Hi Even in English society it is only comparitively recent practice to go back to using your maiden name after a spouse died or after you were divorced. My dad died in 1989 at 53 and my mum doesn't use her maiden name. The normal reason for a child having the maiden name of a parent is illegitimicy. Often, and it is still quite common practice today, if the parents aren't actually married at the time of birth then the child will bear the maiden mame of the mother. It may be that they were engaged or married only shortly after but definitely in such a situation it was common practice for the child to take the maiden name of the mother. Regards Chris ________________________________ From: Martyn Smith <Martyn.Smith@optus.com.au> To: "aus-qld-se-germans@rootsweb.com" <aus-qld-se-germans@rootsweb.com>; "AUS-QLD-SE-Germans-L@rootsweb.com" <AUS-QLD-SE-Germans-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Mon, 19 July, 2010 1:37:45 PM Subject: [SEQ-Germans] Did German woman revert to maiden names after spousal deaths? Hi all, I have a German historical cultural question - If a husband of a German couple died in the 1860's would the wife be likely to still carry his surname or is it expected or commonly practised like in English society to revert to her maiden name? My ancestor, which I have previously blogged was Caroline Muller and she was born to a Carl Hoban and mother Caroline Blumery Muller (nee Blumreich). I am trying to ascertain why she would have carried her mothers maiden name (albeit spelt incorrectly). Can I assume that Caroline had given her daughter her maiden name because the father Carl had died.....?? Any thoughts very welcome Martyn Archives - http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/AUS/AUS-QLD-SE-Germans.html Quoting the entire text of a previous message in a reply is poor netiquette. Please don't do it. A List for the research for the descendants of the Germans who migrated to South East Queensland, Australia. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to AUS-QLD-SE-GERMANS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message