I'm not sure, but I suspect that most places where I live do not run your SS# here, and I know they never call references or past employers. So I've always thought that this is the information they look for on applications here:
1. Your gender. Men, OK. Beautiful women, OK. Plain/ugly women, NO WAY!
2. Your last name. Who are you? What ethnicity is this name? Because if I can't tell it's German/Italian/Polish/Ukrainian/or whatever, then you're just poor white trash who'll steal from me and spend your paychecks on crack & heroin.
Yeah, that's what I figure matters here. So that's why I've always thought if I could put down a male name, I'd have more of a chance.