Names. We all have one (or two, or three...).
But does your name ever give you trouble over and over again? Because that's exactly the question writer Marcus Vance asked a few days ago on Twitter.
What's the biggest problem you have with your name? My biggest problem? Me: "Hi, I'm Marcus. Nice to meet you." Business people: "Hi, Marcus. Do you go by Mark?" Me: "No. If I did then don't you think I'd introduce myself as that?"
As someone with a hyphenated first name, part of which is the less common spelling of Jon, I sensed Marcus' frustration on a spiritual level. Turns out, so did many, many other people. Here's what they had to say.
1. Beth:
@MarcusCVance Me: “My name is Beth.” Then: “Short for Elizabeth?” Me: “No.” Them: “So short for ...” Me: “Beth.”
2. Karen:
@MarcusCVance Nothing, until someone thought it was really clever to use it as a stand-in for every annoying-out-of-touch-racist-middle-aged-white-woman-who'd-like-to-speak-with-your-manager, and it caught on.
3. Antje:
@MarcusCVance "Hi, I'm Antje." "Yeah, I won't even try to pronounce that. How do I call you?" "You call me Antje." "No, seriously, if we have to work together, I need to call you something." "Yeah. Antje."
4. Wagatwe:
@MarcusCVance White people telling me my name is "difficult" no matter where I am in the world https://t.co/N2Pe3dcajC
5. Victoria:
@MarcusCVance Same. "Do you prefer Vicki or Tory or just Vic?" "I prefer my name, which is the one I told you--Victoria." "That's too long. Women should have shorter, friendlier names. Victoria is too https://t.co/6ULLPq7S1A's off-putting."
6. Hugh Morris:
I mean my name is literally the funny bone https://t.co/xHW4dgldJO
7. Cathy:
@MarcusCVance Going through life “Cathy with a C”.. once registered for a conference by phone - said “Cathy with a C”.. got to conference..all my paperwork and badge were for Kathy Withacee
8. Amanda:
@MarcusCVance My name is Amanda. Only my family calls me "Mandy", but at work, people call me "Amy" or "Amber". I just.....
9. Alex:
Me: Hi, I'm Alex. Everyone: Oh ... I thought you'd be a man. https://t.co/OdjuRLSvY5
10. Miriam:
@MarcusCVance Me - My name is Miriam. Person - That sounds like an old lady’s name. Me - I’m growing into it.
11. James:
@MarcusCVance Feel this. James, not Jim... but there are those who refuse to say James, “can I call you Jim?” “I go by James” “ ok Jim” guess I’m Jim in this conversation, perhaps I should make up a name for them... 😈
12. Elle:
@MarcusCVance Everyone calls me Ellie.. like I’m a Clampett.. and when I say Elle like the magazine or the model, I immediately sound like a douche.. so I rarely correct them
13. Dee:
@MarcusCVance "What's your name?" Dee. "Dean? Hi Dean." Dee. "Deena." No, Dee. "Deanna." Just Dee. "Dana." There's no N. "Dia." Dee. "I don't know what you're saying." What comes after C? "D?" Yes! "Your name is just one letter?" With two E's. "Oh, Edie!"
14. Alanna:
@MarcusCVance My whole adult life, I have sent email from alanna.burke@whatever, with my name spelled correctly in the email, only to receive emails with my name misspelled. How. How do you do it.
15. Clyde:
@MarcusCVance Everyone used to ask me what Clyde was 'short for'. Eventually after many refutations I relented and said 'Clyde-O'Scope'. So my nickname became Scope, which made me sound like Byron's rakish mate, Scrope Davies.
16. Renata:
@MarcusCVance No one can pronounce or spell it. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been called “Renato” in an email. Hell, my company that I’ve been with for FOUR YEARS misspelled my name on my new nameplate 🤦🏻♀️
17. Miguel:
@MarcusCVance "Can I have your name?' "Yeah, it's Miguel."
18. Chesney:
@MarcusCVance “Hi, I’m Chesney.” “Are you related to Kenny Chesney?!” Yes, this has happened WAY too many times. No, I’m not joking.
19. Trey Stone and Matt Parker:
@TreyStoneAuthor @MarcusCVance So am I, that means one of us is lying.