Why is the default for surname for women, the Married surname?

Question

Why does WikiTree push the default using the married name for the women instead of the birth name?

Comments

Currently WikiTree displays both LNAB and Current Last Name in most places where names are displayed. In my opinion, that's far better than just one name (particularly when the person's LNAB is Unknown).

But I've been noticing that the subject lines for private messages and emails about profile messages include only the first name and Current Last Name for the profile. I'd like for email messages to include both names -- more clues to help me understand the message.

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Concur with Ellen. Wherever a married woman's name is displayed, it should display her maiden name as well as her married name. I realize this will make my name display Jillaine (Smith) Smith but I'd rather have that than not see the maiden name of my ancestresses.

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I agree with Jillian Smith Smith.  I wish all names were displayed as:

First (LNAB) Current surname, even for men.  That way, changes in spelling, changes of surname, and marriage changes would all be displayed. And the (Smith) Smith women would appear with both surnames.  

As for the default, I am not sure what M is referring to.  I would say that the LNAB is the default because the WiliTree ID for each profile is based on whatever is posted in the LNAB field.

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Since posting this i did some testing. I don't ever show up as Jillaine (Smith) Smith, so Chris must have changed something.

Answer 1

Not so.  The default is LNAB.  The married name is added.  Here's what seems a source for your mother since I saw it was an unsourced profile,  I notice the Social Security Administration has her last name as Williams, but your Wikitree profile for her not.  Did the Social Security Administration get it wrong?  Or is the person in the source a different person?  Dates match, first name matches, location matches, current name not.

"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JPM6-33N : 20 May 2014), Marjorie M Williams, 04 Dec 2010; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

Comments

Okay, I got it!  I give!!  LOL

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Don't "give" completely, M. There are still some places where a woman is listed only by her married name and that drives many of us nuts.

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I am seeing too many new trees where they are using the married name for an unknown maiden name!  I actually have a line where my married ancestors had the same surname!  It drives me crazy trying to figure out if the womans surname is actually the same as the husband or if it is being used because they do not know!  That is my frustration with My Heritage and with WikiTree!  We have all worked these trees and ancestors for many years and worked very hard at getting at our Female ancestors surnames only to have it turned into a mess!  The people who are starting out setting up their trees actually are just following what they are seeing on these sites!  Frustrating!

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Can you provide the Wikitree-ID of that as an example?

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Not a Wiki Tree!  The use of the married surname is becoming the norm for some people who are NEW to setting up trees! Yes my Mother used her married surname after marriage, and yes I use my married surname!  My point has been missed, some People are not bothering with the maiden name but using the Married surname on their trees I think WikiTree and MyHeritage are being used as examples of the way a tree should be set up and I disagree with  the practice of using the married surname as the default!  Where the Maiden name is unknown it show MNU!  Married surname should be secondary!  

This will be my last post on the subject!  I did not ask the question to get into an argument with anyone!  I have my own opinion and will continue to teach my fellow genealogists how to set up a tree using the MNU and the Maiden surname!