Vent: That's NOT My Name!

[LeoGirlChelsea]

I live in Europe now, but I'm originally from non-'Western' country, but have rather plain name, very easy to pronounce (with only two sounds). Most of the people have no problem with saying it, but when it comes to Email, there is just a pure confusion for some reason. When I worked for the Internet-based company with multinational staffs and customers, I have been addressed as Mia, Michelle, Mira, Mindie, Mandy, Millie, in short, very 'Western' names. I mean, it's no rocket science to just copy&paste my name from my signature, right?  Why they need to reinvent my name all the way?       

Also I have an aunt-in-law who is from the country I live (one of European countries). For some reason she hates me very much from the start (I'm not sure if it's something to do with my non-Western outlook) and generally refuses to talk to me AND remember my name - she always addresses me as 'that girl'.  I dread to see her even with this single reason.

[Brentwood]

My poor husbands name is Christiaan....The two A's are supposed to be there. It's pronounced Christian but people just love to call him Christie-ahn or they just ask if he spelled his name wrong.

He's in the military and he gets papers sent back to him all the time so he can correct his signature.

That reminds me. My son is named Julian. It's obviously not a new name - it's been around for centuries. Unfortunately, however, the receptionist at our pediatrician's office insists on calling him Julie-Ann instead of the correct and common pronunciation of Julian. It drives me batty. Yes, I named my son Julie-Ann. 

[jfulle5]

Yeah I feel you, my name is Jennipher. Sounds easy right, nope. It's jenn-ah-purr. yep that's how my parents wanted it pronounced...they are insane and now i'm paying for it. I now respond to Jen Jenny (I hate that one) Jennifer...I dont even care anymore....

My parents both spelled and pronounce my name similar to, but not quite the same as, two other names (sort of a hybrid.)  It's a much more subtle difference, both in the spelling change and the pronounciation, than yours and a lot less unusual than yours.  But, I never correct anyone's pronounciation, either...and haven't since about 2nd grade! 

So, all of my friends are horrified, if they notice the subtlety, the first time they hear my parents (esp my mother) call me by my name.  They always say "HOW COME YOU NEVER TOLD ME HOW TO PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME???" 

Yeah my name is a mushing of Jennifer and Juniper, fron the Donovan song...MY FREAKIN HIPPY PARENTS!!!

[ItZWhoUKnow]

My poor husbands name is Christiaan....The two A's are supposed to be there. It's pronounced Christian but people just love to call him Christie-ahn or they just ask if he spelled his name wrong.

He's in the military and he gets papers sent back to him all the time so he can correct his signature.

That's a Dutch spelling, right?   I think it's nice.

I think so. His mom only spelled it that way because she read a Reader's Digest article about Dr. Christiaan Bernard during her pregnancy and thought it was "neat"....She had no idea that the extra "A" would cause so many problems.

[brooklyngirl]

People seem to have a hard time even with "normal" names.

My name is Diane.  I have always been DeeDee to my family, and Dee to my friends.  I don't really like DeeDee anymore, but my brother and some old friends still call me that.  Most people call me Diane, at work and everywhere else.

The only trouble I have had is people spelling my name with 2 N's.  Spanish speakers sometimes call me Diana.  I don't usually correct them, unless they have to write my name down. 

Occasionally, people will call me Di or Di-Di.  I really hate that, but don't make an issue of it.  One of the people that called me Di was my former director, who is a doll.  He can call me whatever he wants.

[Lisbeth]

My name is Jennifer and it's fine to call me that.
It's also fine to call me Jenny or Jen.
But, I do not go by Jenna.  That was the nickname of the person who for many years was my best friend (her first name is also Jennifer-we used different nicknames to tell us apart).  I still prefer not to use Jenna just to maintain my own identity.

Most people who use a nickname call me Jen, which is my nickname of choice now.  As a kid I went by Jenny (I also spell it Jenni-either way is fine).

[NYGirl100]

My name is Jennifer and it's fine to call me that.
It's also fine to call me Jenny or Jen.
But, I do not go by Jenna.  That was the nickname of the person who for many years was my best friend (her first name is also Jennifer-we used different nicknames to tell us apart).  I still prefer not to use Jenna just to maintain my own identity.

Most people who use a nickname call me Jen, which is my nickname of choice now.  As a kid I went by Jenny (I also spell it Jenni-either way is fine).

Wow - I didn't realize Jenna was a nickname for Jennifer.  I would've guessed Jenny or Jen. 

[blue2000]

I go by a nickname most of the time (just different variations of my real middle name). But I do wonder when people can't spell my real name. How do you mess up four letters?
I have changed my nickname a few times over the years. I don't really get ticked off over which one of these names people use. My Middle Bro even made up his own name for me. He thought it was funny as a kid that my name is similar to the name of a disease. He still calls me that sometimes.

The only time I get ticked is when some people insist on using my first name, not my middle name. Um, no. Sorry. I don't ever use it, and I'm not starting now.

[T'Mar of Vulcan]

His mom only spelled it that way because she read a Reader's Digest article about Dr. Christiaan Bernard during her pregnancy and thought it was "neat"....She had no idea that the extra "A" would cause so many problems.

Except that Dr Barnard's name was pronounced (trying to write it so Americans will get the Afrikaans pronunciation) Kristy-aahn. So if people have heard of him, then they're actually pronouncing your husband's name correctly according to the Afrikaans pronunciation!!

Except I taught a child named Adriaan. That's also Afrikaans. But like your husband, he and his family pronounced it "Adrian". I always wondered why they spelled it the Afrikaans way if they were going to use the English pronunciation.

[Slartibartfast]

I may have mentioned this here before, but my SIL is named Kalyn (Kay-lin) - because when my MIL was pregnant, there was a serial killer loose with the last name Kalyn and she thought it was a pretty name!  Then Kalyn named her son Mat (just one "t", not short for Matthew), which I didn't find out until this past Christmas - I've been part of the family since May, and I'm sure I've misspelled it in the past.  Eep!

[DottyG]

His mom only spelled it that way because she read a Reader's Digest article about Dr. Christiaan Bernard during her pregnancy and thought it was "neat"....She had no idea that the extra "A" would cause so many problems.

Except that Dr Barnard's name was pronounced (trying to write it so Americans will get the Afrikaans pronunciation) Kristy-aahn. So if people have heard of him, then they're actually pronouncing your husband's name correctly according to the Afrikaans pronunciation!!

Thanks for pointing that out.  I was about to do the same when I read the post.  I understand when someone pronounces their name differently.  But, when the person attempting to pronounce it does get it right - in some way - it's not fair to get angry at them.  You say it differently than it's usually said.  Most people of the era of knowing who Dr Barnard is would naturally assume that it's the way to pronounce it.  It's easy enough to just gently mention that you say it differently and politely correct them on how you say it.

[RegionMom]

I have an easy spell and pronounce name, just not the most common, which actually makes it easy for people to remember me.  I cant' reciprocate as well because I have a really hard time matching names and faces. 
That said, one mom I met last year at my chidren's school for the longest time called me a different, but similar name.  I even corrected her a few times. 
I thought she had it right, finally.
This year, our sons are in class together and she is the homeroom mom.  That means she has e-mails lists, contact numbers, all the info.  My e-mail is my first name plus a few letters after.
She STILL calls me the WRONG name.  And writes down the wrong name even when she is e-mailing just me. 
I have given up. 

btw--I am a teacher and it is always a fun game when we get our class list each year to figure out if "such-and-so" is a boy or girl. 

I like the suggestion mentioned somewhere of hollering potential new baby names out the back door--because that is the name you will be hollering for the next 18 years, and you should like how it rolls/yells off the tongue!

[ItZWhoUKnow]

My husband never gets mad when it's not pronounced right. We live in Germany so it's quite common. The only time he gets annoyed (not mad) is when people tell him that he needs to fix the spelling on documents. He's lived with the name for 31 years. He knows how to spell it.

[RuneGuardian]

No one can ever spell my name right. My first name is "Lindsay", and everyone and their mother (except mine) spells it "Lindsey". I have never known another Lindsay who spelled their name with an "E", and until people started spelling my name in all sorts of bizarre ways, I never even knew there was an alternative spelling. I always thought that the way my name is spelled was the most common way. The way some idjits butcher my name makes me wonder how they could have possibly graduated grade school. Some alternative spellings of my name I've received are:

Linzy
Lindzy
Lyndsey
Lyndzei
Linsy
And, of course, Lindsey

My boyfriend sometimes can't remember how my name is spelled. I think I might just change my name to the way everyone thinks it's spelled so I don't need to correct everyone...or just change it to "Shadow" like I've always wanted 

I have a couple cutesy nicknames too. My mom still calls me "Linny", and it took me a couple years to train her out of calling me "Birdy", which was a nickname I had since I was a baby because I used to eat 'like a bird'. I hope that means that I didn't eat much rather than having someone regurgitate half-digested food into my mouth. Most of my friends call me "Linz", which I don't mind. I'd rather be "Linz" than "Birdy".

[Heavenly]

Didn't we have this discussion on the old board.  LOL

My dd's name is Gabrielle (Gah bri elle) emphasis on the "elle".  Not Gabriel (gay bri el) long "a" and emphasis on the "gay".  One is a girl's name and one is a boy's name.  It is not Gabriella or Gabby.  Eight years we've had the same doctor whose receptionist calls her Gabriel every time.  The receptionists at her school call her Gabby.  Old friends (who know better) insist on calling her Gabby...my brother calls her Gabby.     If we politely correct them, we get either "well, that's her name" (um...no it isn't) or the "aren't we hoity-toity" look.  Aaaaarrrggghhh.  For heaven's sake...it isn't that hard to say!

Dd and my mother get together and commiserate regularly...my mother's name is Patricia.