taking father in laws surname because he had no sons

[brigidmac]

I found a tree on ancestry where one man had different surname to the others

Then I found a *,story explanation that he had taken the surname of his father in law as he had no sons of his own .
Effectively adopted by him !
The writer said it was traditional to do this

Has anyone come across this ?

This was in a Jewish family in Ukraine in 1880s
& this is NOT the surname of his wife on any of the trees

[Rosinish]

Hi Brigid, does this mean the chap changed his surname in adulthood which seems more than peculiar?

If he changed his surname to his father-in-laws surname then surely he effectively had the same surname as his wife?

This doesn't make sense to me or am I reading it wrong?

Could it be he took his wife's surname on marriage as opposed to the tradition of the wife taking her husband' surname?

I think I had a similar thing (story) in my own tree where the chap supposedly took his wife's surname when they married but if I recall correctly there was something to do with an illegitimacy hence the child having the mothers' surname so the story was a cover-up & I guess they never envisaged us family historians gathering up genuine docs! 

Annie

[brigidmac]

Rosinish

Yes it does imply he changed name in adulthood

I dont understand it

His siblings surname was Fellman
He was louis SPECTER b 1857

He wasnt the eldest child

Wifes  Sarah /Zelit maiden name is given as OBLITT on childrens marriages or deaths
their children have name SPECTOR

[brigidmac]

The title of ancestry story is *childless couple

 Louis
Death gives fathers name as leo SPECTER mother as Eva Litvenchook
Siblings have mother as Chana Rivka Litvenchook

Im wondering if the writer got the story mixed up !

" Chava Ruchel('Fellman nee litvenchick)s second son, married the daughter of a man who had no sons of his own. Following the custom for such men, the father of the bride adopted his son-in-law, who then took his father-in-law's name -- Spector. "

Its made more complicated by name changes between countries Laban became Louis
Zila b Russia 1856 became Sarah ;
her death 1926 new Hampshire gives parents as Harry OBLETT and Celia R


My step sister wanted her first husband to take her surname and I know a man who changed his name before he married to a step fathers name ...so there are reasons
But * following tradition * sounds as if it was commonplace there

[Rosinish]

Yes it does imply he changed name in adulthood

I dont understand it

His siblings surname was Fellman
He was louis SPECTER b 1857

Wifes  Sarah /Zelit maiden name is given as OBLITT on childrens marriages or deaths
their children have name SPECTOR

You'd need to find his marriage to try & work out what was going on?

Annie

[youngtug]

Change of name in adulthood is known, I have seen several such. An example here, although I don't think most were of this complexity ;
    http://www.layston-church.org.uk/journal8.html

     

[brigidmac]

Looking for marriage is hard because they married pre registration* oops auto correct I meant emigration

I have messaged a few people who have louis SPECTRE on trees and am going thru notes on children
And dna matches to related family names

Im interested. In the idea of a tradition
Maybe just means men without sons not fathers in laws specifically

[josey]

It happened in Scotland when a male had to take the name of his wife's father in order to inherit an estate if the Tailzie - Entailment - required the superior/laird to have a certain surname.

[brigidmac]

Different customs in different places for different reasons
An Iraqi friend told be adoptions are not recognized in Iraq and a child has to keep birth name

Scottish records seem to.show a lot of children using presumed  birth fathers name on censuses etc
Certainly in earlier days before paternity tests  surnames as middle names or surnames were used to proof of paternity in Scotland  England and Wales ...I dont have any Irish or Carholic examples .