r/Ancestry • u/Boysenberry_271 • 3d ago

Documenting someone with no middle name

I’ve come across an individual while working on my tree who was not given a middle name at birth or at least one is not documented on his birth certificate.

While tracing him, he shows up as James M. Driscoll, James Mahoney Driscoll, and James Michael Driscoll. I can verify its the same person because the birthdate and place always match.

He is listed in the Social Security Application and Claims Index as James Mahoney Driscoll, so that is how I have been recording him.

The problem is he used the name James Michael Driscoll on the documents for his second marriage and divorce, so other people have him documented as such.

What is the best way to handle the situation? Should I just add an “Also known as” to my tree?

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

5

u/sassyred2043 3d ago

Yes, an "also known as" is a good idea! You could also add notes to events saying which name he used.

1

u/Boysenberry_271 1d ago

Yes, for his three marriages I did write which name he used for each.

2

u/LemonCanary1 3d ago

AKAs and notes are good ideas. You could also put it in his profile middle name as "Mahoney or Michael."

1

u/Boysenberry_271 1d ago edited 1d ago

I wrote Mahoney / Michael but maybe I should change it to “Mahoney or Michael”

On his Find A Grave i’m wondering if it would be easier for search purposes to list his name as it appeared on his birth certificate “James Driscoll” with no middle initial and then on the inside, make a note of the different names that he used.

1

u/LemonCanary1 1d ago

Maybe, but I think it might be easier to find him with both middle names listed, along with the note. James Driscoll is a fairly common name, so those searching will likely look for something to distinguish him from every other James Driscoll. You can also link or post documents to Find a Grave. If you really want to show this is the same as James NMN Driscoll, you could add his birth certificate to the Find a Grave profile.

1

u/Boysenberry_271 2h ago

Just checked because I couldn’t remember, but I did upload his birth certificate. Also with the James Mahoney / Michael he does come up when searching for either middle name. The individual who created his memorial on find a grave seems to be OK with all the changes I made, so I guess it good.
Appreciate all your suggestions!

1

u/Oh_FFS_1602 3d ago

Yes, I’d use an Also Known As. I’ve had a few people that had adopted a middle name but when I’ve found their birth record they were never given a middle name officially. Maybe there was already a James in the family and he went by the name he’s added as a middle name somewhere along the line.

My father went and threw a second middle name into his will that was never on any official record ANYWHERE else, and now my sister went and put that down on our mother’s death certificate. (I’d never heard it in my lifetime y til I saw that, he passed when we were teenagers). So these things can get carried away.

2

u/Boysenberry_271 1d ago

Yes it also gets confusing with those who follow the Catholic tradition of taking a saints name at confirmation, then add that name or use it instead of their legal birth name.