Must I use my legal first name on my cards?

[RockySC]

This may be a stupid question, but it's a very quick one. Must I use my legal first name on all of my applications? If so, after I apply can I have the name on the physical card changed? I go by my middle name for what's worth. I would just like to have my middle name on all of my cards and papers and information. Thanks.

[megaman1]

Yes you should, Jose.

[JediNeo]

It should match whatever your government issued ID reflects.

[grinlikechelsea]

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@JediNeo wrote:
It should match whatever your government issued ID reflects.

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+1

You can't have a different name on the card unless you've gone through the legal process of changing your name and have had it reflected on your DL/ID.

[RockySC]

Blah, ok, that's what I thought. I hate giving my card over and people always call me by a name that I am never called in any other situation, lol.

[grinlikechelsea]

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@RockySC wrote:

Blah, ok, that's what I thought. I hate giving my card over and people always call me by a name that I am never called in any other situation, lol.

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Well, maybe you can have the first initial, your middle name, and then your last name? I don't know if the banks will let you; I've only ever fought with FIA because a hyphenated last name is apparently too difficult of a concept to grasp.

[-Wade-]

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@RockySC wrote:

This may be a stupid question, but it's a very quick one. Must I use my legal first name on all of my applications? If so, after I apply can I have the name on the physical card changed? I go by my middle name for what's worth. I would just like to have my middle name on all of my cards and papers and information. Thanks.

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I go by my middle name all the time but on my cards I use my first name always.

[JediNeo]

Having it match your ID would help in preventing fraudulent use of the card. Provided the seller checks it. That's a whole different topic.

[xerostatus]

I have a unique but similar situation -- 

When I obtained my certificate of citizenship, I was allowed to have two names, in the way of:

First Middle Last AKA OtherFirst Last

(like, "John Jane Doe AKA James Doe")

I am technically/legally allowed to use either name, as they are both my legal names.

For simplicity, I generally use my original legal name, but I do go by the 2nd name on a day-to-day basis.

So my DL and pretty much everything else is under my original name, and doesnt show my 2nd, "aka name".

I was, however, able to open a bank account in my aka name (i had to cash a large check which was addressed to the aka name) with no problem.

I just showed them my certificate of citizenship to prove that it is in fact still a "legal" name, despite it not showing on my DL.

So all in all, as long as you have supporting documentation, I dont think it should be too far of stretch to use your middle name.

I imagine DL should show your full name, including the middle name, so the situation should be simpler than my case.

[sr383]

I've been dealing with this my whole life. My parents called me by my middle name since birth and can't even explain why they chose the first name they gave me but never used. (I wonder if H. Ross Perot goes through this.)

Amex uses my middle name, but no one else does. I think it's time to legally change it. ...