Chapter 4 · Life in America · Social Security SS-5
From 1936 every worker who obtained a Social Security number filled in form SS-5. For a Polish-born worker it is very often the only American document on which the mother’s maiden name was ever written down.
What the SS-5 contains
- Full name, including any name used before
- Date and place of birth, often written by the applicant
- Father’s full name
- Mother’s full maiden name
- Employer and address at the time
Why it matters for Polish research
Polish parish records identify people by both parents, and the mother’s maiden name is often what distinguishes one Jan Kowalski from another in the same parish. The SS-5 supplies it from the American side, in time to test candidates in the Polish registers.
How to obtain a copy
Copies of the original application for a deceased person can be requested from the Social Security Administration. Index entries found online give the number and dates but not the parents; the application itself is what you want. Allow several months for the request.
The place of birth on the SS-5 is sometimes only “Poland” or “Russia”. The parents’ names are the reliable part, and the part most families have never seen.
How we can help
Immigration & Passenger Records requests the SS-5 where it helps, and Ancestral Village Identification uses the parents’ names to confirm the right family in Poland.
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