Hi Eve and everyone else who answered my query, Thank you, and Eve has probably hit it on the head with the occupation theory. In my case the name comes from the father as all his children are baptised with the Smyth alias Fowler surname, I now have to follow them down the generations and see which name they decided to stick with. Patti ----- Original Message ----- From: Eve McLaughlin To: BEDFORD-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 11:04 PM Subject: Re: [BDF] "Alias" In message <00cf01c5fcce$d4d41ae0$0202a8c0@yourkpfhbnwogn>, Patricia Salter <ps015p6402@blueyonder.co.uk> writes >Hi list >I know someone has answered this question before on one of my lists but I've >lost the email - can someone explain what "alias" denotes when used in a name ie >Joan Smyth alias Fowler - Is Smyth the original surname and Fowler the married >name or vice versa? You are thinking of 'Jane Smith formerly Jones', used in birth certificates. An alias name can arise in various ways, but not in the way you mention. In the ordinary way, if she is a married woman, then it is her husband who uses or used two names; (if unmarried, the surnames were her father's) he may have acquired the alias 1. through illegitimacy, his own or his ancestor's 2. because a widow with young children remarried, and her children were known by the stepfather's name while in his home, and might keep it, or change back, or dither, as adults. 3. inheritance of an estate from a maternal grandfather or relative on condition he assumed the relative's surname. 4. change of name to avoid creditors or prosecution for a crime. 5. change of name on joining the army etc against the wishes of father. 6. adopting a name which was in effect a nickname instead of a commonplace name - Smith, everybody's called Smith - I am a fowler, so i will call myself that. 7. where a marriage is illegal (to a person related within the degrees forbidden) or where it never took place, but the couple live together long-term (and the children are illegitimate and could use either name) 8, where a name is adopted as a trading name (Kaplinsky alias Copp) or acting name (Henry Irving alias Brodribb, Miss Brown alias Foljambe) -- Eve McLaughlin Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society ==== BEDFORD Mailing List ==== For any updates our info about the status of this list go to http://helpdesk.rootsweb.com