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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Mother's (my!) profession not on birth certificate

38 replies

heidihole · 31/08/2013 12:27

I have just been perusing my DC's birth certificate. He was born in Guernsey in 2012.

Here is an identical one I found on google images.

Why on earth is my husbands profession (company director) listed on there and my profession (also company director) is not asked for!! I'm insulted. It's my bloody company, I set it up before I met him!

My other complaint is that it says "mothers name before marriage". Well my name is that same now (after marriage) as it was before! Why the automatic assumption that it would be different? Fair enough SOME peoples may be different but why is that the assumption?

Just wondering if this is the norm in the UK too or if Guernsey is in some 1950's time warp.

Ps next baby due 2014 also in Guernsey...guess I have no chance of having my profession listed on that? Can someone pay for me to get a lawyer and sue their arses for discrimination? :D

OP posts:

CaptChaos · 31/08/2013 12:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

charleybarley · 31/08/2013 12:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsMangoBiscuit · 31/08/2013 12:48

DD's birth cert has my profession on it, or I was at least asked. Will have to go and check now. I remember being asked and thinking "but I won't be staying as that" and trying to decide whether or not to put it down! She was registered in 2009.

Original poster

heidihole · 31/08/2013 12:50

The other point is that the babies surname is not listed on there. Just first and middle names.

Assumption being that it takes fathers surname. In my case that is correct but what if DH and I had decided baby would take my surname? Would the BC just spontaneously combust in confusion? No surname for the baby listed in the one I linked to either.

OP posts:

nickelbabe · 31/08/2013 12:51

on ours (mainland) it says name, but not name before marriage

yup, Guernsey is in a timewarp!!

nickelbabe · 31/08/2013 12:52

i wondered if that was their surname - on mainland ones it states clearly "name and surname of child"
DD has got a different from me and from DH

CaptChaos · 31/08/2013 12:52

Apologies.... I confused the info with that on my Marriage cert, which only asks for my father's profession. My son's birth certs have my profession on them

Really need to check stuff properly before posting bollocks!

nickelbabe · 31/08/2013 12:53

this one from google doesn't have mother's occupation

SconeRhymesWithGone · 31/08/2013 12:54

Duchess Kate's profession is listed as "Princess of the United Kingdom" on Prince George's birth certificate.

BreasticlesNTesticles · 31/08/2013 12:56

I would love that as my occupation Scone - only on the BC though

My 2 dc's BC's both have my profession on

charleybarley · 31/08/2013 12:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tribpot · 31/08/2013 12:59

Yes - here it is. Asks for baby's name and surname, mother and father's names and occupations, notes her maiden surname and not her married one as she doesn't really have one.

Interesting that Prince William lists his occupation as being a prince, when he actually has a job.

nickelbabe · 31/08/2013 12:59

when we registered DD, they asked her name first, then ours.
so when I gave mine, he went "are you sure?!"
I was "yes, it's always been my name" "oh it's just because your DD's surname is longer"

DD's surname is made up of the first 3 letters of DH's surname followed by my surname (because it's only 3 letters)

KristinaM · 31/08/2013 13:02

My birth certificate and my DHs both have mothers occupation. They are from the 1950 and 60s.

And I don't think it's true that " most people's names are different after marriage "

SconeRhymesWithGone · 31/08/2013 13:07

I remember reading a biography of the Queen Mother in which it was revealed that when she was born her father's occupation was listed as "peer's eldest son." And I remember thinking, how is that an occupation?

nickelbabe · 31/08/2013 13:12

because they don't strictly have occupations.

MrsGSR · 31/08/2013 13:18

Kristina in the UK between 60 and 80 % of women take their husbands name after marriage.

Mothers occupation should definitely be on there, and on marriage certificates.

tribpot · 31/08/2013 13:21

Since I think we can generally agree that men are people too, actually most people's names are not different after marriage :) Actually somewhere between 30 and 40% but that definition.

MrsGSR · 31/08/2013 13:28

True, but as there is only a space for women's previous names I assumed that was what we were talking about.

Although that is another point, some men take their wives names, some combine the two and others double barrel their surnames, shouldn't there be a space for 'Fathers name before marriage'?

ivykaty44 · 31/08/2013 13:39

when birth certificate were introduced in England and Wales in 1837 it was common place for the woman to take the mans name on marriage and it asks for any former names - so if she has been married two or three times then it gives these names.

Death and birth have been changed but marriage are the same as they were in 1837 and so not one single wedding certificate gives the mother of the brides occupation only ever the fathers. A others name may appear on a wedding certificate if she was a witness -but it will not state she was mother

It s being mutted though that we get European certificates for all three life events - so changes could well come and you can bet they will be unwelcome

ivykaty44 · 31/08/2013 13:43

nicklebabe that birth certificate you have linked to is from 1837 and not now in use - they have changed

nickelbabe · 31/08/2013 14:12

ivykaty - i did check a few that had the header "persuant to the births deaths and marriages act 1953" and they had the same details.

however, the details that we gave at DD's registration were more than those on her certificate

nameequality · 31/08/2013 15:14

I have a petition calling to change the law so that mothers are included on marriage certificates alongside fathers. (Fathers have always been there).

Perhaps you can persuade Guernsey to change their birth certificates?

MinesAPintOfTea · 31/08/2013 15:19

DS's full birth certificate has an occupation for each of us: DH's looks more impressive than mine (student!) though.

TigerSwallowTail · 31/08/2013 15:39

Ds's (2007) and dd's (2013) birth certificates have my profession and their second names on it, which was handy as they have my surname. My birth certificate (1987) doesn't ask for my mothers profession, just my fathers.

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