I'm on my way later to the SSO so did research(shortening name)

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110205120



If you are named: John Awesom-O Smith Rodriguez

You can simply put "John Smith" as how you want it to appear as Awesom-O is your middle name and Rodriguez is a suffix to the first surname.

Hope anyone filling out the future social security application is clear on this. Will let you know when I come back after presenting my documents tomorrow at the SSO if they say anything. If they do I'm going to show them their website.

I read a previous thread where there was some confusion on this issue as the person was also thinking of shortening and people kept saying to just use the full name so I decided to make this thread. I wanted to also shorten it and did a little bit of research to see if it was possible. So in brief you should put what you want displayed on line one of the application and put your full name below where it asks for your full name at birth.

Also on my residency card my middle name came simply as an initial even though it was fully put on the application. They are already shortening it themselves as it's just simply too long and apparently troublesome for the usual name customs in the USA. I'm just going to go ahead just use my given name and my first surname on every document and ID most likely. I might put an initial for my middle name. I haven't decided on the initial yet. Cheers.

Guess I should have named my thread better....

Lady was glad to help me with the process and she said she updated the database on me to be recognized by the name I wanted to be called and the name the U.S. government has my documents by. They link them in the process. Cheers.

I've read a few people on here who were told by the SSA to put their name as it appears on their EAD on the application.

So according to this, we can leave out our middle name. Would there be any confusion later on when we try to apply for a job and our EAD has a different name than our SSN?

I believe suffix are Jr, Sr. Not the second last name.

Yes, we have what is called a compound surname technically. In other words your second last name gives additional information about your family.

However, in the USA this is basically treated like a suffix. It gives additional information that is not necessary such as Jr. and they treat it as such. They treat anything that isn't the given and surname as useless additional information really. It just makes searching for you on a database slightly easier, but not a necessity to identify you.

If you take a quick look at the form: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber/ss5.htm

On page 5 section 1 part 2 where it asks for "FULL NAME AT BIRTH" you make sure you put your entire name like I will explain below.

If you have a compound surname like in the example you would put :

First: John
Midde: Awesom-O
Last: Smith Rodriguez

In the event that the social security administration shortened your middle name like mine when they issued you an EAD or a document then you still treat it like a full name and put it as above. Unless it differs greatly do not put anything on page 5 section 1 line 3.

However, on page 5 Section 1 line 1 where it asks : "TO BE SHOWN ON CARD" you put what you want to be called. If you just wanted to be called John Smith and have that on your ID or license then you would put:

First: John
Last: Smith

And leave middle blank or put N/A. I would just leave it blank because someone there might not know that on most documents N/A should be consider not applicable or be lazy and just skip it and somehow think you have multiple names. The lady who attended me has multiple names and she treats them all as initials and she was very helpful about explaining the options since she herself had actually been through the process.

I think the form otherwise is self explanatory but if anyone has any questions let me know. I did this process today and successfully removed my second surname in my compound surname and shortened my middle name to an initial.

Would there be any confusion later on when we try to apply for a job and our EAD has a different name than our SSN?

No, there should be zero confusion. You cannot change your given and surname or omit them. That would require a court order. What you are doing is omitting your middle name or the last part of your compound surname. You can only abbreviate those or omit then. You are not going to change anything in your first given name or surname. For example if your full name is Juan Manuel Smith Rodriguez you can only change it to appear to something like:

Juan Smith(omit middle and second surname)
Juan M. Smith(omit second surname but abbreviate middle)
Juan Manuel Smith (omit second surname)
Juan M. R. Smith (abbreviate middle and second surname)
Juan R. Smith(omit middle and abbreviate second surname)
Juan Manuel Smith Rodriguez (do nothing)

There is nothing else you can change it to. As you can see in every possible name Juan and Smith should be searchable on a database. They will then find Juan Smith and link you with the social you give. If they find Juan Manuel Smith Rodriguez when the search comes up that is fine BECAUSE it satisfies what I stated above which was that YOUR FIRST GIVEN name and YOUR FIRST SURNAME MATCH. I cannot stress how important that you make sure that is correct and matches.

Like I said I did this process today and hope I can shed some light on the subject if anyone has questions or if they would like to do the same. I got to get studying for my finals but if there are questions feel free to contact me or post on this thread and I will reply after my finals most likely or in a break.

I will try doing this when I go apply for an SSN. Hopefully the SSA doesn't make me put my whole name on the To Be Shown On Card section. I'd like to omit my second last name.

So when we go apply for an ID and DL, the name that will be shown on them is the name on our SSN right? Not the one on our EAD.

Yes, just ask politely if the name can be displayed like on your social security. There should be no trouble, but if they take both the EAD and social the worker might just be lazy and start hacking away at the keyboard copying the EAD without even asking you so just let them know you want it like on the social

Thanks for the info, OP!!!!!

I will def ask SS to have my first last name (mother's last name) omitted. On my DACA/EAD application form, I put it as my middle name. So hopefully, they will consider it my middle name.

If it works, I will keep my two first names (compound) and my dad's last name.

Under other names just put down mcLovin lol

When I went to apply, the lady was really nice. I told her that USCIS had put in my mother's maiden name as my middle name and again as my second last time. I told her I did NOT have a middle name and she said it was ok, they do not have to put down middle names on the card and is not used to identify people. She also said that they experience problems like that a lot, how we use our two last names. Thank God she was able to leave out my "middle" name because now after I get it fixed on my EAD, I don't have to go back and fix it with SS.

Thanks for the info!