Maiden name as middle name for baby - does this help when travelling with baby?

[PinkPomelo]

I've decided to add my maiden name as a middle name for my baby. I've read that some people have been stopped before for having a different surname to their baby, does anyone know if having it as a forename would help this situation?

It hasn’t made a damned bit of difference in my experience.

Can you explain?

if you plan on travelling without your partner with your baby, then give the baby your surname.

If he won’t give you his surname, why would you give your baby his?

Naturally I don’t know your circumstances but trying to do a work around is unnecessary. Deed poll if you ever get married, easy!

You could give both names as surnames. We did that, no hyphen. People assume first surname is middle name so known by last surname usually but its legally there on all documents etc.

I'm about to change her name and done all the forms and having a serious wobble wondering do I add it as a last name and just not really use it... but that's easier said than done, your name is your name, she'll write it all the time, it'll be on her bank etc

@JurassicClark can you explain?

I think it's a good idea to give your baby your maiden name regardless of the trials and tribulations of travelling with your baby but in my experience there are just so many variables. It pretty much comes down to luck of the draw on who'll be on shift when you're arriving/departing. A birth and or marriage certificate may help, but again it's quite random. I've found the odds of being stopped increase if your baby is mixed heritage therefore doesn't look like you - genetics always seems to leave people astounded.

@Readytoevolve he will give me his surname I've just not changed my name. Not sure if I ever will, and now grappling with baby name. She has his surname only but it's really bothered me, I didn't realise it would. She's 7 months now. I wanted to add mine as a maiden and I've literally just gone to do it and now thinking do I just double barrell her name. Or I could change my surname to his on passport but not really use it day to day

My DB has one kid with his mums maiden name, one without, hasn't made a difference any time they've travelled, together or not.

I have a different surname to my children and it has never been an issue when travelling. Possibly as they were dangling of my arms whining Mummmmmmyyyyyy I want a driiiiiink or similar.

Pick whatever you like, or have a double surname. But I wouldn’t stress too much about travel based on every trip I’ve made.

Giving baby your surname as middle name doesn't mean anything, since parents give various surnames as baby first and middle name all the time. There doesnt need to be a connections, since many surname became regular first name e.g. Taylor.
People at border control give you hard time due to Geneva convention. The same goes (or should go) for fathers who travel without the mothers, but with children irrelevant which surname kids have.

We've not long divorced and I went back to my maiden name. We have added it to my daughter's surname (no hyphen) so it's on her official paperwork but won't necessarily have to use it day to day whilst she's little. When she's older she can decide!

@JurassicClark ah ok thank you. These official forms are giving me serious anxiety. I just need to make a call and stick with it. I thought about double barrelling mine with his but it was quite annoying saying it all, so didn't want to do that to her. I thought if it's a middle name I am at least on her passport, and if she wants to use both she can.

My baby has my husband surname, mine as a middle name - I never changed mine. But I really couldn't see many instances where I'd travel just me and the child. If I did, I'd still take required documents just to be safe.

@user159 thanks, how did you change it can I ask? Did you change her birth certificate or do a deed poll?

No difference but on a completely separate note, I actually agree with giving a baby a maiden name as a middle name because it gets passed on that way.

@coldcallerbaiter I thought this too. When she marries it might stay there!

My children has my name as a middle name and their dad's as a surname. We are not married and have no intention to. On two occasions I have been asked if they are my children in British passport control as I have a non UK passport and I tend to use the kids British passports for coming back to the UK. Both times it has been solved quickly by pointing out that they have my last name as a middle name. Hope it helps.

@PinkPomelo , I think you posted a few months ago saying you had changed the baby's name?

Some airlines will ask for a birth certificate if the surname of the parent and child are different. I used to work for an airline that did, and a friend who works at a different airline says they do too.

If your child is Noah Pomelo Smith and you are Pink Louise Pomelo, the surnames are different, so play it safe and carry the child's BC.

I’m always baffled by this. If I had not changed my surname when I married my kids would have had my surname not my husband’s! Why do we still persist with this old fashioned idea of them having the man’s surname?! Sorry OP, I know that doesn’t help but it genuinely baffles me 😄

Well, my mom and I have the same surname, and we still got questioned in airports when we travelled without my dad - though this is probably because she is Asian and my dad is white, and I look like my dad's side much more than hers.

@KirstenBlest I did! I've not done it yet. I'm about to do it, and stalled for some reason. Now I'm thinking I want to just put my maiden as her surname. She'd have two surnames (probably wouldn't hyphen). I've taken the scenic route here, but I phoned the dentist earlier and they assumed we had the same surname and I had to correct them and it really bugs me. I want to share a surname with her, but don't feel like changing mine

Didn’t make any difference in my experience either. Still got asked at border control. Both my children have my surname as a second middle name, DH’s surname as their surname.

@ShrinkingEveryDay I know, it's mad. Problem is I just thought I'd change mine eventually but can't really bring myself to do it. And then I didn't think it'd bother me having a different name to them but it does. You just don't know how you'll feel when baby comes along. Didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it before it happened tbh. I'd advise anyone having a baby to decide what they're doing with their name before baby comes along lol

My DCs have my name as their middle name and I've never had a problem, even though DD is mixed ethnicity - but travelling with just her, who is to say DH isn't of her other ethnicity (he isn't, she's adopted, we are both White).
But how do I know if I would have had no problems with my name NOT in their names?