Talk:Elizabeth McCombs

Article title
what makes you think that she was "commonly known as Elizabeth Reid McCombs"? I'm asking because she wasn't known by her middle name.  Schwede 66  20:15, 7 March 2015 (UTC) She is called this in many of the main academic articles about her:
 * http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4m3/mccombs-elizabeth-reid
 * http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23136870
 * http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/People/CivicLeaders/WomenInTheCouncilChamber/Councillor/?name=ElizabethMcCombs

Most of the Wikipedia article is made up of information from Te Ara.

--Uenuku (talk) 20:23, 7 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Ah, I see where your misunderstanding arises. Of the above, the one that I would consider the most authoritative is the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (DNZB). There are by now over 3000 biographies contained in the DNZB, and what you don't appear to be aware of is that each entry uses the official name of the person for the article title. Wallace Edward Rowling anybody? Yes, his official name is his article title, but everybody knows him as Bill, and many would not know the former finance minister any other way than Bill Rowling. One has to read a DNZB bio to figure out what the common name is, and sometimes DNZB is a bit subtle about it (because it starts with the official name, then refers to the subject by surname throughout the article, but in the last couple of sentences, the common name gets used). This bio is a bit more obvious, because it refers to her as Elizabeth throughout (partially to avoid confusion with her husband). Regarding the National Library entry, they always use the official name for disambiguation purposes. Ok to move it back then?  Schwede 66  20:31, 7 March 2015 (UTC)


 * No I'd understood this and in fact know several DNZB authors. What I hadn't understood is the Wikipedia policy on official names. Go ahead and move it back if you think it's better. According to the policy, there should also be a redirect from her official name. --Uenuku (talk) 20:46, 7 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Thanks for resolving this. And yes, there should always be redirects from official names, and all sorts of other names including common spelling mistakes. I've set up a good dozen redirects this morning already while working on the 1945 New Year Honours.  Schwede 66  21:17, 7 March 2015 (UTC)