Problem with wifes name

[iamtechus]

Wife and I are getting ready to retire and had to order copies of our birth certificates and marriage license in order to apply for social security and my pension.

All of my wife's life she has signed her given name "Billy", but I just found out that her birth certificate says "Billie". She had never had a copy of her birth certificate and her semi-literate mother had told her that her name was B-i-l-l-y. All the other important documents in her life have this (incorrect) spelling and she went through life suffering jokes about her male name but no other real problems until now.

Is this discrepancy going to cause us any problems with SS, pension, life insurance etc.? How do we correct it.

[dhinojosa]

1. Welcome to DU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and wow, I can't answer your question, but that is some story.
:hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. Call your Social Security office and explain the situation

They'll be able to help you out.

[Lilyhoney]

3. I second #1 nt

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Probably not

as long as all the other docs are in order. This happens quite a bit.

Welcome to DU!

[caty]

5. I would call the Social Security office

and see what they say about it. She might have to change her name legally.

[WCGreen]

6. My whole life I have been called Chris

Even though my name is William. (WC, get it)

But when I was a kid and opened up a savings account, I applied for a social security number as Christopehr William....

Big time problems when I went in for disablity....

Change to the name on the social security .....

It's easy to legally change your name....

BTW, Welcome

[sui generis]

7. I don't think it's going to be a problem

...if everything else is in order with date of birth, etc., and "Billie" is short for Wilhelmina (or William-a) just as Billy is short for William. I think most of that paperwork has a sworn signature statement under penalty of perjury that she is who she says she is, and that's what matters. Nobody is going to even look twice.

[HereSince1628]

8. Not a big deal, my father's surname was wrong on his birth certificate

Our name sounds like but isn't spelled Melon, and the Dr. made it a plural ending. But that was what appeared on his B.C. At several points in his life, military induction, and marriage he wrote to the courthouse asking for a copy and they replied they couldn't find it. Well, of course, the spelling error.

But doing geneology I actually found the original by going through every birth certificate in the county for March 1918. At that point I also discovered the birth date on the BC and the family Bible were different. Apparently the Dr. had also filled in a different birthdate (he entered the day that he filed it).

At any rate, my father sent the strange birth certificate with mispelled name and wrong date along with an explanatory letter. The social security folks were understanding and it all worked out uneventfully.

[UncleSepp]

9. She should be fine - my aunt had the same problem

She went by Betty her whole life. When she finally saw her birth certificate, she about fell over... not only wasn't her first name or her middle name Betty, it wasn't even anything that could remotely be shortened to Betty.

[bettyellen]

11. like elisabeth?

most people don't realise the connection.
:)

[UncleSepp]

12. No, I think it might have been Susan

:shrug:

The funniest thing is, she wsn't the only one in the family that happened to. One of my uncles also has the wrong name on his birth certificate. We're pretty sure that Grandpa filled out the forms while Grandma was recovering, and that Grandpa had tied one on and didn't remember what he was supposed to have put down.

[SOteric]

10. It shouldn't be a problem. Your wife may need to

supply some additional documents showing that this is the only name/spelling she's ever used (such as copies of utility bills from years back, etc.). It's more relevant what name/spelling was associated with the SSN if and when your wife was employed.

[pitohui]

13. no won't cause problems

as the other poster said let social security know but it isn't an issue

many of my relative's names weren't even close to what was on their birth certificates

original names from the bible, which they thought too old-fashioned so as adults they assumed more modern names

none of them had problems getting their social security when the time came

this stuff happens all the time

women especially can go through a lot of names in a lifetime