Two surnames

[tillyc]

I have just found an entry on free bmd for someone. They are recorded twice but with two different surnames.  Mothers maiden name and married name is recorded in one entry and the other has mothers maiden name and a different surname.

Could anyone help with this please?
TIA
Tilly

[libby9]

We probably can't help unless you give more details. However if the person is still living you mustn't post their name.  If the person is no longer living give us their name, place birth is registered, year and qrt of birth and vol and page number.  If still living, give all details except name.

[libby9]

Is it possible Mum was married, but the child's father wasn't her husband.  Perhaps her husband had died, or she was divorced, or separated from him. 

[groom]

Not that unusual for multiple entries for different reasons- my great nephew is recorded 3 times ( his parents aren't married)

1. Once under his mother's name
2. Once under his father's name, with mother's name given
3. Once under the name double barrelled, this is the name he is known by and is the one on his actual
    birth certificate. I believe the others are just cross referencing.

You would have to get the certificate to see exactly what it says.

[tillyc]

Thank you for the replies.  The person is still living so unable to provide details.

Libby your second reply could be the answer; I have the parents living at different addresses in different parts of the country.  So it could be that though she was married the child was not her husbands.

[libby9]

Thank you for the replies.  The person is still living so unable to provide details.

Libby your second reply could be the answer; I have the parents living at different addresses in different parts of the country.  So it could be that though she was married the child was not her husbands.

It does sound a possibility.  If the baby's natural father recognised the child as his, and he went along to the register office and declared he was the actual father, then his name would be entered on a birth certificate.  Mother couldn't name him as Father unless he went with her to register the birth, but as her legal name was her married name that too would have to be recorded.

[AntonyMMM]

Is it one entry indexed twice (i.e. the reference is the same on both), or two separate entries (two different references) ?

If the references are the same then the most likely scenario is a birth to an unmarried couple, registered as joint informants. If  a maiden name is shown for the mother, that means she is (or has been) married, but not necessarily to the father of the child.

If the references are different, it is a re-registration.

You need to see the wording on the certificate to be 100% certain.