Hi Warren thanks for the reply. I remembered later I should have added that this particular birth certificate was issued when Clyde was 58 years old and based on the Bible record of his sister. Also the 1910 census he is listed as Joseph C. Peggy Hooper My home page http://www.myroots.net/ mailto:[email protected] -----Original Message----- From: Warren Smith [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 3:09 PM To: Peggy Hooper Subject: Re: [Clooz] Marriage certificates Isn't the name on one's birth certificate his/her "real" name, regardless of what he/she may have been called all of their life? What do you mean by, "I do know his name is Joseph Clyde Hooper, but hardly anyone knows this?" What do you reference that says his name is that? Just because someone is called something, even all of one's life, does not make that their name legally. You can call yourself anything you want, but I believe that your "real" name is that which you were born with and is on your birth certificate--unless, of course, you have it legally changed somewhere along the way in a court of law. WAS