Two Mothers Maiden Names on GRO Births

[scintilla]

Apologies if this has been covered before, I did search for a solution, but couldn't find one.

What does it mean on the GRO Birth Index if there are 2 mothers maiden names given e.g. "John Smith", mothers maiden name "Smith or Jones"? I've been trying to think of different scenarios but surely a womens maiden name is the name that they were known by before they married. Or if unmarried both the child's name and MMN would be the same.

Thanks for any help.

[davidft]

Have a look at this link (column 5 details) it should answer your question

http://home.clara.net/dixons/Certificates/births.htm

[scintilla]

Thanks for that, it helps to clarify things. It does apply to the certificate rather than the index, but obviously there is less room for detail on the index.

On further investigation in the instance I have been looking at the child is registered in both names e.g.
John Smith MMN Smith or Jones and John Jones MMN Smith or Jones

Is that correct? If the MMN entry gives the original name and previous married name of the mother, how can a child be registered under both names?

I'm still confused!!

[Nick29]

Say for instance a Mrs Brown (maiden name White) has a child as a result of an extra-marital affair with a Mr Smith (but her husband doesn't know).  The child would be registered as "Mary Brown", and indexed as such.

Then, a few months later, the husband finds out, and divorces his wife, citing adultery.

Later, after the divorce, Mrs Brown, marries Mr Smith - her wedding certificate shows her name at marriage as "White, formerly Brown".

Then, the couple decide to change Mary's birth certificate to show her real father.  The child would be re-registered, and the mother's name would be shown on the certificate as "White, formerly Brown".  The birth index would then show the child as "Mary Smith", "Mother White or Brown". 

[scintilla]

Thanks for your reply. I can follow your logic in that case. In the case I'm looking at, and I don't want to be too specific, there is more than one child registered in the same way. Although they still could be re-registered under the conditions you describe.

I guess I'm just trying to understand scenarios where the index entries I've described can arise, and why children's births may have been registered twice.

[toni*]

i appear twice in the GRO Index
my parents are not married and although i have my fathers surname i appear under my mothers maiden name (she uses my fathers surname) and also under my fathers surname

[scintilla]

Thanks for that. Does that mean under MMN on the index it has both your mothers maiden name and the name she habitually uses i.e. your fathers surname?

[toni*]

the GRO Index has Toni ..............
MMN it says ........... or .........
i am also under Toni ..................
with MMN .......... or ................

[scintilla]

Thanks Toni. I understand now how the index entries can have 2 mothers maiden names.