How do you handle a surname change in your family tree?

Question

I have a lady in my family tree who, after divorcing, reverted to her maiden name and had her children's names changed to her maiden name as well. I already had them recorded under their original (father's) surname, so should I:

a) Leave their original surname (Jacob Smith)
b) Change it to their mother's surname (Jacob Jones)
c) Combine the two somehow (Jacob Smith Jones or Jacob [Smith] Jones)?
d) Other: _________________

The goal, of course, is to make it easy for anyone who comes looking for this Jacob kid to recognize him as the right person.

Answer 1

You would always put the birth name in and then add the name change together with document number ( if it was done legally) and add information in notes depending on software you use.....My maternal family use a name that before I started researching I believed was the surname ( as they all did) only to find my great grandfather at the age of 10 years reverted to using his mothers maiden name (which is the family name used today) then used different versions of his first middle and 2 surnames in different orders throughout his life....no legal name change documentation and it has made it very difficult to document, so I have also done a time line of his life and added that with each document number and what name he used on it.....I have tried to make it logical to me with explanations and I also keep a paper record which does make it more logical if others look at it as I don't think software caters for things like this and yet there must be lots of ancestors who did it

Answer 2

Roots Magic has a date field on the alternate name event.



So, with it, I'd record Jacob as Jacob Smith, then add an alternate name of Jacob Smith with a date of when the mom changed it. A note with the mom can't hurt either.

Answer 3

Most genealogy software have fact types such as Name-sake and Alternative name or you can create a custom fact like "Name Change" using just a description. Or just put it in notes.



And in the description put something like:

After divorce the mother reverted to her maiden name and also change the children surname to her maiden name.

Answer 4

I'd put both names like "Jacob Smith/ Jones" or just "Jacob Smith or Jones" depends if you think it looks okay and if whatever program you are using lets you do it, and a note explaining what the situation is.

Answer 5

You could record the birth name of the children as John Smith (original) or John [Smith] Jones.

and you could do an annotation in the notes that explains the name change.

Answer 6

you could search from immigration records, most countries require immigrates to register and make a declaration of intent on entry and surnames are usually listed on the immigration records. If the surname was changed at the time of immigration there should be a record of it, if the person you are looking for was a legal immigrant.

Answer 7

A Family Tree (Ahnentafel) is about ancestors. A woman is always listed by her maiden name: if unknown, put UNK or nmn. Children, who should be placed on the family sheet page, are listed by their father's surname.



In the Notes or Biography, you can state any legal name changes, as through adoption or whatever.

Answer 8

I would create a "timeline" entry up to they were "Smith" and then at this point in the Timeline they became Miller, with notations as to why this happened noting their birthnames.



Robert