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Is one's title part of one's name....?

(44 Posts)
Baggs Sat 02-Dec-23 13:59:56

....in the sense that if you are asked for the name on your credit/debit card you would include your title?

My feeling is no. I would only include a title if particularly asked for it. If I was asked for my first name I would give that and then expect to be asked for my last name. If simply asked for the name on the card I'd give my first name and surname or, in one case firstname-middleinitial-surname.

I'm curious about people's answers because someone I know got into a fix trying to pay for something over the phone because when asked for their first name thought that meant the title. Well, actually, it's more complicated than that because their view was that there was no 'first' name and that a request for "the name on the card" meant Title-FirstName-Surname all in one.

I think this is a rather obtuse interpretation – especially since it meant the payment didn't go through.

biglouis Sun 03-Dec-23 10:12:17

I use my academic title (Dr) because its non gendered and does not refer to marital status.

This is how the information appears on all my cards and I follow the online instructions. I make a lot of international payments and if you dont give computers exactly what they are expecting they reject the information.

I once had a customer pay me by bank transfer and her bank rejected the details because it did not have the correct title which my account is listed under. She had to re-enter all the details.

OldFrill Sun 03-Dec-23 09:37:27

Katie59

Your name can be whatever you want Mrs Jones, Mrs A Jones, Anne Jones or Mrs Anne Jones, it’s your choice. Years ago Mrs George Jones would have been common but I guess that is not often used today.

Passports have a standard format without a title at least for ordinary folk, you can certainly put “The Countess of Oxford” on a credit card (I’ve seen it), can you put that on a passport?.

There is a separate page in a passport where titles can be recorded

Katie59 Sun 03-Dec-23 08:05:07

Your name can be whatever you want Mrs Jones, Mrs A Jones, Anne Jones or Mrs Anne Jones, it’s your choice. Years ago Mrs George Jones would have been common but I guess that is not often used today.

Passports have a standard format without a title at least for ordinary folk, you can certainly put “The Countess of Oxford” on a credit card (I’ve seen it), can you put that on a passport?.

nanna8 Sun 03-Dec-23 06:37:36

Reminds me of the early days when we were at a party and my husband was asked to check someone’s bad back because someone had overheard one of his students calling him doctor. He explained that he only dealt with engines, not people.

FoghornLeghorn Sun 03-Dec-23 03:22:05

I was once sent a parcel addressed to Lady Foghorn Leghorn. I assume I clicked the wrong line on the drop down list. I did think it had a certain ring to it though.

Cabbie21 Sat 02-Dec-23 23:07:18

I used to write the addresses on the envelopes of Christmas cards for my parents, so my Mum taught me all the correct ways, as Elegran described. I thought was ridiculous even back then.
All of my bank cards have Mrs Some have First name Initial Surname, but some have just initials + Surname. If ask to give what is on the card, I do that.

Wheniwasyourage Sat 02-Dec-23 22:22:21

Elegran

We should all be thanking our lucky stars that we don't live in earlier more formal eras, when Mr John Smith's wife was known as Mrs John Smith, his unmarried eldest daughter was Miss Smith and her younger sisters were Miss Ann Smith, Miss Margaret Smith, Miss Gwendoline Smith, and so on. This was only until they married, of course, when they instantly lost not only their birth surname but also their first name, and became Mrs Henry Jones, Mrs Algernon White, and so on.

And I think if Mrs John Smith was widowed, she then became Mrs Mary Smith, which seems cruel to me. I suppose it’s better than being burned on her husband’s funeral pyre though. hmm

Oreo Sat 02-Dec-23 21:06:30

Ta Urmstongran
However grand I am now I can always stop for a brew with a mate brew

Elegran Sat 02-Dec-23 19:55:52

We should all be thanking our lucky stars that we don't live in earlier more formal eras, when Mr John Smith's wife was known as Mrs John Smith, his unmarried eldest daughter was Miss Smith and her younger sisters were Miss Ann Smith, Miss Margaret Smith, Miss Gwendoline Smith, and so on. This was only until they married, of course, when they instantly lost not only their birth surname but also their first name, and became Mrs Henry Jones, Mrs Algernon White, and so on.

Urmstongran Sat 02-Dec-23 19:29:31

Oreo

Germanshepherdsmum

Your title isn’t part of your name, unless you are a peer of the realm.

I’m a Countess as DP is the Earl of Oreo, or maybe I’m not as we aren’t married.
If asked for name on the card I include my title.

‘Evening ma’am’! 👑

welbeck Sat 02-Dec-23 19:00:54

also some women living alone feel safer with Mx Smith appearing on letters, as it does not identify the occupant as female.
this is esp important where mail is delivered to a communal hall, in flat conversions etc.
but also in regard to postal delivery people.

welbeck Sat 02-Dec-23 18:57:33

Chestnut

maytime2

My first name is Welsh, English people do not have a clue how to pronounce it, neither would they know what gender I am. I have the same problem with Asian names, I don't know if the person is male or female. That is why I think it is important to have the prefix Mrs. on all official documents, including cheque books and bank/credit cards.

But what if the person is transgender or identifying as 'they' or something else? Your wish for Mr, Miss, Mrs or Ms to be shown is not always valid in the brave new world of the 21st century.

Mx is available for non gender specific people, or for people who don't want to label themselves thus, to enable filling in a form where you cannot proceed without filling in the title box.

Wheniwasyourage Sat 02-Dec-23 18:15:03

I don’ t have a title on my cards, just Wheni W Asyourage. Sometimes I put in the middle W and sometimes I don’t when using my credit card online and it s doesn’t seem to matter. They have your card numbers and address and quite often the bank sends a code to your phone too, so there are several checks.

kittylester Sat 02-Dec-23 18:09:58

John Lewis had me down as a Major for a while. I liked that but had to own up eventually.

Witzend Sat 02-Dec-23 18:09:08

Doodle

If asked for name as it appears on card then I do just that Mrs first name last name (about the only time I ever have to own up to my full first name)

Yes, I enter it exactly as it’s shown on the card.
So I have one calling me Mrs Initials Surname and another that’s just Initials Surname.

Casdon Sat 02-Dec-23 18:00:25

I do have Mrs initial surname on my card. My son has Mr initial surname on his. If I am completing card details for an online order I use Mrs initial surname exactly as it is printed on my card. My son does the same. I don’t remember either of us asking for our names to appear like that on our cards, I just assumed the bank had decided to do it that way. I’d never thought about it at all until this thread.

OldFrill Sat 02-Dec-23 17:26:08

Shelflife

My card says Mrs followed by first name ,initial of middle name then surname.
I regret the Mrs and wish I had used Ms instead or no title at all!!
Men don't declare their martial status so why should the world and his wife know mine !? Just another tradition to keep women ' in their place ' ??

I have no title on my bank cards. If you don't want a title on it ring them up and they'll send an amended card.

OldFrill Sat 02-Dec-23 17:22:41

Chocolatelovinggran

I'm disappointed to say that I'm Mrs CLG on my cards. I've always fancied myself as Wing Commander CLG..

Love this! Call me "WC" for short smile

OldFrill Sat 02-Dec-23 17:19:36

I don't have a title on any bank cards.

Oreo Sat 02-Dec-23 16:44:21

Germanshepherdsmum

Your title isn’t part of your name, unless you are a peer of the realm.

I’m a Countess as DP is the Earl of Oreo, or maybe I’m not as we aren’t married.
If asked for name on the card I include my title.

MrsKen33 Sat 02-Dec-23 16:11:33

What about the letters that come after. If you have them when and if ever do you use them.?

Parsley3 Sat 02-Dec-23 15:58:55

If asked for the name on my card, I give first and last name and leave out the Mrs. So far, I haven't had a problem with this.

Chestnut Sat 02-Dec-23 15:38:45

maytime2

My first name is Welsh, English people do not have a clue how to pronounce it, neither would they know what gender I am. I have the same problem with Asian names, I don't know if the person is male or female. That is why I think it is important to have the prefix Mrs. on all official documents, including cheque books and bank/credit cards.

But what if the person is transgender or identifying as 'they' or something else? Your wish for Mr, Miss, Mrs or Ms to be shown is not always valid in the brave new world of the 21st century.

Chestnut Sat 02-Dec-23 15:33:58

I think it depends on what the bank staff individual put when you opened the account. My bank account is Mrs A B Chestnut and my bank card is just A B Chestnut. There is no first name on either, but that was not my choice.

Chocolatelovinggran Sat 02-Dec-23 15:30:25

I'm disappointed to say that I'm Mrs CLG on my cards. I've always fancied myself as Wing Commander CLG..