My mother was christened Alice, mostly called Babs and then DS1 couldnt say Nana but called her Anna instead and, as he was the first grandchild, it stuck.
In the nursing home she was called the Duchess!
I have an unusual first name, the diminutive of which can be spelt two ways - people usually get it wrong or they call me Sue!!!
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Spell my name right!
(140 Posts)In my generation you were probably named either Susan or Ann (or Anne) Bad enough to be one of five in the same class with the same name but every time I give my name I have to spell it.
I blame my mother and just put up with it but I get irritable when, after knowing or communicating with someone for some time, they keep using the other spelling.
It seems rude to point it out but they are rude to not use the right spelling of my very common name. I want to say No, there’s no E, it is not spelled any old way at random. Each of us is either Ann or Anne, roughly half and half so it’s not odd to have the E or to not have the E.
My first name is June, but I`ve always been called by my middle name, Lois. Whenever I get official letters, or go in hospital, I get June, but it takes a minute or so to register with me when I`m addressed as June. One of my sisters-in-law has known me for 58 years, but still writes my name as Lowis, sometimes adds an e to it. My granddaughter was christened Jenny, but people insist on calling her Jennifer. And the many different versions of my surname used over the phone...…………….! I`ve started saying nobody of that name lives here.
I am Ann but most people who don’t know me , eg official documents, always put an E on the end.
I now say always, Ann without an e.
@Chewbacca my first husband had always used the short version of my name until he inexplicably sent a card with the longer version. Unfortunately he used the male spelling and I wasn’t too polite about it.... It’s not the reason he’s my ‘ex’ but it certainly didn’t help his case
I get various versions of my first name along with people rarely getting my surname correct into the bargain. It doesn’t bother me although I was annoyed that one woman I worked with argued that it was my parents who’d got it wrong - they haven’t/didn’t!
The worst comment I got was from someone asking whether I preferred one of two versions of my middle name (eg Linda/Lynn) and, when I pointed out I used my first name his response was, “I’m surprised at that as it’s really old fashioned”. He was filling in a form for a new car I was buying and I was too shocked to argue back.
My mum was known by three different names, one for family,one for neighbours and her real one by doctors etc
My dad always called his mum Liz so my sister called her daughter Elizabeth after my nan, it was only after my nan died that we found out she was called Theresa
My first and maiden names are not pronounced like one would think by the spelling. When I married I promised myself I would find a Smith or Jones to remedy the last name. I married a man with a very simple name......familiar to all since it is also an international brand name. Would you believe people still ask me to spell it? I give. ?
My D had her second baby on her deceased MiL’s birthday.
She reluctantly agreed to include her name to the two my GD was given, reluctantly because her name was Mona.
When SiL rang his F to tell him of the birth and the inclusion of his M’s name , his F surprised him by saying it wasn’t her actual name ,her real name was Clarissa.
This was my own M’s name, she was thrilled of course and told everyone the baby was named after her.
Actually she was always known as Clarice.
We have traced the variation of Clarissa, Clarice and Clara to every generation since 1787, that is as far as we could go.
I have a traditional name with 2 spellings.
It doesnt bother me on cards etc. If people go out and buy me a card then they care and arent doing it deliberately.
It only annoys me on official documents where I have given my correct spelling and they still get it wrong
Nine times out of ten people mis-spell my name, even when replying to a mail I've just signed correctly.
I don't give a tinker's cuss. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Aggh? myDD’s middle name is Ann or Anne?. If I can’t remember it who can? My excuse is that it came from his side of the family?
She’ll have to divorce me!
I have a very unusual surname, l normally spell it out for people l am speaking to on the Phone, yet the written variations l get in reply are often nothing like it actually is, and some of them downright commical!
When l was nursing a fairly common name for patients was Leslie, the male spelling, and Lesley the female spelling of the name, so we often knew if it was a Lady or a Man we were preparing for before we met them, but even then there were afew who did not conform to this rule, and one consultant always miss spelt it as Leslee!
BBevan: "My name was very unusual in the 50/60s It is getting rather more popular now. There are two spellings. What really annoys me is when you send a card or letter to someone and they reply using the other spelling of my name."
You aren't a Harriet, by any chance. Or a Harriett, or Harriette or even Harriot!
My name can only be spelt one way (you can probably guess it from my use name here) But over the years, people have mangled it so much that there are now several versions about. Especially here in Germany, where it is now a fashionable name (though more of a chavvy one). It causes some raised eyebrows that someone of my age has that name, till I remind them od a certain First Lady who was around in he 60s.
People always ask me to spell it and then get it wrong.
It does make me cross, but not so much as a young colleague I had with the same name - same spelling - who really got worked up about it.
My name is more common as a male name..
Used to internally giggle when I turned up to meetings and they were obviously expecting a man.. I developed quiet confidence due I think in no small way to my "boys" name.
My name is slightly unusual, but as far as I know there is only one way to spell it. I’ve been married 28 years and MIL
has never yet spelled it right! She adds an unnecessary H in the middle and it drives me crazy. I also find the same with work emails. My name is at the bottom of all emails, but one client always spells it wrong and others give me a different name altogether. Think Charlotte, but calling me Charles or Charlene instead. I’d love to correct them, but as it’s work related I worry about sounding rude. Although they are the rude ones in my opinion.
I'm fed up with people who when told my name say "is that Caroline (rhymes with line) or Carolyn (rhymes with tin)". FFS Its the one I said it was!!
My name is quite easy... Mac
The number of times I get called.. Mark, Matt, Matthew (they think if I'm Matt, I should be matthew!) And occasionally Mac!
My ex was called linzi, and that name has several versions.
According UK passport rules, you can spell your name your way! Let's say Alan, there's Allyn, Alun, Alann, and of course Al. So if you prefer one to the other, you can do this on your passport. The reason is it's still the same name.
Christine, or Kristine?
So I think knowing you have a 50/50 name, you should calm down, you're still being called Ann/e or addressed as such.
I am a Linda and been asked if that is shortened from Melinda or Belinda? No it is just Linda
It's my surname, - quite an ordinary one in my opinion, -
but it's amazing the amount of variations in spelling that people come up with.
My Sisters name is lynne,lynn or Lyn she’s used all three over the years .
A friend of mine had a letter addressed to her as "Ann Withanee Lewis". You couldn't make this up!!
You are clearly same generation as me. I'm always saying we are all called Susan , Jane or Anne.
I'm Anne and very proud of my E .
I usually say , if asked my name for a form , " I'm Anne with an E""
I also wonder if there is a bit of a North/South divide as regards the "E".
I was born in the North East . All us Anne's had our "E " but so did Lynne and Carole .
I moved south and the prevailing E seemed to vanish
Ann, Lynn ( or Lyn ) and Carol appeared.
Maybe that's just my own perception. Anyone else noticed that ?
I have that problem with my surname - my maiden name can be spelt with or without an "e" so I always either spelt it or just said the name and added "without an e"
Now with my married name, for some reason many people add an "s" so I'm back to having to say "singular, not plural"
But guess who decided to name their son Sean ? The permutations of spelling that seem to be endless and to her dying day, a friend of my mother's insisted on calling him "Seen" !!!
I had a very complicated maiden name, people didn’t know how to spell or pronounce it. I was pleased that my OH had a simple surname, but no, there are 3 ways of spelling it.
Then there is my given name, very simple English name, but is commonly spelt the American masculine way, why? So I now always spell out both my names.
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