Different people?

[warpo]

Just wanted to grab your thoughts on this,

I have an Alfred Phillip Wilmore

Born 27th April 1896 (Kings Lynn)
Baptised 15 July 1898 (Kings Lynn)
(Parents = Moses Alexander Wilmore & Frances Wilmore, nee Heathorn)

At 4 years of age in the 1901 England census he was living with parents and siblings in Kings Lynn.

At 15 years of age in the 1911 England census he was living with parents and siblings in Kings Lynn and is recorded as being a Shop Draper Boy.

Now he disappears. I cannot find no Marriage or Death for this chap.

Not to be confused with his elder brother of the same name who died as a child (1894-1895)

HOWEVER, either he died, or on the 1939 register he's changed his name to Reginald Phillip Arthur Wilmore (Born on the same date: 27 Apr 1896). Was this common practice or am I looking into the similarity of the name and the coincidence of the exact date of birth too much.

Proofs I have:

Alfred Phillip Wilmore, born 27 April 1896. (The baptism entry on the 15th July 1896 records the birth date).

Reginald P.A. Wilmore. (1939 Register records date of birth as 27 April 1896).

Either way a little help would be very much appreciated.
Warpo

[Annette7]

I would say it's the same person - perhaps he didn't like having the same name as his dead brother and changed it once he was an adult.

Annette

[Annette7]

Definitely the same person - on Surrey electoral roll 1938/1939 at same address where you found him in 1939 - listed there as Alfred Philip with wife Edith BUT in 1931/1932 also in Surrey when living at another address he is Reginald Philip Alfred (not Arthur).

So he switched round his 2 Christian names which he then preceded with Reginald.

Annette

[warpo]

Thank you so much Annette for your help

[LizzieW]

So he switched round his 2 Christian names which he then preceded with Reginald.

My husband's grandfather did that and my husband's brother had real difficulty when he tried to register his death trying to convince the registrar that it was the same person as shown on his birth certificate.