Abbreviating Name on Official Documents? 195
harlows_monkeys asks: "I went through a bit of a hassle getting a replacement SS card, because my name in their records is 'Timothy' but my driver's license says 'Tim'. They seemed surprised and a little bit suspicious over my going by 'Tim' when my legal name is 'Timothy'. Looking over things, I see that I'm 'Tim' on my driver's license, health and auto insurance, credit and bank cards, bank accounts, mutual funds, paychecks, W-2, and tax returns. I'm 'Timothy' to the SS office, and on my auto lease (but 'Tim' on my auto registration).
The SS office warned me that this mismatch would cause problems. Has anyone else run into this? Should I be going around and changing my records everywhere to say 'Timothy' to match my Social Security records?"
Cross-reference (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Cross-reference (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Cross-reference (Score:2)
Re:Cross-reference (Score:2)
~---^, |-~---~
As someone with a commonly abreviated name (Score:4, Informative)
Re:As someone with a commonly abreviated name (Score:2)
Re:As someone with a commonly abreviated name (Score:2)
Re:As someone with a commonly abreviated name (Score:2)
Cheers. HAND.
I'm in a similar situation (Score:4, Interesting)
I have two completely different names... and it became a problem here because some HR dorks didn't believe that I was me because my phone directory listing has my nickname instead of my legal name.
It also became a problem in college when a professor who knew me personally by my nickname removed me from the class rolls by accident. I had to appeal to get re-added afterwards.
Use the legal name everywhere. It will be a big pain in the ass otherwise.
Re:I'm in a similar situation (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I'm in a similar situation (Score:4, Funny)
No way! Why should I change? He's the one that sucks.
Re:I'm in a similar situation (Score:2)
btw, the extra x is because I have "JohnFlux" on slashdot, but forgot the password.. not that anyone cares.
Re:I'm in a similar situation (Score:2)
As for the article, I was told early on and raised by my parents that my legal name always had to be the same. If I used my middle initial, I had to use it everywhere. I chose to use my middle initial and save my middle name for verification purposes. I fought
Re:I'm in a similar situation (Score:2)
(no, its not goatse) [netspace.net.au]
No (Score:5, Funny)
Should I be going around and changing my records everywhere to say 'Timothy' to match my Social Security records?
No. Have your name legally changed to something that requires Unicode to represent. Much more fun, and better for society in the long run as well.
I promise.
-- MarkusQ
Re:No (Score:2, Informative)
Re:No (Score:2)
My Canadian Social Insurance Number card is issued under Joseph, but the rest of my ID and credit cards were issued under Joe. I've never run into any problems with this, but what really did bug me was that when I received notices from the government, and had to sign things, they usually preferred that I sign
Re:No (Score:2)
Re:No (Score:2)
So, even if your documents all carry the name Joseph, you can go ahead and sign as Joe, and its still all good. Someone might not like it, but what the hell, I mean, its your signature,
Re:No (Score:2)
Re:No (Score:2)
My name starts with an upper-case shwa.
Re:No (Score:2)
Here's a couple of suggestions: (Score:2)
Tïmöthy
Tímóthy
Tïmôthy
Tîmòthy
No Problems Here (Score:2, Funny)
Most documents say Steve
My full name is Stephen J
My credit report has all valid and used forms of my name.
So far no problems.
Even the guys that have stolen my identity have not had problems.
I am willing to be that this is a common issue and most folks can handle it.
Dumbass (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Dumbass (Score:2, Insightful)
I agree 100%. My name's Mike. On all of my legal documents (including my DL) it's listed as Michael.
Why? Because I'm smart enough to realize the headache it would cause if I put 'Mike' anywhere.
Re:Dumbass (Score:2)
When it comes to anything that could possibly be considered a legal document you have exactly one name and that's whatever it says on your birth certificate or the court-approved document giving you a new name.
*shakes head in disbelief*
Re:Dumbass (Score:2)
Re:Dumbass (Score:2)
You're going to get hell trying to collect on social security if you don't fix this issue. Also, make sure SS benefits are bing reported accurately, since your benefits depend on how much you contribute.
About the dumbass, I would say that you were uninformed before. So go and sin no more.
Re:Dumbass (Score:3, Informative)
That makes absolutely no sense. SS contributions are tracked by your SSN, not your name. Your employer has your SSN so that your contributions can be tracked to your account. The IRS isn't dumb enough to track you based on your name either. They require an SSN or some other tax-payer ID number when you
Re:Dumbass (Score:3, Informative)
With all the new provisions that financial institutions have to undertake with the Patriot Act, I for one wouldn't
Re:Dumbass (Score:2)
Re:Dumbass (Score:2)
MP (Score:3, Funny)
Possible Problems (Score:3, Insightful)
I've run into all sorts of problems with the short and long versions of my name on documents, not the least of which was credit reporting. I always sign the full name, with middle initial, on documents now, and leave the shortened version conversational.
It's weird, but for some reason, the various credit reporting agencies seem to place different names on the reports depending on which "version" of your name you use to request a report. I've invested about 3 years in fixing everything, and I'm about 80% there.
NYC DMV (Score:3, Interesting)
This may be a bit more extreme example, but a friend of mine was trying to transfer her driver's license from Texas or something to New York. It had her name like this: F. Middle Last on some of her stuff (like social security card and Texas license) and First M. Last on other stuff of hers. She was there for hours, but they wouldn't trust that she was who she said she was, even though everything else obviously matched up just fine. She actually had to do something ridiculous like get a signed and stamped copy of her birth certificate from Texas, I don't remember exactly what.
While this example is a bit different, and I would imagine slightly more susceptible to this kind of BS, I would say, yes, it can happen to you! Get that sh*t standardized!
Yes, sort of (Score:5, Interesting)
I had to go to court and almost ended up fined or in jail because of a slight mismatch in my documentation. Because my insurance didn't match, some automatic notifcation system cause the state of Florida to think that I didn't have car insurance, so they canceled my driver's license without telling me. When I was pulled over on the highway, I was charged with the misdemeanor of driving without a license (the cop did not care about the reasons, he could only see that my license was revoked). I then had to have my girlfriend come pick me up, 6 hours' drive away from home, and I had to return later to answer the charges. The DA dropped the charges when I pulled her aside and explained what happened and showed her the documentation, but I still lost the day and a half that it took to drive to that jurisdiction and back for the 8am court date, and the driving of the day of the incident (6 hours there, 6 hours waiting for the girlfriend, 6 hours back).
The good news is that non-legal documents like credit cards don't have to agree as long as you're not trying to dodge creditors. The rule is that if you're using a name in a non-fraudulent manner and it doesn't require your legal name, it's all fine.
But really, really. Make sure "legal name" documents agree completely. The Bureacracy is not your friend, and you must appease it now or it will take its vengeance later.
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
You don't need insurance to have a License, its just illegal to drive without insurance. Maybe Florida has some wierd laws about it, after the last election, shows how messed up the Florida DOL is.
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
I lived in Florida for many years and now live in California, which has the same law. (I think - if not, you have to show insurance for the tag of your car).
North Carolina doesn't have the m
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
Ohio started doing the same thing about two years ago - regarding spot checks of insurance. You'd get an envelope in the mail, stating you have 30 days to return it with valid insurance information, for vehicles registered in your name. I think it's a good idea, since I've heard stories around the office about my coworkers being in interesting situations from drivers who don't have insurance.
Anyway
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
I bought a car a few weeks later.
-ec
OT: Re Your sig... (Score:2)
Is it not spelled programmer? Or is there a joke/allusion that I'm missing?
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
It's called "nonowner's insurance". Ask your agent about it -- it's to protect you when you're driving a rental car or someone else's car. It also has the nice side benefit of keeping a continuous insurance history; witho
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
Technically you don't need insurance; you just have to show financial capability. There are a handful of ways around it, and if you have decent savings you can toss into a long term bond (which is a good idea anyway), you can save quite a bit of money on insurance by... well, not paying any.
--
Evan
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
So - I am well aware of the Wal*Mart shopping breakdown in all three states. You can drive miles in Florida and California and see nothing but spanish signs and people who speak nothing but spanish. And that's in clean, nice neighborhoods (usually poor, but poor doesn't mean lousy). You can't do that (yet) in North
Re:Yes, sort of (Score:2)
Uh, duh... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Uh, duh... (Score:2)
My SSN card has Joe, my driver's license has Joe, and my credit cards say Joe. Nobody cares that my real name is Joseph (well, except for maybe the government of Canada, it says Joseph on my birth certificate).
Now, if I was to use Joseph for my SSN card, and Joe everywhere else, then I might run into problems.
As long as you're consistent, you'll have no problem, even if you have to go to the extent of getting a legal name change
Re:Uh, duh... (Score:2)
And I'm not a parent so I don't know exactly how I got my SS card in the first place, but don't they want a copy of a birth certificate for that...? Do they actually let you request one with a different name?
Credit Reports (Score:3, Interesting)
This is the #1 reason to never use a JR or SR in naming your children. You are dooming them to forever having their financial records mixed up with every person in your family. Good luck getting a loan if you son or dad has bad credit. You could be perfect and it won't matter.
Unfortunately, your SS is your major ID number and however much it shouldn't be a universal ID system, it's become that without any real oversight or security to it.
Re:Credit Reports (Score:2)
Credit Reports - just say no!
Re:Credit Reports (Score:2)
Similar situation, but not... ? (Score:3, Interesting)
Now, everyone just calls me 'Greg', anyway.
Re:Similar situation, but not... ? (Score:2)
My girlfriend has a similar problem, except that she's from a different culture. (She's Irish, but has lived in Britain for many years.) She is "officially" called Brigid, and most of her paperwork has this name on it. Everyone calls her Breda, which is a kind of diminutive of Brigid. Most Irish people would know that these are forms of the same name, but not many British people do. This wouldn't be a problem, except that Breda is the name on her passport...
Better watch out... (Score:2)
Problems? (Score:4, Funny)
I'd change your name on some of the stuff to Timmy.
At least your name is normal... (Score:2)
I have actually considered a legal name change to drop it to just D.
Re:At least your name is normal... (Score:2)
tech topic? (Score:2)
The answer, by the way, is that if you use a non-legal name in an official cpapacity you could be suspected of fraud. Your friends may call you Tim, but that is not your name, man.
Always a hassle (Score:3)
Re:Always a hassle (Score:2)
Sorry, he doesn't live here...
I sympathize with your plight to have things listed the way you want 'F. Middle' rather than 'First M.' I have all sorts of things that list my middle name as my first name... never encountered a problem though. Perha
My wife handles it by... (Score:3)
On a related note, I have an illegible signature which many people have told me will get me in trouble. But it never has. If someone questions me I neatly print my name under my signature.
Re:My wife handles it by... (Score:2)
Re:My wife handles it by... (Score:2)
I call total BS on this one. That would not be the person's signature then. A person's signature should always look very similar to other places that signature has been used. If the handwriting is required to be "improved" to a different readability standard in some places, then it looks different in different places and ceases to be a unique mark of that person.
Re:My wife handles it by... (Score:2)
Your signature doesn't have to look like your name. What it does need to be is consistent and distinctive. I'd steer well clear of any official body who required me to use a "fake" signature.
Western culture names vs. other cultures (Score:3, Interesting)
My own uses the patronimic for naming.
(fake example)
My first name is Robert, my father's name is John.
So my full name (on my Birth Certificate) is Robert John Powell.
However, what is my "last name" (as asked by soooo many forms that you fill out throughout your lifetime)
My last name according to my culture is "John" and my FAMILY name is "Powell"
Do I put "John" or "Powell" on the forms?
I mix and match.
So various government agencies now know me as "Robert John" and others as "Robert Powell"
Both are legit and I'm not trying to defraud anyone.
Some other cultures have different birth dates too (I don't understand the details)
There is the "moon" birth date and also the birth date that you actually came out of your mum.
Trying to fit many many other cultures into Western cultures sometimes causes some interesting results.
Re:Western culture names vs. other cultures (Score:2)
For birthdays, use whatever is on the birth certificate: date of conception, date out of mom, whatever, as long as it's consistant.
Be Consistent (Score:2)
OTOH, figure how often people will look at the disparity and realize it's your obvious short form for your name, and *not* question it.
With me, it's my last name. It's hyphenated. I always use the long form on official documents, but when dealing with the people involved I tell them I u
What you're saying (Score:2)
Passports (Score:2)
My story (Score:2)
I remember when I had my first part-time job, I received a letter from the SSA stating something along the lines of "Your social security number of XXX-XX-XXXX is not associated with the name Jeremy Pavleck. If this is an error, please cont
I've just gotten my drivers license fixed (Score:2)
On the plus side I c
Re:I've just gotten my drivers license fixed (Score:2)
My roommate in college had a system like that when he would give his information to some company. He would just use a different middle initial for each one. He kept a list of who got what initial and then when the junk started to show up, he could call the people and
i've dealt with this for others (Score:4, Informative)
It requires large amounts of proof when i show up for anything and use my full name, so i generally use a nickname for anything that doesn't require a full legal signature. However, if it's in writing, i generally assume that it requires a full legal signature. Using my middle initial has never been a problem, and it does not appear on my social security card. (it wouldn't fit.)
So i just made the license match. There's nothing stopping you from using your name any way you'd like to, especially if it's bleeding obvious that it's similar. Do horror stories abound? Yes. But in almost every case, the folks doing the paperwork-accepting have a little leeway on what they accept, and the more documents you have, the better.
I've asked. Here's why.
I have been called on to help several people with lifestyle changes, including name changes, divorces, and once, that whole changing-the-gender-on-the-license question. the response that i have gotten from the DMV and the SSA in advocating for others has been this: That the social security card and license should have your full, legal name. Mene doesn't. They asked why, and i told them, and they said that's fine because it's obvious that it wouldn't fit. If you aren't happy with it, change it, but make those documents have that in the same form. Your license should ALSO bear any nickname you use in common day-to-day activities IF that nickname is not 'obviously derivative' of your name. For example, they don't think i need to put 'sol' or 'solemn' on my license (even though the latter, which my mum calls me, to me is not obviously derivative) as long as my legal full name with middle initial is there and it's pretty close. The SSA especially was very straightforward: They didn't care as long as they were close, because it was the number that mattered. Timothy and Tim should be fine. Your credit report will include them all, or it should, and you should check to make sure there isn't a timmy yourlastname down the street whose info is ALSO on there.
In my case, the SSA person simply looked at me when i applied, and asked if i was sure.
Sure what? That it's my name? That i'm me? I said, "Sure about what?" and looked confused. She took my paperwork for a replacement card (do yourself a favour. Laminate your social security card, it's rare that they won't accept it and they'll sure accept it better than if you hand them the wad of washing-machine-treated paper that used to be a SS card.) and let it go at that.
Er... that's also how i get my username- solemndragon...
the most interesting part is work, where my name tag on the desk leads people to believe that i'm a temp, because i'm not a guy. That's caused some entertainment, and is an example of why it's gone out of political correctness to begin letters with "dear Sir."
Incidentally, it makes sorting my junk mail easy. Anything for "Mr." gets thrown in the shredder. *shaking head* administration appreciates paper. GO in with every scrap of ID you can find, including utility bills, and eventually they'll get tired of looking at them all. (This was also DMV advice.) As long as there was a cohesive paper trail linking the names, you should be FINE.
clarification (Score:2)
Your little issues (Score:2)
Another guy I know from work is named Sivakumar. One name. Thats all. Some documents take him as Siva Kumar, others like his passport say Siva Sivakumar. My chinese friend
Middle names are worse (Score:2)
I've fought with banks, credit card companies, employers, and a few other places to use one of the two forms: f
slightly OT but... (Score:2)
Now, everyone in the family calls him Marcel, while the rest of the world calls him Bruno.
But wait, it gets weirder.
His wife (my aunt) uses the first name Sophie, but everyone in her family calls her "Claudette".
Now thanks to this AskSlashdot thread, I feel compelled to ask them to see their IDs next time I meet them.
Trademark your name (Score:2)
Then instead of using a regual "first, middle, last, " name like everybody else (how bland!) you simply trademark the name you like, get a legal name change - and if the name gets popular and others try to use it - sue everybody for using it!
Imagine the possibilities!
Middle Initial (Score:2)
* He had the middle name 'E' because my grandfather wanted my uncle to be a Jr, but my grandfather didn't like his mid
Proper response (Score:2)
"Some men call me... Tim?"
Obviously you must be a terrorist (Score:2)
Ah, the shortcomings of strcmp() (Score:2)
Robert to Bobby, Tim to Timothy.
They need propername matching. In theory it's simple - specify the first n characgers to match, and that generally work, except for Rob->Bob.
Yes we've had trouble too (Score:2)
The bigger problem (Score:2)
Your papers don't match you're not a human anymore. The state will crush you now.
Kind of like the Gestapo.
What a mess... (Score:3, Interesting)
And Dog help you if you choose, for whatever reason, to change the way you sign your name. There are legitimate reasons for this (such as having an index finger amputated).
Another big one: Do I use my middle initial when ordering things online with a credit card? The form says, "Must match the name on the card." Well, the name on the card is "Joe M Smith." WITHOUT the dot after the middle initial. So am I supposed to enter "Joe M Smith" or "Joe M. Smith?" As far as I'm concerned: who the FUCK cares?
Oh, and get this. My girlfriend immigrated here from Israel. She has no middle name. She is of Russian descent. What does INS tell her? "You HAVE to have a middle name. All Russians have a middle name." Wow, I'm glad they know so much about Russian culture, but unfortunately, they're wrong as hell. So she simply made one up on the spot: she used her nickname (the name she actually goes by) as her middle name. So her name is now "Raisa Raya." How retarded.
Oh, and on top of that, the INS thinks she's a MALE. She received her selective service draft card a few weeks ago! Fucking hilarious.
The government is a decrepit pile of shit.
Re:What a mess... (Score:2)
But all Russians do have a middle name. It is derived from their father's first name. For example, if your girlfriend's father's name were Yakov, her middle name would be Yakovlevna. Now, if she was born in Israel, then it is possible that she didn't have a middle name, but then why bring up her Russian descent?
I'll fix it for you (Score:2)
All you have to do is email me your bank account number, your credit card numbers (with expiry date and 3-digit security code on reverse -- for verification purposes), all social security numbers you have used, and the addresses of your last three residences.
A compleatly unrelated story (Score:2)
This summer I got a new (uncomputer) job, and for direct deposit, I gave them my personal account information. Unfortunatly, Ive been using my computer "business" account 100% of the time for a couple of years - my personal account was closed. (hmm, would have been nice if they had told me).
My first pay stub I get has my last name spelt wrong (no supervisor, I did not spell my own name wrong on the forms you gave me. I was not the one who typ
Z Smith (Score:2)
(slightly OT)
I knew a guy in high school whose name was Z Smith. No kidding. Z! (No period after the Z either.) In fact he was the president of our class. Great guy, too: smart, funny, cool. Years later I happened to see an article he wrote -- I think he was working for alexa.com at that point.
But that *is* his real name. Quite possibly other posters have met him too, because he works in the computer field.
Signatures are almost as bad (Score:2)
What is a "real" name? (Score:2)
Most of the comments here seem to be assuming everybody has their "real", "legal" name, and may also have other names that people call them. Legally speaking it's a bit more complex, or at least more fluid.
Legally, your name is whatever people generally call you. There is no official register of names - such a thing would be impossible anyway. The only way to prove that your name is what you say it is is to show evidence that other people call you that name. The best evidence is official documents, su
A Nickname is not your full, legal name (Score:2)
I have had problems with this in two instances:
- When the people from EMC's support center call me , I answer the phone "Hello, this is Bill." They
some trouble, not tons (Score:2)
I also changed my middle/last name, as part of a marriage thing -- whereas my full name was legally "David Pseudo Longarsepolishname", it is now legally "Dave P Longarsepolishname Shortnewname".
I have various documents (passports, licenses, credit cards, etc.) that have my name as:
"Dave Shortnewname"
"Dave P Shortnewname"
"Dave P Longarsepolishname"
"Dave P Longarsepolishname Shortnewname"
"Dave Longarsepolishname Shortnewname"
The onl
I second that (Score:2, Insightful)
No, seriously. While I doubt it's necessary, it sounds like you want to be consistant across basically everything to eliminate hassle. If all that's going to change is your SS and your auto lease vs. all that other stuff, I know which one I'd pick.
You might feel apprehensive about changing your name from the one your parents gave you, but you're really only doing it legally. Besides, not only will it make an interesting conversation piece, think of all the jokes that are pos
Re:encountered various problems. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:only 1 name (Score:2)
C'est la vie.