22 Struggles That Are Way, Way Too Real For Anyone With A Unique Name

    Ignoring the wiggly red line under your name in Microsoft Word.

    Gena-mour Barrett
    by Gena-mour Barrett

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Hiding your disappointment whenever you're unable to find your name on a keyring.

    Twitter: @sara28aa_

    2. Or a Coke bottle.

    Twitter: @behlul_official

    3. Or a necklace.

    Flickr: oh_darling

    4. Or any type of souvenir that has "regular" names on it.

    Flickr: leoglenn_g

    We've become way too accustomed to rampant disappointment.

    5. Coming up with creative ways to make your name easier for people to understand.

    NBC / Via fyeahfriendsgifs.tumblr.com[1]

    "It's Gena-mour. 'Gen' like 'jean' and 'amour' like the French word for 'love'. Get it?"

    6. And making sure to remind people of this whenever possible.

    Twitter: @ailbhetross

    7. Subtly correcting someone when they've said or spelt your name wrong.

    20th Century Fox

    8. And knowing when to just let people mispronounce it, for the good of your own sanity.

    E!

    9. Developing a thick skin against the jokes made about your name.

    Twitter: @abnerisss

    Because there is no joke you haven't heard.

    10. And arming yourself against the inevitable laughter after a substitute teacher pronounces your name wrong in class.

    sequoia ♡ @GOLDSTVPS

    When the substitute would say it wrong & the class would laugh so I'd play it off & laugh too #GrowingUpWithMyName

    Reply Retweet Favorite

    11. Responding with the perfect fake laugh after someone makes a name pun you've heard a trillion times.

    Universal Pictures

    "Hahaha, so original, never heard that one!"

    12. And equally, offering an excellent straight face when you can't be bothered to entertain it.

    NBC

    13. Consistently reacting the exact same way whenever someone pronounces your name correctly first time round.

    E! / Via instagram.com

    14. Discovering a new way to pronounce your name every other time you meet a new person.

    TV Land

    15. And a new way to spell your name every time you receive a birthday card.

    Juliana Phillips @jphilly14

    when your dad spells your name wrong on your birthday card ❤️

    Reply Retweet Favorite

    "Ah, so I'm 'Jennymoo' today. Awesome."

    16. Completely ignoring the evil "red squiggle" that tells you your name is incorrect.

    BuzzFeed

    FUCK YOU, RED SQUIGGLE. YOUR NAME IS INCORRECT.

    17. Knowing the exact moment someone is about to mispronounce your name, and butting in just in time.

    Twitter: @Ay_Angelita

    18. Perfecting the "I'm totally not bothered" look when the teacher says they're "not even going to try" to pronounce your name.

    dezha. @StoneyyDOPE_24

    #GrowingUpWithMyName "Sally" "Here!" "Becky" "Here" ".....Oh boy.. um, woo.. I know I'm going to get this wrong" Me:

    Reply Retweet Favorite

    Even though it does kinda hurt a little bit.

    19. And coming to the terms with the fact that Starbucks will never, ever spell your name correctly.

    imgur.com

    Ever.

    20. Calmly accepting the fact you'll have to repeat yourself at least three times whenever you introduce yourself.

    Comedy Central

    "It's Gena-mour." "What?" "Gena-mour." "What?!" "You know what, just call me Gena."

    21. Learning to take "that's an interesting name" as a compliment.

    ABC

    Other compliments include "That's a funny name", "Are you foreign?", and "Your name is so weird!"

    22. And last but not at all least, perfecting the pure and sacred art of ~patience~.

    Bravo