The Tale of Two Surnames: Drucker and Gold

 

Morris Gold

My maternal grandfather’s name is Morris Gold. Morris had 5 siblings: Nathan Gold, Sam Drucker, Leah (Lena) Drucker, Libba (Lillie) Drucker, and Gussie Drucker. So why are some of the siblings Drucker and others Gold?

Leah/Lena Drucker Greminger

I grew up with the “knowledge” that some took their father’s name "Drucker" and others took their mother’s maiden name "Gold." But no one seemed to know the reason. Here are some anecdotal stories or theories that have been bandied about by some descendants of Morris and his siblings.

1)      Two fathers?

Their mother Jennie (also known by her Yiddish name Shaindel) was married twice -- one named Drucker and the other Gold.

2)      Goldrucker?

Their last name was originally Goldrucker and the siblings thought the name was too long, so they split the name, with some taking Gold and some taking Drucker.

3)      Drucker name was fabricated?

One cousin was skeptical that Jennie Gold was married to Harry Drucker. He said maybe Drucker was a fabricated name. He couldn’t understand why Jennie went by her maiden name instead of her married name of Drucker, especially on her grave stone [though she was likely not the one to decide which name went on her tombstone].

4)      Avoid military service?

Austria was a Catholic country and persecuted the Jews, so some families used multiple names to confuse the authorities which helped them avoid conscription.

5)      More American?

Some used the name Gold because it sounded more American.

6)      Family feud?

There was a rift in the family and some sided with the father and others sided with the mother.

To further confuse matters, Jennie used or was referred to as Gold, her maiden name, later in her life – she was listed as Gold on the 1940 U.S. Census record and on her death certificate and gravestone in 1947.

I also find it strange that Morris and some of his siblings changed their surnames while they were living in the U.S. For example, Morris traveled to the U.S. in 1909 under the name Moses Drucker then changed to Gold. Gussie was Druker on her 1908 marriage certificate but Gold on both daughters’ marriage licenses (Ester in 1922 and Ethel in 1939). Sam was Gold in 1910 and on his 1916 marriage certificate, but Drucker in the 1920 and later censuses and his death certificate.

 Vital records hold the key

The information found in vital records (birth, marriage, death) may or may not be accurate, depending on who has written or dictated the information. The individual’s name is most likely correct, but his parents’ names are less certain. I looked at all of the vital records I could find for Morris and his siblings and noted their last names and those of their parents when available.

According to his and wife Tillie Siegel’s marriage certificate, his father’s name was Harry (the license specifies Harry Drucker) and mother’s maiden name was Jennie Gold.

 

 

Gussie, Sam, and Libba's marriage certificates list Sheindel or Jennie Gold and Hersh or Harry Drucker, whereas Nathan's certificate gives Shandel Drucker and Harry as parents. 

Legitimacy was an issue

In Jewish shtetls in Galicia, couples typically were not married in a civil ceremony, and the marriage wasn’t officially registered with the officials. Thus, children were considered illegitimate when born to parents who were not “officially” married.

On the birth record, the child would be listed as “illegitimate” and the father’s name was usually relegated to the “Remarks” column in the record book. (If the father did not acknowledge paternity, then only the mother was listed). Children born to a couple could be known by the mother’s maiden name or the father’s surname, depending on the registrar’s practices and the couple’s official marital status. Sometimes just a given name but no surname was listed for the child and other times the father was identified in the father column even though the birth was identified as illegitimate. Moreover, the surname on the child’s birth record was not necessarily that used by the family or the community.

 

Here are what I believe to be Morris ("Izak Mozes") and Gussie's ("Gitel Ruchel") birth records. Gitel was born first, in 1878, and note that she is registered with her mother's maiden name Gold as her surname. Both she and Mozes are labeled as illegitimate ("nieslubny").

 

Page 1 Izak Mozes (likely Morris) and Gitel Ruchel (likely Gussie) -- Note father's name Hersch Drucker in right column):

Page 2 (Note mother's name Scheindel Gold in left column, along with her parents' surname Gold):

 

This confusingly inconsistent practice could explain why Morris and his siblings had different surnames. Harry (Hersch) and Jenny’s (Shaindel’s) official marital status could have changed at some point if they decided to officially register. However, this does not explain why some of them changed their names once they were already living in the U.S. After all, even Jenny changed from Drucker on the ship over here to Gold later on.

Conclusion

I doubt we will ever know the true reasons why Morris and his siblings were either given or had chosen their father’s or mother’s surname or why they changed from one to the other. Each may have had his or her own reasons. 

I've debunked theories 1-3 with the birth records and other records showing the father's name was Drucker and mother's maiden name was Gold.  Theories 5 and 6 are the most plausible and the legitimacy/birth records issue likely played some role.  Let me know if you have any additional theories!