Just like with everything else with the government, it's usually a boondogle and you get a different answer from everyone you talked to. Katie's bmom applied for a SS card just after birth in Katie's original name and then subsequently sent us the card when she got it. After we finalized and we had her new BC's I trudged down to the local office to change her name on the social security card only to find that they had moved to a new building the week before. Back to the truck, pay the parking fee, drive another 20 minutes to the new office. Luckily, there were only about 2 people ahead of me. When I got up there, I presented the BC, Adoption finalization decree and immunization records with both her new name and old name. The SS worker told me that I needed the name change documentation. I was like, WTF?
I told her the adoption decree is what changes the name. She says "no", she's got to see a paper from the court that says "baby's name used to be this and now is this" I said it doesn't exist. She says I have to back to court and get a name change for our daughter. I tell her she really doesn't understand. She give me that blank, federal, civil servant look. I say to her, "What would I need to apply for a new SS# for my daughter". She says, "BC and immunization record". I say, "Here ya go, I'd like to apply for a SS# for my DD" Three weeks later, we got the card. It is kind of weird that there is this whole other identity out there that will never exist other than for the 8 months she was her other name, but it still does exist out in federal gov record land.
JMHO, YMMV
