So if I have a DIFFERENT surname on my birth certificate... Am I in twouble?

[Nemofish]

Recently got myself a new birth certificate from Canada (am foreign!) and to my surprise the surname is different to the one I was expecting!

I have always had my mothers first husbands name (he is not my dad). The name on my birth certificate is my biological fathers name.

I had no idea, my mother is an old bag not a nice individual and I cannot believe she never told me this simple fucking fact.

So... I got married with the 'wrong' surname, if you know what I mean, is my marriage still valid as it were? This is something totally out of my control and as I am currently applying for citizenship here (which is a whole other thread, as my mother did not bother to assure my immigration status ) I am worried I will look like some sort of Canadian international woman of mystery... will it look dodgy? Who the heck do I ask if it's 'okay?'

[mamaloco]

How did you get married without a birth certificate? I know it is not a useful comment but I am almost sure you need one.
If you really didn't have a look at it before it is a genuine mistake, may be you should talk to a lawyer? Some of them have an hour free consultation talk to one on the phone and see what happen.
Have you checked that you have other official papers (i.e. dated after your birth certificate) stating your new name? your mum wedding certificated, autorisation from her husband for you to use his name, adoption papers....
Do you have a passport? if yes what papers did they ask you to give? You might have right to use your name, even if it is not the one on your birth certificate

[Nemofish]

I have been using my Canadian birth card copy (their version of the certificate). It wasn't that I hadn't looked, but that the original is in this different name.

I know my mothers husband will not have given any sort of permission, he doesn't know I exist!

Passport has always been fine and in the name in what I thought was my maiden name. I suspect my mum has changed my surname at a later date without ever mentioning it to me. But of course whenever I have been asked for the 'name I was born with' iykwim, I have been saying the 'wrong' name.

[Nemofish]

Btw I am not adopted, how I wish that it were so!

[SnowTulips]

i think mamaloco meant your mothers first husband, the one who's name you use.

surely to take his name he would have had to either officially adopt you or else your mother would have had to apply for a change of name on your behalf... although as you were a child i don't think many countries allow that.

btw... how on earth did you order a birth cert without having the right name? and surely if the hard copy was in a differant name that implies at some point your name was legally changed?

[nickschick]

This happened to me Ive had 4 different surnames and only remember 1 some parents screw their kids right up.

Everything I have is in different names .

[threetimemummy]

Ok. I dont think you will be in trouble.

My mother split with my bio dad. HIS name was on the certificate, but I never lived with him at all. Five years later my mum ha met and married and procreated with another man (who I now call Dad!!

[threetimemummy]

Apologies for the typos - typing on a dodgy laptop!!!

[Nemofish]

Thank you so much threetimemummy, I will ring the registry office tommorrow.

It does seem rather fishy how it just changed from the original birth cert to the later one...

I am relieved that I am not the only one, nicksshick!

[Tamarto]

You don't need someones permission to use their name.

You can change your childs name in this country very easily i'm not sure why you'd pressume any other was so different.

To the OP i'd imagine that your mother has changed your name at some point as you have the other copy, so i'm sure your marriage is perfectly legal and can't see any implications for anything else tbh.

[FabIsGoingToBeFabIn2010]

What I have always found odd and never understood is how I can have my father's surname on my birth certificate but there is a line through his name. I assume he wouldn't go with my mother to register me or else she didn't tell him she was going/wouldn't let him.

For a while I was known by her latest boyfriends name but once I was old enough I used my father's name. He is a waste of space but it mattered at the time.

Happy to be married and have my husband's name now.

How can your mum's husband not know she has a daughter?!?!

[nickschick]

Fab maybe she put it there? Im like you new boyfriend=new surname .

I will never ever change my surname now regardless of what may happen.

[Nemofish]

Fab her and her husband were separated and he went to live in a Hare Krishna commune. She met my dad a few years later and had me. Even when she contacted her husband for a divorce she never mentioned it! Though why should she I guess, but the whole thing is just odd.

I'm so glad I married and took dh's name, it has a certain ring to it.

Tamarto hopefully you are right! It just took me aback and knowing nothing about it, I panicked.

nickschick and Fab see you on stately homes thread!

[nickschick]

I dare not even come to the stately home thread ......im waiting to have access to my social service records

[Nemofish]

That's so shit nickschick.



I have no doubt that the stately homes thread will be there whenever you are ready. It's such a long process. Still realising that things I thought were normal are just not and my mother still manages to stun me with her utter contempt / thoughtlessness / selfishness / innapropriateness.

But I'll be buggered if I'm going to let her turn me into a gibbering wreck and win.

[Nemofish]

And I think 's help.

[Nemofish]

I have done a thread in relationships
(I'm an ex-heroin addict and I'm falling)

Tis about this but I rant elaborate a bit. Would be grateful for any words of wisdom or manly pats on the shoulder, hope it isn't bad form to 'advertise' a thread on a thread (as long as it's yer own thread).

Thanks for all your help so far guys.

[JustAnotherManicMummy]

Nemo why have you ordered a copy of your birth certificate? Do you need it for something specific?

I would have thought your passport is all the identification you need for getting married to opening bank accounts etc? From what you've said I would ignore this newly found certificate with regard to anything that has happened in your life since you obtained your passport as your passport is correct and supercedes the birth certificate.

If you try to apply what's on that certificate to your life now because you'll open a massive can of worms and I can't see the point of that. But I can understand if you are curious and want to know why you have a differnt name and decide to investigate that.

Are you in touch with your mother at all? Could you ask her about it? Or is there another family member like an aunt or other who might be able to tell you more?

[Nemofish]

No-one to ask about it, I don't talk to my mother. She always said she threw out the original by accident, now I suspect it's because it had my original name on it!

I needed to obtain a 'brand-new' one to apply for bristish citizenship. I only had a birth 'card' thing which had been fine for bank accounts and yes getting married etc.

Really the name itself is irrelevant to me, it doesn't rally matter what my name once (legally) was. I think that it has already opened the can of worms that is me and my mum - I think she had narcissistic personality disorder to some degree, changing my name and never telling me is just a sympton of this I feel.

Thank you JAMM for taking the time to read my slightly odd posts and taking the time to reply. I have another thread in relationships with the word 'heroin' in the title, feel free to wander over. Then again you might be sensible and go to bed instead!

[JustAnotherManicMummy]

No need to thank - I'm nosey interested

Strange that they need your birth certificate if you have a passport - although I am not privy to the intracacies of Home Office bureaucracy. I thought you used a birth certificate to get a passport and then move house several times never to see said birth certificate again

I will have a look for your other thread as I can't sleep. Did have a quick look for it but got way-laid by another thread. Off I go to try again!

[Nemofish]

Thank you thank you thank you.

Birth 'card' thing does seem to have been sufficient for everything, equivalent to 'proper' birth certficate. (I only have a canadian passport). God I'm boring myself now!!!

[FabIsGoingToBeFabIn2010]

I should have said there is a line through the space for my father's name on my birth certificate. He isn't named on it at all.

[izzybiz]

This happened to a friend of mine, she was married it had never caused a problem.

When it came to applying for her first passport it was different. She had to get a solicitor to help her in the end, was very expensive.

[SnowTulips]

Tamarto... here in Ireland when i register my kids under dp's surname i'm informed every time that i can't change the surname at a later date so i have to be sure i want them to have dp's surname.

I presumed as Ireland and England have alot of similar laws, and i know name laws in other european countries are quite strict that English and therefore Canadian law would be similar.

[HeidiMAY2014]

Hi not sure but was wondering if anybody had any ideas on this.....
So my husband was born whilst his dad was over seas with the army so he was registered in his mother's maiden name when his dad came home he obviously wanted his name on the birth certificate which I have read online that the case would be to 're register him with both parents present but it turns out tho isn't the case and that my husband was adopted by who he has always thought to be his dad so does this mean there is a change he isn't his real dad my husband mum is sticking to the story of he had to adopt him as he wasn't present when he was registered??? Sorry about the essay and lack of punctuation I had to type fast before losing track lol. XxX

[Musicaltheatremum]

Heidi, I think you should start your own thread this is a 7 year old Zombie one.