Question about Catholic Church baptism records?

Question

On all the baptism records I've seen, the mothers are listed by their maiden names (eg; Parents: John Smith and Mary Jones). So I'm wondering... does the same apply to the sponsors' names? If the female sponsor is Anna Brown, is Brown her maiden name or married name?

Answer 1

I was baptized in the Catholic Church ... my godparents were my mother's sister and my father's brother, who were husband and wife and were listed under his surname only. However, in Canada in the French colony, woman were always identified by their maiden names, i.e. a child's birth / baptism could be traced through the names of both parents.

Answer 2

The sponsors names are listed as they were named at the time. If the woman was married they listed her married name instead of maiden.

Answer 3

I dont think I have heard about maiden names being on there like that...mmm thats odd. Best thing to do is to go to a catholic priest and ask him his take on it and maybe even see why it is done like this.

Answer 4

I think married but I'm not sure.

Answer 5

No, only the mother is listed by her maiden name like it is on a birth certificate.  Now, in Hispanic countries they use the double surname. The wife's and children's name is her husband's followed by her maiden name.

So in a case like that a married woman being a godparent probably would be the official Hispanic way.

However, I have seen many baptismal certificates in our parish as I worked with CCD in a Texas parish.  The female sponsor's or godparent's name is always her married name.

Answer 6

On the baptismal certificates of my two godsons, I'm listed with my married name.

Answer 7

Brown is her married name, if married. Parents were tracked by birth name because that's how priests tracked you from birth to death to ensure they could keep of each person in the sacramental registers. If you married 4 times, you were still tracked by birth name so that the priest knew you were a Catholic in good standing...i.e. neither bigamist nor adulteress, let alone excommunicated heathen.

They weren't as meticulous with sponsors.