Adding a middle name after birth?

[StephenEdwardReid]

My great grandfather was born in 1880 with the name George Pitt, but when he died in 1940 he was named as George William Pitt. (Yes, it definitely is the same person!) His fathers name was William but I don't know if there is a precedent for this type of thing, or a reason? I can't find any help online about adding a middle name. Can anyone help?

[jbml]

I've seen this sort of thing. Certainly not without precedent.

It may be something as simple as a cousin being born who was also called George Pitt, so they adopted middle names in the family to tell them apart. Giving them both their father's name as a middle name would be the most obvious way of doing it.

[LizzieL]

I have several cases where a middle name gets added after baptism. One ancestor used his mother's maiden name as a middle name on his marriage record but was not baptised with a middle name. His mother died when he was very young and his father remarried and had a second family, so it may have been to honour his mother. A brother and sister were orphaned when both parents drowned in a boating accident. The boy added his father's forename and the girl added the mother's forename as middle names.
I have one case where a child was baptised a second time a few months after first baptism and another forename added. Definitely only one person, only one registration at GRO corresponding with first baptism.

[Rosinish]

I've had the same although only Catholic relatives (to date) & have often wondered if it was actually their 'Confirmation' name?

Annie

[Josephine]

I've got a few instances of that in my family tree. All Protestant.

I've also got someone who completely changed her name from Hannah/Annie to Susannah Matilda (no legal process involved or necessary, apparently).

It can make it harder to track them.

[roopat]

Both my parents had 3 Christian names,  the third being their Catholic confirmation name. As a teenager I always wished I'd been confirmed so I could have another name of my choosing   


Pat

[StanleysChesterton]

My great-grandmother was given a two names when she was born.
When she married, aged 20, she'd dropped the first name - and she didn't use it in the Censuses or the 1939 register.
When she died she'd randomly added a new middle name, that of her mother.

[a-l]

I also have a few in my trees

[rolnora]

I also have a few in my trees

Yes so have I.