Sunday, October 9, 2011

What's in a Name?

So, I'm happy to announce that I have officially changed my name. Great, right? So you would think.

It took me a while to decided what I wanted my new name to be. I've never gone by my first name, but I thought that dropping it, though it would make sense, would be a pain. I can't drop my middle name (it's what I've always gone by), and I LOVE my maiden name. So after much contemplation, I decided just to live out the rest of my life with 4 names. I mean, Branden has two middle names, so why shouldn't I?
Well, apparently, the Social Security Administration disagrees. Apparently they can't change my first name without a specific court order. And they had a gall to tell me while I could use my maiden name and my husband's last name for my new last name that they wouldn't be able to fit my middle name and maiden name as a middle name on the card. I actually considered just truncating it as a middle..... and then I realized that having Jeffer as a name on my card doesn't make any sense. My name is not Jeffer. It has never been Jeffer. 

So, in the end I lost my maiden name, and it broke my heart. I seriously considered going back to the social security office to see if I could change my mind and do a two-name last name, but ultimately I want the same last name as my husband and children.

So here's to you SSA. I may never go by my legal name in my life--because I'm not willing to pay $600 for a court order.

1 comment:

Emily Dawn Pugh said...

Ummm, that's utter ridiculousness. I'm curious as to Branden's comments about the government after that one ;)