Baby with no name on birth cert

R0C

One set of my GG grandparents were married in August 1864. I had all of their children's names and details including who they married, their offspring, etc for years.

Last week I accidentally came across a record on family search for another baby born to these grandparents. The first name was blank on familysearch.

I ordered the cert hoping to learn more.

The baby was born December 1864, just 4 months after they married.

The baby does not have a name on the cert either, simply a dash through the 'Name (if any)' column, and there is a box on the cert for 'Baptismal Name if added after registration of birth and date" but that is also blank.

The baby was male and registered 3 days after birth.

I'm wondering if anyone could hazard a guess as to why the baby is unnamed? Is it possible this baby was given up for adoption or such, given she was likely 5 months pregnant when they married?

I've ordered dozens of certs through the years but never seen an unnamed baby before. I searched to see if maybe the baby perhaps died shortly after birth but I haven't found any other records for this baby.

shanew

I've seen this before on a few occasions, often listed as just 'male' or 'female' on the BMD Index. Generally means a name had not been finalized by the time the birth was registered. You should be able to work out what name they chose from baptism records.

pinkypinky

I've usually found unnamed birth certs to be an unbaptised child who died quite soon after birth. Have you checked for a corresponding death to rule it out? If they went to the trouble of registering the birth, they probably did the death too.

R0C

Thanks for the replies.

I did check for a death that corresponded and also the census to see if they had listed having any children who died but nothing showing up on either.

I guess next step would be to check for a baptism record for around that date.

KildareFan

In some cases, the registration of infants without a first name is carried out by informants who are not the parents.

My grandfather was born in 1891 in the Coombe hospital; the birth informant was from the Coombe hospital who was present at the birth. There was no first name on the birth cert as I presume his parents hadn't decided on a name for him yet. His baptismal record has his full name.

RGM

pinkypinky wrote: »

I've usually found unnamed birth certs to be an unbaptised child who died quite soon after birth. Have you checked for a corresponding death to rule it out? If they went to the trouble of registering the birth, they probably did the death too.

I believe my great-grandfather was registered without a first name. This actually reminds me that I need to get a copy of that record to make sure it's him.

R0C

Thanks. I assume the only place I can get the baptismal record is directly from the Church in question? That's how I've gone about it in the past at least.

shanew

R0C wrote: »

Thanks. I assume the only place I can get the baptismal record is directly from the Church in question? That's how I've gone about it in the past at least.

depending on location/denomination you might be able to view a transcript or register image online on RootsIreland or IrishGenealogy

p15574

Could it possibly have been a Downs Syndrome baby or suffering some form of infirmity? I remember someone big into genealogy a good few years ago telling me they'd found 'secret' people in their tree that had never been acknowledged or recorded elsewhere. I think it was for these reasons, they were seen as embarrassing the family or something, and were quietly sent off to an institution or something like that.

Also, note the date - 1864, when birth records begin. Could it have been an inexperienced registrar? In this case the baptismal cert would indeed show the full name.

KildareFan

Hi

Have you looked for a death under the name of the mother? I found a birth of a baby to my G.grandparents who was registered under the surname of her father; she died a few months later and her death was registered under the surname of her mother.

In relation to the baptismal record, you may be in luck if the register for the parish where the baby was baptised is on www.Irishgenealogy.ie.