names 1851/1861

[Brian Turnbull]

In the 1851 census HO107/1913 folio 548 page 11 for the children of Head Jacob Sincock there is a Levinia age 9months born Breage.
In the 1861 census RG9/1584 folio 123 page 5 for the children of Head Jacob there is no Levinia but an Emily age 10 (b)c1851 born Camborne.
There is a birth index for an Emily Sincock , Helston June quarter 1850. Since the 1851 census was taken in March 1851 the entry for Lavinia at 9 months would put the birth about right for the June quarter 1850.
I am confused, is this the same person? Are the names Levinia and Emily interchangeable?
I cannot check the 1871 census as they emigrated to Australia in 1866.
Brian

[Mythology]

Any names are "interchangeable" if the person wants them to be.
I have a Sarah who becomes Selina - kindly confirms that I haven't missed a sister by telling us that she's "Sarah commonly called Selina" in her will.
I have a Deborah who becomes Kate - possibly fell out with an aunt who she was named after - is Kate for over 50 years but then Deborah on her death cert. Her son's the informant, so presumably she's told him what she was baptised as somewhere along the line.
I have a Thomas Arthur who, on his third child's birth cert, has suddenly acquired the middle name of Samuel and, working back a year from that address on that birth cert, turned up as plain Samuel on the 1841 census.

Helston's the right registration district for Breage, which is what you have for the 1851, more likely to be correct than the 1861 as they've had less time to forget, so it wouldn't surprise me.

[Mythology]

Oh - and something that's only come to light in the last few days, not checked out properly yet, but unless his wife's run off with one of hubby's mates of the same age and occupation and telling porkies about being married to him, the aforementioned Thomas Samuel Arthur has become Henry on the 1851 and they've temporarily changed their surname too - probably to dodge the creditors, he's known to have been too fond of late night card schools.

What's in a name? Not a lot at times. :D

If you've done the GRO index thoroughly and ruled out alternatives as far as you can from that, the census, and anything else you can lay hands on, all you can really do is go for the birth cert and keep your fingers crossed that it confirms what you think.