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Conference turris::womannotes-v2

Title:ARCHIVE-- Topics of Interest to Women, Volume 2 --ARCHIVE
Notice:V2 is closed. TURRIS::WOMANNOTES-V5 is open.
Moderator:REGENT::BROOMHEAD
Created:Thu Jan 30 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 30 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1105
Total number of notes:36379

656.0. "Meet the Swiss way" by LEMAN::NISER () Tue Jun 20 1989 04:41

    When I got married I hyphenated my name, according to Swiss usage
    as I have lived in the country for ages, by putting my husband's
    name Niser in front of mine, of which I am immensely proud, Lindley.
    When Edward was on the way we thought a family name would make more
    sense so my husband decided to change his to the same as mine -
    Niser-Lindley. As we are both English, a lawyer drew up a document
    called "Change of Name - Deed Poll", which didn't cost too much
    and John took it off to the British Consul who changed his name
    on his passport. After that, of course, we had to advise all and
    sundry of the change. There were a lot of disbelieving Swiss - a
    man can't do that!
    
    The worse ordeal was after Edward was born. The Swiss authorities
    register the child's name on the basis of the marriage certificate
    so although we were both Niser-Lindley, Edward was only Niser.
    
    Moral : if you are going to do something like that, plan the energy
    level needed. And it's not always those who you think are going
    to be difficult, that are the ones you really need to persuade,
    push, swear at, etc.
    
    
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656.1ODIHAM::PHILPOTT_ICol. Philpott is back in action...Tue Jun 20 1989 07:367
    
    If you are both British subjects living abroad, I believe you can
    register the birth (again) with the British Consul ... and the appropriate
    names of the parents are the legal names extant at the time of the
    birth.
    
    /. Ian .\
656.2unneccesary paperwork?IOSG::EDMONDSONoxymoronic synonymWed Jun 21 1989 05:3610
    In Britain, you can take any surname you want, and don't have to change
    your name by deed poll.  Changing your "christian" name is the one
    that's more difficult.
    
    What do the Swiss call the baby if you're not married?  When you register
    your child here, you don't need any documents (such as marriage
    certificate, own birth certificate), and, presumably, you can give it
    any surname you want.
                                          
    Ro
656.3It has holes in itEDUHCI::WARRENWed Jun 21 1989 12:4610
    Re .0:
          
    1)  Isn't your name on the marriage license Niser-Lindley?  So your
        baby has to have the last name of his _father_ as it appears
        on the marriage certificate?
        
    2)  Can you do a change of name--deed poll for the baby (since the
        whole point was to have a "family" name?).
    
     
656.4ODIHAM::PHILPOTT_ICol. Philpott is back in action...Wed Jun 21 1989 13:3526
    
    My English birth certificate doesn't have a surname on it for me:
    only for my parents...
    
    In any event it bears my name in the gaelic form I was given at
    birth (ie not "ian")...
    
    However as a child born under a foreign flag to two British subjects
    the child has the right of resicence in the Uk, and all the protections
    and rights encumbent on that. You should discuss the matter with
    the consul, as I suggested in .1 ... Quite frankly what the Swiss
    think his name of record is is only of interest if he chooses to take
    up swiss nationality at a later stage (presuming that he has that right ...
    and then again as a male child registered in Switzerland he will
    probably be subject to conscription in due course too :-))
             
    I suggest you get him on your family passport pronto... with your
    chosen name of course.
             
    You could also try getting him baptised, and get a baptismal
    certificate in the chosen name (my wife, who is Thai happened to
    have a baptismal certificate in her chosen name when she applied
    for her UK entry visa, and the Consul in New York took that as proof
    of identity with no trouble at all).
    
    /. Ian .\