Daft Question ?

[JulesSmith]

When a child is born to a woman in her second marriage, is the mother's name given as her first married name or her original maiden name.

Just trying to find a couple of births on BMD but not sure what I'm looking for exactly.

[Sue at the seaside]

probably not such a daft question!

Haven't got a clue, but from my experience women can chose what name they want, g grandma gave a name that was nothing to do with the family, from what I can gather!

[Phoenix]

In theory, it should be her maiden name. In practice, it depends on how the question is asked. I've got a family where the mother uses both.
I suppose it would also depend on who registered the event. It it wasn't the mother, the informant might not know/remember the maiden name.

[JulesSmith]

Thankyou.

[Guy]

No, the name given should be the name in current use, i.e. her second husband's surname.

After marriage the woman is not called by her maiden name therefore it is no longer her legal name.
Cheers
Guy

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Guy, I think Jules was refering to the mmn given in the indexes after 1911.

I have seen both, but it should be the maiden name of the mother that is noted.

[JulesSmith]

Yes Merry that is what I mean, thanks. Will start the search again.

[maggie_4_7]

No, the name given should be the name in current use, i.e. her second husband's surname.

After marriage the woman is not called by her maiden name therefore it is no longer her legal name.
Cheers
Guy

There is no legal reason as far as I know that you have to use your husband's surname even if you are married.

So yes it would the one in current use for most things but not neccessarily your husband's surname - but on births they want the original Maiden surname as stated above.

[Helen Smith Too]

The column on certificate is headed - 'Name, surname and maiden surname of mother', so the maiden name should always be there.

I have one where the child is of a second mariage and the mother's name is written as Ann Morral, late Haney, formerly Webster.

Morral is current married surname.
Haney is first married surname.
Webster is maiden surname.

I've just looked in the bmd on Ancestry for 2 that I know of, and in both cases only the mother's maiden name is shown, not a previous married name.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Really, there is no reason to put a previous married name for the mother on a child's birth cert.

A child born to a current marriage is nothing to do with any previous marriage - it does not concern the child, so why would that information be on a birth cert?

OC

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Really, there is no reason to put a previous married name for the mother on a child's birth cert.

A child born to a current marriage is nothing to do with any previous marriage - it does not concern the child, so why would that information be on a birth cert?

OC

I agree it doesn't seem necessary, but thank goodness they bothered with this info!!

The family I have where the mum gives her previous married name as her maiden name for every birth in her second marriage (5 of them, from memory) are all registered by the same registrar. I suppose he wasn't very good at asking the right question? - she always got her maiden name right when in her first marriage!

[Vivienne]

No, the name given should be the name in current use, i.e. her second husband's surname.

After marriage the woman is not called by her maiden name therefore it is no longer her legal name.
Cheers
Guy

I'm amazed, never thought I would see Guy put a post that is wrong!

A womans maiden name is always legal, it is her choice whether to use her husbands name or not.

I had this out with the registrar when I married for the second time. She was going to put my first husbands name on the licence & I insisted it was my maiden name. She gave in after checking & my maiden name is the name I married in.

[KiteRunner]

You will often find that on the actual certificate it will give all the surnames that the woman has ever been known by, and on the GRO index the MMN should be her original maiden name, but sometimes there will be a mistake and they will have put the wrong one on the index, or indeed left a surname off the certificate.

[Guy]

I'm amazed, never thought I would see Guy put a post that is wrong!

A womans maiden name is always legal, it is her choice whether to use her husbands name or not.

I had this out with the registrar when I married for the second time. She was going to put my first husbands name on the licence & I insisted it was my maiden name. She gave in after checking & my maiden name is the name I married in.

Yes I mis-read the question I read it as if the question was asking what would the child's surname be.
Lack of attention on my part.

As for a woman's legal name I am sorry but you are wrong, a woman's legal name is the name she currently uses, this may be her maiden name if she has reverted to it or it may be her husband's surname, or any other name she chooses.
Cheers
Guy

PS Suggestions issued by the Registrar General for the Guidance of the Clergy relative to the duties imposed on them by the Marriage and Registration Acts states the following:

“Col 2. (“Name and Surname.”) …If either of the Parties has adopted or is commonly known by a Christian Name or Surname other than his or her true Name or Surname, both Names or Surnames should be recorded in the Register Book with the word “otherwise” between them, thus:- “Wilson otherwise Overton” : …
…In the case of a Divorced Woman, her Christian name or Names and Surname should be entered, thus : Ann Meredith, formerly Brown (Spinster)” [or “Widow,” as the case may be].
If the Woman be one whose former Husband has not been known by her to have been living during the last Seven Years, her last Married Surname should be inserted. In the case of a re-marriage, arising from whatever cause, the Woman should be described in this Column by her Husband’s Surname, followed by the word “formerly,” and then by her Maiden Surname.”

Guy

[Olde Crone Holden]

Guy

You and Vivienne have said the same thing - a woman can use whatever name she chooses to use, be it her maiden name, her married name or any passing name that takes her fancy!

I can quite see that a MARRIAGE certificate should reflect the various changes of name a woman might have had, but fail to see why the birth certificate of her child should mention anything other than her current surname and the name she was born with.

OC

[Vivienne]

I can only speak from experience & I would have thought that the registrar knew what she was doing when she issued the license, especially as they had a conference on it & the only name in the maiden name column on my marriage cert is my maiden name.