maiden name...

[floss85]

How can I find out what someones maiden name was - without paying for it?

No comments about just asking them please!!! :)

x

[Octavius]

Find out what their parents name was or if they have any brothers/unmarried sisters....

[floss85]

I know what her fathers name is but her mother divorced him so she would have changed back to her maiden name! :S

[frizzytwig]

Why would she have changed her surname because her parents divorced

[Buenchico]

There might be a difference between finding out the person's real maiden name and the name which she actually used prior to her wedding. Let me fill in some names in to try to make that clearer:

Miss Smith marries Mr Jones. They have a daughter and choose the name Mary (so the child's birth certificate shows 'Mary Jones'). Early in the child's life, however, her parents divorce. Mum reverts to using the name Smith and young Mary is told that her name is Mary Smith. She attends school as Mary Smith, gets a job as Mary Smith and everyone knows her as Mary Smith. It's only when she comes to get married (and all the paperwork gets filled in) that it becomes important that 'Mary Jones' is entered on the marriage register. (This probably won't bother Mary much, since she's about to get a new name anyway).

My question is, with the above scenario, which name is the answer which you're seeking: The 'real' one (Jones) or the one that everyone knew Mary by (Smith)?

If you're after the 'real' name then you're going to have to consult the marriage register, as this will be the only place where it will be recorded, and you can't avoid a fee for this service. (There's one exception here. If the marriage took place in church, the church rolls will also record the details of the wedding. You should be able to consult these for free - although the church would probably hope for a small donation).

If you're after the name which Mary actually used prior to her wedding then official records are going to be completely useless to you. The only way you'll find out this name is by locating someone who knew Mary prior to the wedding.

Chris

[Piper-AK]

I'm really curious - why do you wan't to know?

[jake-the-peg]

Because it's a common security question used by banks and the like to identify you?

You should be wary of giving out information like this.

Here's a tip - when setting up a security question by a bank like "whats your mother's maiden name ? " Give a false answer that you'll remember. So if it was "Williams" say "Blue" (especially good if it's your favourite colour) Mind you yuo could say "Rumplestiltskin" the bank doesn't care and nobody can get that info by checking your family tree out 

[floss85]

I have a half sister that I have never met that my family never talk about. I contacted her a few years ago - it took me about a year to tract her down and finally managed to via her husband (who I found on friends reunited). Since then she has got divorced - to clarify she has stated that she wants nothing to do with me - but theres always hope. So as she doesnt live at the address and has moved out - I assume she has either riverted back to her maiden name (name of her step father) or her mothers maiden name - neither of which I know!!!

Thanks everyone for replying.

Special thanks to Chris for his detailed response! x