Change of name.

[zetlander]

A general question re change of name -

the first sighting of the guy I'm researching is in 1885 when he gets married aged 32.   

(Not giving his name as I've posted a number of times asking for help in tracing him - with no luck.)

My question is if someone changed their name in the 1870/80 period would they have had to do it officially and would there be a record of this change and where might it be recorded or did people just take on another name.

[Jebber]

Unless he decided to change his name by Deed Pol, he could  call himself whatever he  liked provided it was not with intent to defraud.

[Marmalady]

Assuming you mean in the UK:

Even now you do not have to do anything official to change your name -- just start using whatever name you want. Admittedly today it would be more difficult for Joe Bloggs to suddenly say he was John Smith due to needing identification for more and more things but in theory it is still possible.

For people who did make a legal name change ("deed poll") I think it had to be declared in the London Gazette and possibly local newspapers

[Musicman]

I did my name change at my Solicitors in 1990, following the death of both parents in 1989 (they wanted me to do this) but unfortunately, life events took precedence!  I informed my employers, Bank, Government departments, etc.  It was straightforward – only the “problem” happened when I returned from a holiday in Sri Lanka and I was stopped by Customs/Immigration and pointed out that they noticed there were two people with very similar names!  Fortunately, I was able to clarify the situation that it had been done through my Solicitors.  Then I was escorted to be searched / frisked for drugs!   

[andrewalston]

It was very common for children to assume the surname of their stepfather when their widowed mother remarried.
When they themselves married, they might do so under either surname. "Father's Name" on the certificate could refer to either. Birth surname seems more common.
I've also come across a family who used the wife's maiden name at all the censuses. Most of the children used the husband's real surname at marriage, though one of those then carried on using the surname he had been brought up with.