Living with Mononymous name in US

[Maxtini]

Hi~ I am international applicant intending to apply for PhD program for fall 2015.

Legally, my name consisted of only one word (mononym), and so far this has created a lot of technical hassle when I apply to several US universities.

 

Some universities suggested that I apply as "Maxtini Maxtini" (NB: Maxtini is not my real name), some suggested that I apply as ". (dot) Maxtini", "(space) Maxtini",  another suggested to apply as "FNU Maxtini".

 

Whatever the name is, I was warned that their systems cannot automatically match my TOEFL and GRE scores with my application and I need to inform them by e-mail for manual verification.

 

So far these are all still managable. But I can't imagine how it would be once I am in America, especially dealing with bureaucratic paperwork there (vISA, Social Security, Insurance, driving liscence, bank account).

 

One of my nightmare is dealing with publishing journal (ACS) there. After much wrangling with the journal editor, they agree to publish the paper with my mononym name. But Alas! My name won't appear on their web nor is it citable using software such as EndNote. My name only appears as " †" (space †). I am worried that the admission committe will reject my application as fraudulent once they cannot see my name in the web journal (the print version contains my mononymous name though).

 

 

Does anyone here have any prior experience?

 

[fuzzylogician]

I have no experience with this, but unfortunately I think it might make your life difficult. I think lots of systems in the US (and elsewhere) are set up to require both a first name and last name and just aren't equipped to handle your situation. You'll just have to figure out something to tell them as your first name.

 

I found this post that contains some useful advice:

http://ask.metafilter.com/176533/What-are-legal-aspects-of-changing-ones-name-to-a-mononym-or-employing-multiple-legal-aliases

 

Also, this advice website for getting US visas:

http://www.immihelp.com/immigration/passport.html

 

I'd suggest choosing one of the options described in these posts. If the immigration website is right and your student visa will say FNU, I would simply go with that everywhere. I am sure that there are ways to verify this, for example by contacting any international student from your country who is in the US. I am sure they would be happy to help with this. Otherwise, the other two options that seemed reasonable to me were either use your name twice, or use NoFirstName for the first name field. I'd avoid symbols like space or dot because some systems might not let you use that.  

 

Whatever you do, I think it'd be best if you made the same decision for all your interactions in the US. It'll be difficult enough to deal with this without needing to remember what solution you chose for which service/system.

 

ETA: found another website, this time an official US one. Looks like they'll use FNU. Also note that they specifically mention that you might have difficulties, and suggest some action for dealing with it: http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/temporary-visitors/faqs.html 

I think you might want to try contacting the US embassy in your country to ask about this.

Edited November 10, 2014 by fuzzylogician

[Maxtini]

Thanks~ It seems there will be a lot of troubles to overcome then.

[RSgirl]

Is there no way you could legally change your name in your country of origin before going to the states (although I understand you'd prefer to keep your own name)? It takes a lot of paperwork, but might be easier then having to go through all the hassle once arriving in the USA.

[Maxtini]

I don't have time for that since I'm now working. There would also be a lot of work to do and might be expensive.
I need to have court approval, go to civil registration office to ammend my name and notify any party about the changes (local government office, police, DMV, National Health Insurance Agency, Tax agency) within 30 days.

[Mingus1]

It's not the same situation but my school address is an unusual one, and the zip code is often unrecognized. It has been difficult when ordering things, or applying for things that require an address. The lengthy explanations, the impracticality of having to make a simple process turn into an extended conversation- I suggest you seriously contemplate whether it will be worth it, and do you want all of your future work to be strangely credited, as well? I respect your conviction and your name. I just wonder if you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't take the time and expense now, to compromise - even if only for official documents and correspondence. Best of luck!

[Karoku_valentine]

Just get another name at your own country. That would solve your entire life.

[CiCi1111]

First of all, to all of you suggesting this person CHANGE his/her NAME to suit the American systems....FU!! And, by that I do _not_ mean "first unknown". It is this kind of insensitivity and lack of inclusiveness that stifles the system.  Do you tell your black friends to whiten their skin to avoid racism? Tell your female friends to get a sex change to earn equal pay in their job? Tell your gay friends to act straight so as not to be discriminated against? Seriously, the frick, people. 

 

A person's name is a strong part of their identify, their culture, their heritage.  Just because the American systems are retarded (meant in the truest literal way), doesn't mean everyone else should be.  

 

There are hundreds of thousands of people in the USA with mononyms. Florida DMV once told me how many in Florida -- if I recall, it was more than 60,000.

 

Here's the deal: It is a ridiculously SIMPLE problem to solve in a database-driven system.  

1.) Don't require both a "first name" and "last name" field.  Just as a middle name is not required. Or:

2.) At the very least, allow a hyphen character -- which is a common character of American last names -- to serve as a field spaceholder. In fact, both a hyphen character and an apostrophe are common characters in surnames, so even if only that field were less restrictive to allow it. Names (even given names) often include a space, so that should be allowed, too.  In practical terms, it seems universally using a hyphen as placeholder is best, as it avoids all the different systems doing something different. It also isn't mistaken as an actual name to be pronounced.  Also, on forms, it is recognized construct to put a hyphen/dash to indicate no answer for a field. 

 

So, rather than suggest that a person change who they are for a broken system, how about we all advocate for an inclusive system based on what is legal rather than what is common (also read: white privilege)!!   'Merica...land of the common.

 

As a mononymous person (US native), I will tell the poster what I have encountered as to how US systems handle this, based on today's date [mostly for archival purposes, as the thread is old]:

 

1. US Social Security Administration: Their data-entry system has a checkbox indicating the person is mononymous. When the data entry person checks this box, the 'first name' field is disabled.  Your social security card will print with the single-word name only. However, the back-end database is populated with "UNK" (apparently to mean "unknown") as placeholder.  And, as a result, other agencies (such as insurance companies) who pull from this database, will receive the information as it is in the back-end system. The "UNK" (or "unknown") is completely stupid, as the name isn't unknown, it doesn't exist. But, at least they recognize and have designed the system to accommodate the variance.

 

2. At least one US state Division Of Motor Vehicles likewise had a system with a checkbox for single-name, but in this case it disabled the 'last name' field. So, it would never verify with the social security administration database. #smh

 

3. Florida DMV uses "NFN" (No First Name) as placeholder for the back-end system. However, with much complaining, they can print the driver's license with only the mononym. Florida auto registration had no problem with the single-word name.

 

4. My university (if I recall), used "NFN" as do other DMVs that I have encountered.

 

5. The US Passport Agency had a meltdown. In my case, they just assigned some completely random name to my account, and I had great difficulty even verifying my identity on the phone to try to find out what it was.  My passport card did display correctly with the mononym, but the back-end system was totally random.  I had to contact my congressman when they were unresponsive to my requests to address the matter.  Eventually (a year later!), I got someone on the phone who claimed it was resolved.  Not sure if it is or not.

 

5. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn't care. Those b*st*rds will find you no matter what names you use! 

 

6. The credit bureaus will never get your credit straight, for anything reported in the single-word name. When a business, for example, electronically reports your credit information, the credit bureaus systems look at the name field first, then address, and SSN only way down the list. When they can't match on the name field, their system ignores the report!  One reason that people with same names (like fathers and sons, for example) have their credit information cross-populated erroneously all the time.  The credit bureaus are horrible! And, they are a monopoly, so good luck with them. 

 

7. Employers, banks, credit card companies, businesses, etc. will all have problems with it. You'll have to insist that they sort it out. They rarely can do this at the data entry point, but the IT team certainly can override the field to leave it null. [Note: American Express never had a problem with it. They said it was because they are an international company and recognize that not all are the same.]

 

TIP: Some businesses can enter your name as a business name as a workaround. That works reasonably well as long as they aren't charging more for their service because of the designation.

 

Ironically, Google -- a giant international player -- has decided that they know best what constitutes a proper name. So, good luck getting even a Google+ account with a single-word name. In fact, it won't even let you enter a name less than a certain number of characters (and it has to be like at least 3 or more, as I recall). So, a big FU to Asians for sure, who often have 2-letter names.

 

8. E-Verify: Many/most employers now do what is called E-Verify, wherein a search is done of various systems to verify your citizenship (and other?).  Employers also do background checks.  These will be a nightmare too. You'll have to stay on top of them with these. 

 

Bottom line: If you want a convenient life, do what you want. Have your name legally changed to be common and like every one else to fit in. Split your name to fill 2 fields. Whatever you do, keep a cheat-sheet for yourself showing how each entity enters it in their database.

 

Or, better IMO, insist that the company/university/agency accommodate it.  If they don't, they are discriminating along the lines of ethnic or religious discrimination. 

 

The United States of America has been the so-called melting pot for hundreds of years.  It is time that electronic systems reflect that. I will say that they are getting better. At least database designers are. I find that I can much more often enter my single-word name in forms without problem.

 

 

 

 

 

[TakeruK]

Just wanted to throw in my support for CiCi1111's statement about making the system accommodate you instead of changing your identity to make others happy. Your list of experiences and suggestions is impressive, thank you for the resource!

 

This is not the same situation, but I have a last name that is difficult to pronounce because it is a sound with no English equivalent. Usually I am okay with people saying another English sound that is very similar but I always introduce myself by pronouncing my own last name the proper way. Usually it requires spelling out if I am giving my name to someone on the phone. 

 

Sometimes people ask me why I don't just tell people my name is the easier-to-pronounce-English-sound instead of my actual name or to just spell it out instead of going through the whole process of me saying it, they asking me to repeat it, me saying it again and spelling it. My first reaction (in my head) is "Don't tell me how to say my name!!" but usually my outward reaction is either ignoring them (if I don't know them) or explaining why I found that to be an offensive suggestion (if they are someone I feel like explaining myself to, e.g. a friend). 

 

I see this sometimes happening with international students at my school too. Sometimes people suggest that these students choose an "English" name, or that they change the order of their name. Some cultures have a first and last name, but they go by "LastName FirstName". Luckily, our school's International Students Office have stopped giving this advice (they did many years ago) and now encourages everyone to use the name they want to be referred to. So, I always call my colleagues by the name they want to be called, in the order they want it said. 

 

I think it is really important for everyone to be able to express themselves the way they want and be able to choose/be comfortable with the identity they express. It is not our place to tell people they must conform to any other standard. For what it's worth though, most journals in my field allow authors to write their name the way they want, even using Chinese characters for example.

[Crafter]

I have two last names and one of them has a character that does not exist in the English alphabet (neither the pronunciation of such). I have always complained about the inconveniences I have came across because of that. I just can't imagine how much more difficult things are for you.

 

I agree with both, CiCi1111 and TakeruK. Something has to be done to accommodate things for people with different backgrounds and cultures. Specially in the US, a country made out of natives and immigrants from all over the world, with tons of people from all sorts of places going there for school.

[artsy16]

I would agree with CiCi1111's statement if the horribly offensive "would you tell a black person, etc" statements were not made. How dare you say something so utterly offensive, and I'm guessing you're new finitely not black and likely not woman-identifying. And I am speaking as someone who IS black, a woman, and an American with a "difficult" name to pronounce due to my ethnic background even though my cultural group has been on this soil before most white Americans' families have been (might I add, we are often ridiculed for the sounds of our names by dominant (white) American society). Your opening statements were wholly unnecessary. Think before you speak, because you are not the only person who experiences discrimination and to suggest that some people are "protected" from it is absurd and offensive.

As to the OP's original issue - how dare people ask them to change their name?! I don't think any of you have ever done it before because it's not as easy as you make it out to be in your one sentence replies. I will also guess that it's unlikely that those suggesting a name change have names that have cultural significance and would ever consider changing your names to fit someone else's culture because people are too arrogant and close-minded. I am in the process of changing my last name now and applying to graduate schools. The process is horribly difficult re: paperwork, not to mention socially uncomfortable because many people demand an explanation and are upset when you say "it's private".

OP- I would say do whatever the government resources tell you to do. Even though your name may be "legally" FNU Maxtini for U.S. purposes, you can always just go by Maxtini socially and in business situations. For GRE, ETS will not change your name and you have to warn all your schools about the name discrepancy so they can match your stuff. I spoke with ETS recently. Best of luck! Whatever route you choose, there will be some difficulty and even more so if you change your name (which I wholeheartedly do NOT think you should.)

[shinigamiasuka]

I wish I had seen this post earlier. I officially (in my transcripts and other official documents) have three names, a first, a middle, and a last, but something went wrong and I'm stuck with one name on my passport. I didn't know it would be an issue until my uni emailed me about the inconsistency while processing my I-20. So then I explained to them, and then they set my 'legal name' as a dot for my first name, and then my first name as my surname (my passport puts my name in the surname field, too). Since UMich also has this 'preferred name of record' thing, I entered my actual full name there.

[Maxtini]

Wow~ never know this thread would revive again~
Well, I personally don't feel offended in anyway by suggestions to change my name. But I decided to just stick to my single word name regardless of the consequences/difficulties.

On the other hand,  I think the US government and other US institutions have slowly begun to adopt a more inclusive policy in naming.
In fact, the I-20 form that I've received reflects my name correctly. Although my single name appear in "Surname (Family name)" field instead of in "Given name" field (left blank). This seems to be the new name standard for SEVIS that was implemented starting this year. The FNU thing has been banned!!   . (https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/SEVIS%20Name%20Standards_0.pdf)

For google, there is an option to fill the last name field with dot and the google system will automatically register/display your name as mononym. (https://support.google.com/plus/answer/1228271?hl=en)

 

For facebook, they allow me to leave my last name field blank and only one single name appears on my facebook account. But that will only work if you change the facebook language setting and access facebook from my country, where mononymous names are common. (Shhh! That's secret  ). For the curious, you can try using proxy/vpn  : http://www.techavengers.net/2014/11/how-to-create-single-word-facebook-name.html

 

Unfortunately, US embassies still keep their old policy with FNU, so my visa was issued with FNU-thing.
In US, I think I will just treat my single name as my last name and left the given/first name blank if possible. If not, I will just fill in FNU. This will be consistent with my VISA and I-20 form.

Edited May 31, 2015 by Maxtini