 Oct 2004 12:57

Daniel People could just change their name provided they consistently called themselves by their new name. I doubt if there would be a record of this. However, if he did change his name by deed poll, you might find some info here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/name/ Have you got some way of matching up new and old surname - ie several first names, unusual names, distinctive occupation, place of birth etc.? nell

Danny

Danny Report 28 Oct 2004 12:25

I think I have found my grandfather at long last, he did not appear in any census or BMD index.Why? I think the name was changed from Cohen, would this have to be done via a lawyer? Or could someone just start calling themselves by a different surname? This is in the UK around the 1890's in London. What I am trying to say would this be documented, and where?