In message <816h19hllpmofqm9nmurlipve4vncp4me9@4ax.com>, brightside S9 <address@replyto_is_not.invalid> writes: >I'll ask the question here first, and then try uk.legal > >I have a friend who's birth was registered as forename 1 (let's say >XXX) forname 2 (let's say YYY) and surname. (I know that it can [] (When - roughly if you want - was this? Oh - see below.) [] >His his baptismal certificate, driving licence, passport, employment >records, bank account, credit and debit cards, NI records, and >marriage certificate are all shown with forename ZZZ. Does his baptismal certificate show his date of birth (as well as baptism)? What other details (names, ages, address, occupation of parents? Godparents?) does it show? Might be worth getting a copy of his entry in the baptismal _register_: this might have useful notes, either in the columns or as a marginal note. Where was the baptism? A lot of such records are now online (some free some not) now. > >He has known that his birth certificate doesn't show the ZZZ forename >for some time but this has not raised any concerns for him until now. How did he get this birth certificate? He could look up the quarters around his birth, under his surname and mother's maiden name, to see how many babies were born to such a person around that time in that registration district (if he's lucky and has an unusual name - or she had an unusual maiden surname - it could be very few), and if necessary get the GRO (doubtless at some high fee) to verify what he finds (e. g. by providing certified copies of the index pages). If that proved he is who he thinks he is, of course! What information is on the BC - presumably names of parents (possibly maiden name?), address, and possibly occupation. And details of the informant - is that someone other than father or mother, who may be alive and contactable? > >He has applied for a job which requires considerable security >checking. Needless to say this forname discrepancy on the birth >certificate aginst all the other documents listed above has resulted >in him failing the security check *unless* he can prove that >XXX-YYY-surname is the same person as ZZZ-surname. His parents are >long deceased and no living family member has any idea why his birth Are the godparents alive? They in fact might well know the reason for the name change. >registration forenames were unacceptable to either his mother, father >or other family member and who chose to call him by the ZZZ forename. > >ISTR that it is permissable to call oneself any name one chooses >provided it is not for nefarious purposes. But how could a neme change >be made 'official', after 55 years of being known as ZZZ surname'? Ah, so he was born around 1958. (Whereabouts?) > >Has any of the contributors to this newsgroup come across such a >situation as this before, and any ideas what he should do to prove (Not I!) >that XXX-YYY-surname is the same person as ZZZ-surname. I think Ian Goddard's suggestion of asking the potential employer what proof _they_ want would be a good start: as he says, it might make them think. > >Thanks. Can you give us _any_ more details (names, places)? Either by posting or email if you don't want to make them public? (I have some security clearance - though you only have my word for that, but I can give you [privately] my works address which would go some way to showing you. Though other than search the BMD records [which anyone here could do] - and Medway area parish ones, which are the only ones I know my way around, if that's where he was baptised - I'm not sure I could help much.) -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf "We'd agreed to overlook each others' families and everything, and get married" (The Trouble with Harry)