Christian names

[william james]

Hi all.
Could someone tell me please if it is possible to be baptized with one name, but to use another even on certs.
I have a relative who i thought was Edward Henry these where his 2 Christian names, and these where on the birth certs of his 4 children, but on his marriage cert he is Albert Edward is this allowed.
If this is so would he then have to revert back to Albert Edward on his death cert, as i am having trouble finding his death.
Thank you.
William James

[lizdb]

You can call yourself what you like.
And get married, die, have children etc using the name you call yourself, not necessarily the name you were registered with or christened with.

[william james]

Hi Lizdb.
Thank you for the reply.
It is no wonder i can't find his death.
William James

[buddysmum]

hi yes its possible i have one who was what ever he felt like being
named james walter john ,  married under one name 1census another 2nd census again changed so they seemed not to care to much about there names .
Makes it really hard to find them 

[lizdb]

My own grandfather went through life as William Herbert, married twice as William Herbert, died as William Herbert. But when we were clearing out his things we discovered his birth cert ....   "Willie"

now, if I was searching through indexes, records, christennigs etc for his birth, I would not easily have spotted that, or if I did I would not have thought it was him. His widow was amazed, she never knew.
It turned out, when we raised this with his surviving brother who emigrated many years ago, that when he was in his teens he just decided to be William Herbert, rather than  Willie, and used that ever since.

[william james]

Hi all
This makes it so hard to trace people,
the person i am looking for called himself Edward Henry Gray on the birth certs of his children, i have 3 out of 4 of the certs.
But on his marriage cert he is Albert Henry Gray.I found his marriage by searching under his wives maiden name  which i had from the children's birth certs and i have the cert so know it is right.
The story goes that he drank himself to death after her death, and she died in 1914, i have sent for her death cert. so his death should be in 1915, but free b m d dose not go up that far yet.
So will have to ask for someone to look that up for me.
Thanks again for your help.
William James

[trish251]

Hi W J

To look up the death some extra information would help - approximate location and age in 1915 (or approx year of birth)

Trish

Based on Coverage charts, FreeBDM is about 90% for 1915 and 50% for 1916 

[Jillie42]

So on marriage certificates and registering a child's birth/death a person wouldn't necessarily have to give their proper (as in name on birth certificate) Christian name? What abour electoral registers?

[kerryb]

And don't forget it may well be possible that at time of death informants may never know the real name just the name they have always known that person by as Lizb says! 

I can think of at least two examples in my family where I have amazed my parents when I have presented them with names of an uncle who they always thought was called something else.

Seems it was quite common

Kerry