1 Reply Latest reply on Jun 2, 2020 9:29 AM by Jason Atkinson

Seeking court records regarding name change

Darla Gilchrist May 28, 2020 3:09 PM

My great uncle changed his last name from Sarnosky to Molly sometime between 1935-1942. No one seems to know why. They were living in West Virginia at the time. His WWII draft registration in 1942 has the new name. Would there be court documents somewhere that would shed some light on this? Also, why would the Social Security Administration actually give him a new SS number? When I got married and changed names, I did not get a new SS number. Any thoughts on how to research this?

Re: Seeking court records regarding name change

Jason Atkinson Jun 2, 2020 9:29 AM (in response to Darla Gilchrist)

Dear Ms. Gilchrist,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

Name changes are normally processed by state courts. We suggest that you contact the courts in the county where he was living. See the West Virginia Judiciary Court Information by County page to look up the court.

Depending on when he passed away, there may be a record for him in the Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), created, 1936 - 2007, documenting the period 1936 - 2007 that is available through the National Archives Access to Archival Databases (AAD).

You may wish to contact the Social Security Administration for questions about historical policies and any records still in their custody.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!
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