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Time mother's names on marriage certificates.

(43 Posts)
JessM Fri 31-Jan-14 09:43:32

When someone gets married the names of the father of the bride and the father of the groom appear on the marriage certificate. This petition makes the point that it is high time mothers' names also appeared.

www.change.org/petitions/mothers-names-should-be-on-marriage-certificates?share_id=fwFBQmgpvI&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

grannyactivist Sat 01-Nov-14 13:35:06

When my daughters were adopted they both became fiercely proud of their new surname to the point that neither of them wanted to give it up on marriage. Both of them discussed the option of husband's changing their surname, but eventually one daughter kept her maiden name and the other uses her husband's.
There's a very interesting article here.

Wheniwasyourage Mon 14-Jul-14 10:25:56

Oh yes, sorry, just looked at the petition and it does affect Wales too. Don't really feel I can sign it as I don't feel entitled to a view, but good luck with it.

Wheniwasyourage Mon 14-Jul-14 10:23:52

Just checked my marriage certificate, mcem and yes, it has the names of both parents of both of us, including maiden surnames of our mothers. Scotland, 1974. As the sky has not fallen and neither has a feminist revolution taken place (pity) in Scotland, I don't see why there should be a problem about acknowledging people's mothers in England - and Wales, or are you the same as us?

FarNorth Sun 13-Jul-14 22:16:24

I once knew a married couple who had both taken an entirely new name after their marriage, as they didn't care for either of their original surnames.

Lilygran Tue 08-Jul-14 11:19:16

https://www.change.org/p/mothers-names-should-be-on-marriage-certificates/u/53bb1bfca9840666e3015fa0?tk=6ZNkl9vV88HiRFVScRGO2h4Hhb0nPw__I4tpiPp0eRU&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_update_email

lornajk Tue 08-Jul-14 11:06:58

Oh yes definitely! As a family historian I know how important this is - other countries do it, so why not us?

rosequartz Mon 07-Jul-14 12:16:08

Depends on the matriarch!

Atqui Mon 07-Jul-14 11:44:50

My daughter would probably say" What do you expect? Marriage is a patriarchal institution!"

rosequartz Mon 07-Jul-14 09:57:27

Discussing family history research with a relative, she pointed out that the first rule that she was taught was to research the maternal line back, as you can be sure that your mother is your mother (usually) but that - need I say more?

I do look like my paternal aunt though.

Yes, mother's name and occupation should be on your marriage certificate, another anomoly left over from the past.

mcem Mon 07-Jul-14 08:50:17

My marriage certificate does contain the names of father and mother of bride and groom. Believe that's standard in Scotland. This has now made me wonder if parents' names are required for DD's forthcoming civil partnership. I must ask her!

thatbags Mon 07-Jul-14 08:19:27

Writing to my MP. Thanks for the link, jess.

Purpledaffodil Mon 07-Jul-14 08:05:13

On a flippant note, I had a child in my class who had a double barrelled surname and hyphenated first names too. Made class lists interesting and fitting it on his tray was impossible unless you used a tiny font. They were long names all four and not to be shortened on any account.sad

JessM Mon 07-Jul-14 06:44:20

This campaign is getting somewhere.
If you want to support it, write to your MP and ask him/her to support the early day motion mentioned in the link. I always use www.writetothem.com to write to MPs, it is very easy.

https://www.change.org/p/mothers-names-should-be-on-marriage-certificates/u/53b7098c3b477304200325a3?tk=5lufNaI0wzB8YTjFyUoMQj_dbV4CwPxiY1ZM8VkIjd8&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_update_email

JessM Sat 01-Feb-14 08:05:53

I will suggest that to my sister anno who is contemplating a change of name post split-up. It would make her surname Florencesdaughter I guess, if the tradition is to take the mother's first name. Not sure that it has a ring to it. Will stick to my father's name, which sounds like a woman's name hmm

absent Fri 31-Jan-14 21:27:38

In my husband's family the eldest children have family surnames as second names but without the hyphen. So he's absent mum's maiden name husband, as it were. Nevertheless, we have different surnames.

annodomini Fri 31-Jan-14 21:03:53

What about the Icelandic convention by which a woman uses her mother's name with -dottir as a suffix. I could rename myself Ethelsdaughter.

durhamjen Fri 31-Jan-14 21:00:38

It's a bit of a problem, Elegran. I asked my father's one surviving sister, but her protective brother does not want her to delve into things. It's difficult when people are still alive and do not want to discuss their heritage.
I have looked at canal workers online, but got nowhere. Although my dad was quite close to his youngest sister, he was 16 when she was born, and in the army before she was at school, so they did not have a common upbringing.

durhamjen Fri 31-Jan-14 20:51:44

It's not an American idea to double barrel names, Agus.
Scandinavians do it too. In fact all four of my grandchildren have two surnames, the idea being that they can choose whether to have their mother's or father's name when they grow up.
I think they should take the Scandinavian name as they will definitely be easier to trace in the phone book etc. The only problem with that is that my son's partner who is Danish has adopted her father's surname in this country because she always had to spell her mother's surname, which is the one she should have traditionally adopted. She still has to spell her other name, but has to say it ends in sen instead of son, which most British people would use.
I think in Denmark you take your mother's mothers name and your father's fathers which is actually your father's if that makes sense.

Elegran Fri 31-Jan-14 20:17:07

I don't think it has quite got through to some men that they may have their father's family name, but they received half their genes from their mother, as did every male ancestor.

absent Fri 31-Jan-14 18:40:59

Elegran I had a similar encounter. My late aunt entrusted the family archive that she had compiled to me and I have added a lot of material to it. (I haven't done much sorting of it yet, however). A cousin who has spent most of his adult life in another country asked me to hand it over to him because he felt that neither I nor my daughter would really be interested in it as our family names were different. So that makes us lesser members of the family?

Iam64 Fri 31-Jan-14 18:33:38

Signed, thanks

Ana Fri 31-Jan-14 18:33:23

As well as any other previous surnames....yes, I can see how complicated this could get! confused

Ana Fri 31-Jan-14 18:32:24

Probably a good idea/helpful to researchers to give her maiden name on the birth certificate as well.

Agus Fri 31-Jan-14 18:07:41

Not a nightmare if parents' names are on the birth certificate.

Elegran Fri 31-Jan-14 17:28:06

It is useful to know the names if you are researching, though when I mentioned to someone (a man) that I was researching my grandmother's forebears he exclaimed "You are researching your female ancestors!" in disbelief.

Umm, yes. Each of my ancestors had two parents, strangely enough. Is that unusual?