Posts in July 2, 2021

Many name changes before the early 20th Century were not done by any sort of court order. The person could simply have chosen to use a different name. Sometimes these name changes presented later problems, particularly for individuals who later wanted to obtain a military pension. Probate and estate settlement records may also indicate a person’s former names, as may divorce records if the individual later divorced. Naturalization records may also document name changes as may passport applications.