Change in surname?

[Londinium]

Hi everyone, I'm got a bit of a puzzle on my hands. I'm researching my paternal line and I've come across a weird change in our surname. My surname is Potter as is my father's and my grandfather's. However both my father and my grandfather have the unusual middle name 'Stratton' which thankfully they didn't pass onto me    My father also seems to think that his grandfather had the surname 'Stratton'.

Which begs the question how did our surname change to Potter? My best guess is that perhaps my great grandfather died young and my grandfather was adopted by a new man and double barrelled his surname with the new father's surname becoming Stratton-Potter or pehaps shifted the Stratton into his middle name and just took 'Potter' This name then somehow became simply 'Potter' with the Stratton part shifted into the middle name (or already was that way) and then died out with myself.

Is this kind of thing usual or have any of you come across it in your research or am I going off on a wild tangent? I've managed to find someone who could well be my great great grandfather in the 1911 UK census so it'd be would be interesting to see if this kind of thing happened in the time. If not I guess I'll just have to wait for the birth certificate to arrive to definitely confirm that the person I believe to be my great great grandfather is indeed related to me.

[snowyw]

I found a similar situation where the whole family, even already married children all changed their surname.  On further investigation, it seemed that the parents never married, all the children had to change their surname to that of their mother's 'nee' name.  I say had to....I think it may also have had something to do with a will stipulation.

[avm228]

Hi

Have you traced your grandfather's birth, and his parents' marriage?  You'll only be able to trace any name changes by taking things step by step, backwards in time from what you know.

Anna

[trish18]

I have come across this in one of the family trees I have recently been researching.

The middle name was actually the maiden name of the g grandmother which was then passed down the generations to the first born son.

Regards

Trish18

[Londinium]

Hi

Have you traced your grandfather's birth, and his parents' marriage?  You'll only be able to trace any name changes by taking things step by step, backwards in time from what you know.

Anna

I tracked down his birth (although still waiting upon the certificate) and it has him listed as 'Eric Sidney Stratton Potter' from his birth. Which made me think that his father died before he was born and someone else came onto the scene as it's odd that 'Potter' just pops up from nowhere. Given my father seems certain that his grandfather had the surname Stratton it's the only thing I could think of. Perhaps he was wrong about this fact but it seems weird that he's so sure about it.

[Mort29]

It really is more likely to be as Trish suggests ...

Is this him in the Guildford District ?

Births Sep 1914 
 
Potter  Eric S S  Stratton  Guildford  2a 218


If so, there is this very likely Potter to Stratton mariage in the same District.

Marriages Jun 1905   

DOBELL  Charles    Guildford  2a 149   
Potter  Harold Sidney     Guildford  2a 149   
SCARFF  Frances Elizabeth     Guildford  2a 149   
STRATTON  Katherine Charlotte     Guildford  2a 149   



Harold Sidney was about 21 when he married.

Births Mar 1884   
 
Potter  Harold Sidney    Hambledon 2a 136



This may well be his spouse - despite the spelling variation?

Births Sep 1885 
 
Stratton  Catherine Charlotte     Winchester  2c 117

[Londinium]

It really is more likely to be as Trish suggests ...

Is this him in the Guildford District ?

Births Sep 1914 
 
Potter  Eric S S  Stratton  Guildford  2a 218


If so, there is this very likely Potter to Stratton mariage in the same District.

Marriages Jun 1905   

DOBELL  Charles    Guildford  2a 149   
Potter  Harold Sidney     Guildford  2a 149   
SCARFF  Frances Elizabeth     Guildford  2a 149   
STRATTON  Katherine Charlotte     Guildford  2a 149   



Harold Sidney was about 21 when he married.

Births Mar 1884   
 
Potter  Harold Sidney    Hambledon 2a 136

Yup thats him, interesting I wonder if my father had got it wrong all this time then. Would certainly make much more sense than the convoluted story I was trying to construct to make sense of it. He seemed certain that the 'Stratton' part had been passed down through his grandfather rather than his grandmother however.

[carol8353]

My grandad's name ( b 1891) was Henry Albert Mockridge Rogers- his mum was born Mary Ann Mockridge.

It's where I first started my family history from about 15 years ago.Already knowing my great grandma's maiden surname was a great help.

Carol

[trish18]

Just had a quick look on Free BMD.

Birth of Eric S S Potter Sept qtr 1914, mothers maiden name Stratton.

Marriage of Harold Sidney Potter & Katherine Charlotte Stratton, Jun qtr 1905.

It looks to me (but I'm no expert) that Katherine Stratton passed her maiden name down the generations.

Trish18