I have a paper somewhere in my filing 
that lists 104 - yes 104 - different ways to spell my surname!
Dawn M
I cannot top that Dawn, but between my siblings and I, (one born before WWII and the rest of us born after WWII) we know there's many many variations in spelling for 'our' surname. Four of us had the same Primary School teacher for 4th class, (over about ten years or more) at the same school etc. And even then, our half yearly and yearly report cards, in her wonderfully neat handwriting show huge spelling mistakes.... urrrrmmmm welll ..... (every report card .... varies .... every one !)
It was not for want of trying, as both my parents were well known in the rural NSW township, and so too my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and grandparents/ great aunts/uncles.... all living at that time, in that locality, writing letters to the local newspaper, running the local P & C, on the local councils, parish commitments, etc. Generations of us had lived in that district.
Basically, in my youth no one took much notice of the spelling variations. We all know who was who, not by the names on these official records, but by their nick names .... Snowy, Rodge, Fred, Joe, Blossom, Gunna, Sweetie, Cor, Gwen, Martha, ...... (yes, Gwen was not among her names on her bc, and as for Martha .... that was the name of HIS first milking cow, and he would call out to her, so we just copied him until he started to answer us) ....
It has only been since about the 1990s that there has been a fixation on pedantically cross checking identity documents in NSW for Spelling variations.
Pine's point is spot on for any NSW Australia family.
May I mention that apart from spelling variations, many jurisdictions around the world, particularly those with administrative systems that may have origins back to England in earlier centuries, retain a common law right for their citizens and/or permanent residents, particularly in respect of their 'preferred' name.
So basically,
"Australian citizens or permanent residents are legally entitled to communce using a 'preferred' name at any time without formal process. Australian citizens retain a common law right to a change of name through usage or repute:
At common law an adult may assume any surname by using such name and becoming known by it. A surname is not a matter of law but a mater of repute ..... The law of this country (Australia) allows any person to assume and use any named, provided its use is not calculated to deceive and to inflict pecuniary loss " .... See NSW Law Reform Commision, Names : Registration and Certification of Births and Deaths, Report no 61 (1988)
http://www.lawreform.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/report_61.pdf Cheers, JM
On my tree records, I use the spelling of my surname to match the spelling on my marriage certificate. The clergy had the same surname, and so too one of the witnesses. It is a variation from Grandfather's spelling, but it does not mean that either Grandfather or I have used the 'correct spelling' .... it is simply that of course I remember how to spell it MY way
when I am typing it.
