A mama whose little one has two middle names asked me about how to handle the “middle initial” field on official forms, which is a question I’ve gotten with some frequency and have always answered with what I *think*, based on having a brother and two sisters with two middle names and hearing my mom’s frustration that the second middle was often ignored because there was no room for a second initial.

Today I did some research and found a more reliable source than myself: it took quite a few minutes of searching before I could find anything official (a lot of discussion posts though! A lot of people have this question!), but I did finally find this Employment Eligibility Form that explained what I think is the general practice on official forms in the U.S.:

“Your middle initial is the first letter of your second given name, or the first letter of your middle name, if any. If you have more than one middle name, enter the first letter of your first middle name. If you do not have a middle name, enter N/A in this field.”

I was also asked about a second middle name whose last letter was missing when the parents received the baby’s Social Security card in the mail — the mama wondered if there’s a character limit? Turns out there is! This article related the story of a woman who had a hard time getting all her names on her Social Security card, and someone from Social Security explained: 

“The first and middle name fields allow 16 characters each and the last name allows 21 characters.”

A space is considered a character, so the number of letters in the first middle name + the space + the number of letters in the second middle name all have to equal sixteen or less in order to fully appear on the Social Security card.

The article also said:

“… for the [Social Security] agency’s purposes a legal name consists of a first and last name only.”

So at least for Social Security, it shouldn’t matter that the second middle isn’t complete. For a passport, though, this site explains:

“The passport is a federally issued identification document so be sure to use your full legal name.

Middle names can be tricky when filling out your passport application, but don’t let that be the one factor that holds you back. A middle initial is acceptable on your passport instead of providing the full middle name. However, as a general rule of thumb, you should always enter your name as it appears on the documentation you present to prove your citizenship. This may include your social security number, drivers license, naturalization paperwork, and birth certificates.”

I would think, then, that someone who’s missing a letter on their Social Security card should present a birth certificate instead when getting forms of identification. Kind of crazy though, right?

** Please keep in mind that I am not a legal expert — if you have a situation like those mentioned here, consult someone who really knows! (Lawyer, Social Security rep, etc.) **

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Read all about how to get your own baby name consultation from either Theresa or myself here.

For help with Marian names, my book, Catholic Baby Names for Girls and Boys: Over 250 Ways to Honor Our Lady (Marian Press, 2018), is available to order from ShopMercy.org and Amazon (not affiliate links). It’s perfect for expectant parents, name enthusiasts, and lovers of Our Lady!