Babies listed with a surname but absent forename

[Vabadus]

I am looking into birth registrations of the children of a relative of mine. Their surname is Middleton and their mother's maiden name Wheeldon. They were born in Leicester. Bizarrely, on Ancestry, their records in the birth list no forename, just the surname Middleton. When clicking on the actual record, one is listed under an asterisk at the bottom of the file as "MIDDLETON, (Female)"; on the other it is not at the bottom of the page or asterisked but again says "MIDDLETON, (Female)".

They have a brother, Stephen P Middleton, whose birth is registered normally, as one would expect, in 1952. One of these females is completely unknown to us, but one of them should be Jennifer Middleton (I'm unsure which year), but she is nameless. Even stranger still, one of these nameless females was born in October 1953 and the other April 1954, which is biologically impossible.

I am baffled by this. Can anyone solve the riddle? Why would a baby be registered with no first name at all? These are not stillbirths or newborn deaths. Jennifer is/was known to some relatives in her adulthood. I just can't work this out. Thanks in advance.

[gardener]

Hi
I think it is the the same child.
The earlier entry is

4th qtr Oct-Nov-Dec 1953
Middleton (Female) Wheeldon 3a see J'54

and the later one is

2nd qtr Apr-May-Jun 1954
Middleton (Female) Wheeldon Leicester 3a 829

It looks as though the baby was registered late, in 1954, and then the mistake was noticed and it was added by hand to the 1953 index.

Sometimes babies were registered with no first name. Seems a bit odd though to still have no name almost a year later!

[Vabadus]

Thanks. That sounds plausible although yes, it's highly unusual. It would make sense that they're the same person as we were unaware of them having two daughters. But if the 1953 registry could be amended by hand, why couldn't/wouldn't they amend it again later to add the name Jennifer once they had finally named the child?

I confess that I know it was possible to register a birth without naming the baby! How would she then go on to acquire the name Jennifer in a formal, legal sense? If her birth certificate hasn't been amended how does she have any formal record of her name? And what if a nameless child were registered without a name and then simply never given one?

[gardener]

(Edited) Try https://deedpolloffice.com/change-name/ ... gistration (a paralegal company but interesting to read)
There is a lot of info there. The birth registration is just that, no obligation to register a first name, though you can have one added for up to 12 months from the birth. After that you could do it (quite cheaply!) by deed poll.
I think though that until a passport was wanted then no official naming would be needed - the child would be entered at school, the GP's etc just on information provided. No one asked for a birth certificate for that.
I'm pretty sure too that even as an adult you can change your name as long as it is not for fraudulent reasons. No need to go the deed poll route, you simply have to inform everyone of your intention!

[gardener]

Should anyone feel the urge to change their name, this gives you the acceptable wording

https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-pol ... -deed-poll