Recording of previous names

[Jan1954]

If a woman marries twice, as my Gran was, she can be recorded for example as Louisa HART, formerly OTTLEY née GOLDSMITH, which Gran was on my Mum's birth certificate.

However, if she had been married three times, would she have been recorded with an extra formerly on any certificate? Thus reading....

Louisa SMITH, formerly HART, formerly OTTLEY née GOLDSMITH.

I know that certificates contain pretty much the information that was provided by the person registering the action, but if a woman had been married several times and was telling the registrar all about it...

Just one of those random thoughts that pop into my head whilst I am walking Batdog...

[Liane Hawes]

I've got that question with my 2 x great grandmother, she was married 3 times but as yet I haven't got round to ordering her death cert - maybe I should do so now you've got my mind whirring

Hope Henry is enjoying his walk and that it's not raining where you are

Liane

[Peter Goodey]

Not quite. What you should get is something like "Jane SMITH, late JONES, late WHITE, late GREEN, formerly BROWN". The "formerly" introduces the maiden name.

I have never seen "née" on an English or Welsh certificate. "Née" means born. But the maiden name is the name used immediately before a woman married. It is not necessarily the birth name. If the birth name and maiden names are different, the birth name does not usually appear on her children's birth certificates.

IMHO it is best to avoid the term "née" in genealogy* and stick to "maiden name" and "birth name" bearing in mind that they are not the same thing.

*unless one is French, of course

[Jan1954]

Thank you, Peter.

[Peter Goodey]

It may be worth adding that in addition to "late" and "formerly", you may come across "otherwise".

“Otherwise” is an alias and might be found when a woman has been living with a man and using his surname without having married him.