kate mccann or healy?

by russiandoll 14.09.11 15:44

Kate makes a big deal by placing it at the beginning of a chapter of her book that she became Kate McCann May 4th when media referred to her by that surname rather than Healy as used until that date.
Is there any info anywhere to show that she signed herself Mc Cann at the creche.........if so I am wondering if someone signed in her place.rather than use their own signature as I believe could be done by prior arrangement if a parent was not going to pick up a child....still trawling through a lot of info...and wondering why she makes such a big deal of her surname in the book. what is the motivation for mentioning it at all

by Smokeandmirrors 14.09.11 15:54

I know people who interchange between Maiden and Married names depending on the context. For those with a profession, it is often simpler for patients/clients to stick with their name, also if they have quite an established reputation (partner in a professional practice) where they are branded or trade on their name. They then use married name in personal life so that they are using the same surname as their child, which makes sense. I never read anything much into the Healy/McCann thing as it is common practice for professionals.

by russiandoll 14.09.11 16:10

thanks for your reply, sorry I know that professional women will sometimes keep the maiden name by which they have become known, and interchange that with the husband's surname which they might use personally. In that case it makes sense that Mrs Mc Cann would sign herself Kate McCann in the creche records or anywhere else of a personal not professional nature. I dont read much into using both, like yourself, hence wondered why she made a reference to how she was known as Mc Cann rather than Healy in her book. at the opening of the final chapter, thus giving her name some importance. Do you agree it's quite a statement the way she opens the final chapter with it?

" On May 4 2007, I became Kate McCann. According to my passport, driving licence and bank account I was Kate Healy. I hadn't kept my maiden name for any particular reason-it was just who I was and who I'd always been. But when Madeleine was taken, the press automatically referred to me as Kate Mc Cann, and Kate McCann I have been ever since. Overnight our old life had gone and I'd become a different person"
I understand the point she makes here, the new name tying in with a new chapter in her life. I was just curious as how she had signed herself at the creche as she attaches such importance to names as shown in the following paragraph when she is indignant at her daughter being referred to as Maddie...[ i think there is evidence that she was actually called that sometimes by family members, so I dont know why this is such a big deal either.

by crispyroll 14.09.11 16:49

On Madeleines birth certificate the name of her mother is "Kate McCann". Why is it?

by Guest 14.09.11 17:31

Mccann is used on the creche records. On the birth certificate, her married name is given ( Kate Mccann) and her maiden name ( Healy).

by uppatoffee 14.09.11 21:20

crispyroll wrote:On Madeleines birth certificate the name of her mother is "Kate McCann". Why is it?

Do you have a copy of the birth certificate crispyroll? It would be interesting to see exactly what it says! Looking on Ancestry there is another girl, Emily Jane McCann, born in Mendip, Somerset. Her birth was registered in January 2003 and her mother's maiden name is also Healy. I wonder if this is the other twin that Clarrie referred to by accident?! There do not seem to be any other marriage records for other McCanns and Healys at the time for England at least.

by crispyroll 14.09.11 23:12

I have found it on J. Morais blog. If you google "Madeleine McCann" and "birth certificate" you will find it.

by crispyroll 14.09.11 23:25

I do not understand why on the birth certificate Kates married name was given as McCann. Officially her name has been Healey and not McCann. Her married name is Healey or am I wrong?

by uppatoffee 15.09.11 8:30

She and Gerry married in 1998, so technically she was McCann from then, with Healy being her maiden name. However many doctors and other professionals tend to keep their maiden names after marriage.

by Guest 15.09.11 8:40

I might add that there is no legal necessity for a woman to change her name to her husband's - she can keep her own name for all purposes if she wishes. Thankfully times have changed since my young days when it was considered that the "proper" form of address for a married woman was for example "Mrs John Smith". She would take her husband's first name as well and be known by her own name only in social circles. As a child, well before the days of equality, I was bewildered about this!

by crispyroll 15.09.11 9:58

Yet I can not understand it. Her name is not "McCann". On all official documents as her driving license, passport.... she is called Healey according as described in her book. She did not change her name to "McCann" with her marriage. So why is she on one official document - the birth certificate" - named McCann? Is it different in the UK? In Germany it would not be possible. Your official name counts and is written down.

by Angelique 15.09.11 11:11

There was a debate on another site about the creche records and the change in one of the signatures - it was either "McCann to Healey" or "Healey to McCann". I can't remember which way it was but it was an 'anomaly' as to why this would happen. It did suggest that someone else had signed the register and assumed that Kate referred/used her married name i.e. McCann. But, in fact, she normally used her maiden name. Which is, I think, why she mentioned it in her book about suddenly becoming " Kate McCann". Under normal circumstances you can't inter-change your name - you have to be consistent.

This is either another of her little amusing explanations for an error or a clue to what was really going on - whatever that was.

A marriage certificate only confirms marriage - its not a change of name document. It may be that on official documents you have use your married name. But this would just cause confusion IMO.

by Guest 15.09.11 11:24

Thank you for pointing this out Angelique. KMC usually uses Mccann for creche purposes but on the afternoon of 2nd May, she signs in using Mccann and signs out using Healy.

by Newintown 15.09.11 12:27

crispyroll wrote:Yet I can not understand it. Her name is not "McCann". On all official documents as her driving license, passport.... she is called Healey according as described in her book. She did not change her name to "McCann" with her marriage. So why is she on one official document - the birth certificate" - named McCann? Is it different in the UK? In Germany it would not be possible. Your official name counts and is written down.

It is against the law in the UK not to change your name to your married name on your driving licence. You can be fined £1,000 as stated on the DVLA website -

Changing Your Name with the DVLA

The DVLA need to be notified of your change of name for your driving licence as well as any vehicle registration certificates (V5C) in your name. The DVLA can issue a fine of up to £1,000 if you fail to notify them of any changes.

To change your name on your licence, you need to complete a D1 form (available from the Post Office or at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ) and send the completed form together with your driving licence and paper counterpart. If you have already changed your passport, then you can enter your passport number as proof of change of name, otherwise you will need to send your original marriage certificate too. It is advisable to send your application by special delivery and insure it for the cost of a replacement driving licence should it get lost in the post. It doesn’t cost anything however to change your name.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

But there again we are talking about the McCanns and as they seem to think they're above the Law I don't suppose they really care.

(Sorry typeface has gone berserk, I can't rectify it!)

by Guest 15.09.11 12:44

Newintown: I take the DVLA regulations to mean that, if you choose to change your name, they need to be informed as stated. I still don't think that, if a woman marries and keeps her family name, she would need to inform anyone.

I do agree whole-heartedly though about the McCanns being above the law!

by **PeterMac** 15.09.11 12:47

Marian wrote:....Thankfully times have changed since my young days when it was considered that the "proper" form of address for a married woman was for example "Mrs John Smith". She would take her husband's first name as well and be known by her own name only in social circles. As a child, well before the days of equality, I was bewildered about this!

I don't think it has changed. The rules are there for a purpose.
Mrs John Smith is married to John Smith.
Mrs Joan Smith is a widow, of the late John Smith
The Hon. Mrs John Smith is married to the Hon. Mr John Smith, who is the second or subsequent son of a peer.
The Hon. Mrs Joan Smith is herself the daughter of a peer, or a widow.
and so on.
It all makes sense, and allows the English upper classes to work out with whom they should converse, and to whom they should give orders.

by lj 15.09.11 14:47

by Kimwao845 04.05.16 20:37

Does anyone have a copy or a link of the two birth certificates one that had Healy the other McCann? I seem to remember seeing something online about another child born the same day as Madeleine possibly?