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Legal, pensions and money

The implications of a person changing his or her surname

(94 Posts)
StarDreamer Wed 20-Jul-22 10:23:34

Many (most?) men go through life with the surname that is on their birth certificate.

Some change their surname, for various reasons.

Many (most?) women who marry change their surname upon marriage.

Upon divorce, some women revert to their birth surname.

I suppose there could be situations where a widowed woman remarries then divorces and goes back to her former married name.

Starting a new job, starting to receive occupational pension, are two examples where a person needs to produce a birth certificate (I used a certify copy, no way was I risking using the original document, just in case grin)

For me, male, it was straightforward, but what happens when, say, a woman starts a job while unmarried, later marries, then years later claims her occupatinal pension?

Is it straightforward, basically because in our culture a woman often (usually?) changes her surname upon marriage, so the system is designed to recognise that as "how it is" or is it a lot of hassle?

What if a woman is employed then marries and changes her surname generally, but continues to use her birth surname at work?

And so on?

Please discuss.

Smileless2012 Wed 20-Jul-22 14:24:34

Yes, official documents have my given names MissA.

Years ago there was panic following surgery I'd undergone because they were using my given first name to talk to me and bring me round but I must have been ignoring them as I slumbered because I'm never called it.

I did say that they'd have to use the name I'm used too, but they must have forgotten and apparently there was a bit of a panic until someone must have remembered.

Smileless2012 Wed 20-Jul-22 14:26:06

Did that ever cause your dad any problems MissA?

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 14:28:14

smile
It does make you wonder why you were given that name, really.

I've only really heard of that with males.
"Big john"
"Little John" type names. (Or John Boy)

Smileless2012 Wed 20-Jul-22 14:30:09

Not sure either my gran or mum would have agreed to have been referred too as 'big .....' in fact just thinking about the look on their faces had it been suggested, has made me laugh.

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 14:30:12

Well, nobody really knew what my dads real name was.
He was called the diminutive of his original name, mostly, but every now and then the one my nan chose would crop up on paperwork.

Kalu Wed 20-Jul-22 14:32:52

Upon marriage. I took DH’s name. He was perfectly aware my decision did not give him ownership of me. As if!?

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 14:33:21

When my grandson was born, his other nan was keen to sort out who would be called what, smiles.
She told my daughter that in her family they had big nanny and little nanny.
My daughter told her she may as well give up on that idea, because I would never agree to being big nanny!

BlueBelle Wed 20-Jul-22 14:44:03

When my second marriage failed (he went off with an old girlfriend) I reverted to my first husbands name not because I had any love for him or any feelings if loyalty at all but because I couldn’t bear having a different name to my three children who were all husband number 1 s
I did it by deed poll and have had that name ever since
My son obviously has that name my eldest didn’t marry but never took her partners name and my youngest reverted back after divorce so we all are back to square one with the same surname (absolutely no influence from me)
As I am very good friends with all his family brothers sisters etc it still feels fine ( he moved a long way away and has since died)

We are talking about surnames aren’t we ?

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 14:46:09

We were, or at least stardreamer was, before we began meandering. blush

StarDreamer Wed 20-Jul-22 14:50:46

MissAdventure

When my grandson was born, his other nan was keen to sort out who would be called what, smiles.
She told my daughter that in her family they had big nanny and little nanny.
My daughter told her she may as well give up on that idea, because I would never agree to being big nanny!

grin

Chewbacca Wed 20-Jul-22 14:53:45

In tge maternal side of my family, a surname was given as a middle Christian name to the first born daughter, so that it didn't "die out", so's to speak. I know that one of my cousins had it, and passed it down to her first born daughter. thoroughly derailed the thread now!

Smileless2012 Wed 20-Jul-22 14:55:51

Oh that's really strange MissA. We did call our GM's little gran and big gran. Mum's mum was physically shorter and more petite so she was little gran.

Yes apologies StarDreamer for meandering.

StarDreamer Wed 20-Jul-22 14:56:02

MissAdventure

We were, or at least stardreamer was, before we began meandering. blush

You may meander as does the river Main in Germany, which reminds me that as I get over the heatwave I need to get back to the virtual cruise.

LINK > Virtual cruise from Mainz along the river Main

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 14:57:07

I'm really interested in names; their meanings, if they have any affects on people's lives, and so on.

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 14:58:45

Smileless2012

Oh that's really strange MissA. We did call our GM's little gran and big gran. Mum's mum was physically shorter and more petite so she was little gran.

Yes apologies StarDreamer for meandering.

Me and other nan are the same height, but guess which one is much fatter? grin

StarDreamer Wed 20-Jul-22 15:00:29

Everybody, please meander, that's fine, and indeed interesting. smile

Smileless2012 Wed 20-Jul-22 15:00:45

Oh that's too easy MissA, must be other onesmile.

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 15:01:08

I shall be over to the cruise thread shortly, stardreamer smile

Smileless2012 Wed 20-Jul-22 15:01:14

Aw thanks StarDreamersmile.

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 15:02:17

Smileless2012

Oh that's too easy MissA, must be other onesmile.

(Cough cough!)
Yes, that's right.
wink

Smileless2012 Wed 20-Jul-22 15:02:39

Where is it MissA? Haven't seen that thread and wouldn't mind a virtual cruise.

Oopsadaisy1 Wed 20-Jul-22 15:03:43

As Maw has said (and it had slipped my mind) her State Pension is based on her National Insurance number and that doesn’t change no matter how many different names you call yourself.

As she has had several different employments it is her Personal Pensions that will require all of her paperwork.

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 15:04:41

stardreamer has put a link to it in the post where he mentions it, smiles.

Smileless2012 Wed 20-Jul-22 15:09:18

Oh yes, so he has blush.

MissAdventure Wed 20-Jul-22 15:10:22

I'm glad I've just the one name to contend with.
I don't want to imagine how the benefits system would take to anything complicated.