Name for Social Security

[MC Rider]

So, I signed up for the My Social Security web site with minimal problems. Then I went to request a new card since mine was lost long ago. Computer won't do it because SS has my middle name as the first name. Better yet, it has a shortened version of my middle name. The short version is on almost every other document that has a middle name, except my Birth Certificate, and on my Real ID / Drivers license. The Dept of Motor Vehicles insisted on changing the middle name to the full version when I got the Real ID. Except for official documents, Doctors and such, I always go by the short version of my middle name.


Apparently if I want to open the can of worms with them I have to call them, their offices are still closed. I was able to get my latest statement, so maybe I should just leave well enough alone. Otoh, maybe this could be a problem when I get to Medicare age. Have not yet started SS benefits. I guess if it may be a problem, better to fix it now than later. Ugh.


Anyone have similar experience or comments / ideas?

 

[CardsFan]

So, I signed up for the My Social Security web site with minimal problems. Then I went to request a new card since mine was lost long ago. Computer won't do it because SS has my middle name as the first name. Better yet, it has a shortened version of my middle name. The short version is on almost every other document that has a middle name, except my Birth Certificate, and on my Real ID / Drivers license. The Dept of Motor Vehicles insisted on changing the middle name to the full version when I got the Real ID. Except for official documents, Doctors and such, I always go by the short version of my middle name.


Apparently if I want to open the can of worms with them I have to call them, their offices are still closed. I was able to get my latest statement, so maybe I should just leave well enough alone. Otoh, maybe this could be a problem when I get to Medicare age. Have not yet started SS benefits. I guess if it may be a problem, better to fix it now than later. Ugh.


Anyone have similar experience or comments / ideas?

DW had a somewhat similar issue. When we got married it was "the thing" for the wife to use a hyphenated myname-her maidenname, plus many variations thereof. Worked fine for years. but when she got to Medicare age, and the also need for realID, it made sense to change everything to one name, which was her given name, her maiden name (as a middle name) and my last name.

Working fine now.

 

[OldShooter]

Doe this matter? My SS card was lost decades ago and my not having it has never caused a problem.

If it were me, I'd sigh and move on. Very little payoff to wake up and negotiate with the Giant Sloth. Especially if the RealID is correct.

If it causes problems at Medicare time, then you'll have to fix it. But you don't know if that will happen.

 

[ScoopKona]

I have a name for Social Security. I don't think I can write it on this forum without severe consequences...

 

[Car-Guy]

No problems with names, but when the DW first applied for SS benefits we had problems getting things processed. It seems they still had her address the same as when she applied for a card ~45 years earlier so her application kept getting rejected. Forget the fact that she had now been married for ~40 years, paid income and SS tax under her married name, etc. We finally found out that somehow they never updated her address... (Not sure how we discovered that but it wasn't easy) Once we found that out it was easy to get it corrected and then everything started to work. Took about 3 months to get that straight IIRC.

 

[5Miler]

When I started work at 16 in the 60's, my employer applied for a SS number in my name. The problem was he used only my middle and last name and even a shortened version of my middle name at that. I have a very common name and have never gone by my first name but do use it on all official documents and as my formal signature. My name is very common like John Smith or Tom Jones. When I worked at megacorp there were three other people in my building with the same name. Lots of crossed emails.

When I turned 60 I went to the local SS office and initiated a name change to alleviate any problems I might have with SS or Medicare. It was pretty painless but then that was pre-pandemic.

 

[aja8888]

Medicare has my middle initial on their records. SS records do not contain my middle initial.

I have only a "given" middle name (Catholic Conformation exercise).

My birth certificate does not have a middle name on it, but my military records do. My driver's license has no middle initial on it. It's a mess and I am not going to try to clear it up.

No one seems to care.

 

[CardsFan]

Doe this matter? My SS card was lost decades ago and my not having it has never caused a problem.

If it were me, I'd sigh and move on. Very little payoff to wake up and negotiate with the Giant Sloth. Especially if the RealID is correct.

If it causes problems at Medicare time, then you'll have to fix it. But you don't know if that will happen.

Yeah, it matters, as least to the Giant Sloth. I needed to get a new SS card to get a realID. Used birth certificate and passport for ID (would not accept the current Drivers license). But I had to have a Birth certificate to get the passport. Why did I need it again?

And for over 5 decades I have never user the Jr. suffix with my name. But there it is on the SS card as if it never even left me.

And, for the record, when I was born I would have been BoSoxFan Jr., not CardsFan Jr.

 

[MC Rider]

The card means nothing and you don't really need it. So says their site.


The name discrepancy seems like a minor issue, but 3 months or whatever to fix, I'd rather do it when there is no hurry. I have no memory of getting a SS#. Would have to ask Dad why they put a short version of my middle name on there. Oh well they were young and he would not likely remember that detail anyway.


I see my HS diploma has the long form, college BS diploma the short form. Both have all 3 names. LOL.

 

[MC Rider]

When I started work at 16 in the 60's, my employer applied for a SS number in my name. The problem was he used only my middle and last name and even a shortened version of my middle name at that. I have a very common name and have never gone by my first name but do use it on all official documents and as my formal signature. My name is very common like John Smith or Tom Jones. When I worked at megacorp there were three other people in my building with the same name. Lots of crossed emails.

When I turned 60 I went to the local SS office and initiated a name change to alleviate any problems I might have with SS or Medicare. It was pretty painless but then that was pre-pandemic.

Sounds very much like my situation. Gonna have to open the can of worms. My first and last names for SS is all of 7 letters.

 

[donheff]

DW has a similar conflict. Her passport has her actual middle name so she had to adopt that for her RealID license. All other documents including SS, Medicare, and all financial accounts use the initial of her maiden surname. So far we have left well enough alone. She just has to remember to book flights with the passport/RealID middle name. We are afraid to mess with SS and her financial accounts. These organizations should have the capability to add AKAs to accomodate the widespread practice of messing around with married names.

 

[braumeister]

Divorce and remarriage are so common these days that dealing with name changes should be (and I think usually is) fairly routine.

But there are always glitches. I think of two of our past Presidents, Grant and Truman.

Grant was told he needed a middle initial, so he simply gave himself one: "S"

Truman was given the "S" by his parents because they couldn't decide between his two grandfathers, both of whom had S names.

In both cases it didn't stand for anything, just a letter. They both had to do a bit of explaining in later life.

 

[CaptTom]

I've never liked pedantic bureaucrats who insist on changing names to what they think is proper. Your name is what you go by. There is no one "official" name for anyone. Just look at your credit report. It'll have every nickname, shortened name, alias and misspelling you've ever used. They're all perfectly legal to use.


Sorry, you hit on a long-standing pet peeve of mine.

 

[MRG]

My empathy. Names are a real PIA to deal with programmatically and I think that kicks many names out that people can easily resolve in their minds.

 

[Jerry1]

The name discrepancy seems like a minor issue, but 3 months or whatever to fix, I'd rather do it when there is no hurry.

I agree. Deal with it now before it’s something you have to deal with. Much less stress that way. Plus, I’m not sure, but I though you could make appointments now for the SS. Maybe not but either way, hopefully it will be easily done over the phone.

 

[Rianne]

DW had a somewhat similar issue. When we got married it was "the thing" for the wife to use a hyphenated myname-her maidenname, plus many variations thereof. Worked fine for years. but when she got to Medicare age, and the also need for realID, it made sense to change everything to one name, which was her given name, her maiden name (as a middle name) and my last name.

Working fine now.

Great! I'm applying for Medicare this year. My birthday was incorrect until I got married. The catholic church needed an original birth certificate that showed a different birthday. That was 39 years ago. The b-day was corrected. And I use my maiden name as a middle name but on my passport, it is considered part of my last name. To be continued.

 

[RetiredHappy]

My husband has used a shortened first name for 6 decades. Between airlines, medical offices and Medicare, he finally gave in and started using his legal first name for everything now. He hates it but I don't. A name on paper that is all there is to it. It just makes everything so much easier.

On the other hand, my legal first and middle name make up my given name and it creates a problem in both systems and people. For some places with legal name is not being an issue, they just hyphenate my name.

 

[REWahoo]

Anyone have similar experience or comments / ideas?

When I was a young teen and signed up for a SS card (the earth had recently cooled enough to allow it), I used my nickname as my first name. So instead of Rodney E. Wahoo my SS card says Rod E. Wahoo. This is the only legal document with my nickname, I've used Rodney on all other paperwork even when signing SS and Medicare documents.

Although I've been receiving SS benefits and on Medicare for years, it has never been a problem. Still have my original card, so no idea on how trying to get a replacement might go.