# Are You Happy With Your Name **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108 "2010-02-15T20:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/61 "2010-02-17T01:58:02Z")
Is your name Rex? ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/62 "2010-02-17T02:05:50Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Is your name Rex? šŸ˜ƒ Itā€™s Daisy. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/63 "2010-02-17T04:31:09Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Iā€™m Sara, born in 1980 along with every other damned Sara(h) in the world. I work with four or five. I used to hate it, but Iā€™ve grown to love it. I just wish all those stupid Sarahs-with-the-H would go away! > > I used to yell at my mom for giving me such a _stupid_ name - there arenā€™t even any nicknames for Sara unless you count Sally which I donā€™t. I wanted a name like Catherine or Elizabeth which have so many nicknames you can pick from two dozen names to suit your personality, and what did she give me? She claimed its virtue was its brevity. (Sheā€™s Geraldine, so I guess sheā€™d know.) She said I should like it because ā€œSarah laughed at God!ā€, which is weird because she and my dad are very religious - but now I like it because Sara(no h!) laughed at God. And Iā€™m a Sarah with an H, who doesnā€™t get why you would spell it without! šŸ˜‰ Iā€™ve always liked the nameā€¦itā€™s a classic, and it wears well. Never really goes out of style (although in '67 when I was born, it was not _super_ popular). And I donā€™t mind there not being a nickname. My parents called me Sally when I was little, but that faded away and I like that no one has to kind of guess what to call me. My sister has a name with various nickname options, and she is often called by one that she doesnā€™t like. So, overall, I consider myself lucky on the name front. ---
**Author:** ![clarkstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@clarkstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clarkstar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/64 "2010-02-17T05:48:39Z")
whats in a name? i really wouldnā€™t care if my name was Rumpelstiltskin and, unless theyā€™re kids, canā€™t fathom anyone else caring either ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/65 "2010-02-17T06:06:08Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > How is Wjyzzc pronounced? Iā€™ve never had the pleasure of hearing all these cool Polish names. I havenā€™t the faintest clue what the etymology of that last name is, but it ainā€™t Polish. edit: Iā€™m willing to bet that spelling isnā€™t exactly correct. I canā€™t find any hit anywhere to that last name. Nothing fruitful on Google except for this site, nothing on the Social Security Death Index. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/66 "2010-02-17T07:41:58Z")
I like my name, but everyoneā€¦and I mean EVERYONE misspells it! On the upside I can go " Just call me Torrie ā€œDifferentā€ Spelling" ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/67 "2010-02-17T07:57:58Z")
I hate my first name, Jeff[rey]. Iā€™ve never brought it up to people, but I really do not like it. Z or maybe Zero would be preferred (though again, Iā€™ve never asked anyone to call me that, I should try). If I had to pick an ā€œactualā€ name Iā€™d use Isaac. My last name is similarly bad, itā€™s Lithuanian, and most people canā€™t pronounce it. Iā€™d prefer to not have a last name at all, actually. If you put 2 and 2 together, yes, that does mean that my preferred name would be a single character. Deal with it. The only reason (other than difficulty) that I donā€™t try for it is that Iā€™m 98% certain that it would make forms (especially automated online forms) a bitch to fill out. Hell, Facebook wonā€™t even let me enter Z as a name (considers it too short). Not to mention that people would probably throw job applications out with that name if discussions around here and that report I saw on TV are any indicator. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/68 "2010-02-17T13:38:48Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > So it _is_ pronounced the same as Sherry, then? Thereā€™s a Shari where I work, but Iā€™ve never heard anyone say her name and I havenā€™t been sure how to pronounce it. Tis the same pronunciation, though it never ceases to amaze me how many people pronounce it as if it rhymes with ā€œstarryā€. I guess not many people are familiar with Shari Lewis or Shari Belafonte (?) ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/69 "2010-02-17T14:31:21Z")
I spent most of my childhood having my name mispronounced by new teachers and hated it as a result. As I grew up, though, I learned to love it and most people pronounce it correctly now (no thanks to a certain military man with the last name of Powell). ---
**Author:** ![KittenKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kittenkat/32/306_2.png) [@KittenKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KittenKat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/70 "2010-02-17T15:47:58Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Tis the same pronunciation, though it never ceases to amaze me how many people pronounce it as if it rhymes with ā€œstarryā€. I guess not many people are familiar with Shari Lewis or Shari Belafonte (?) I donā€™t know about Ms. Belafonte, but didnā€™t Shari Lewis pronounce it Sha-ree, with the first syllable having the same vowel sound as cat (I would have said like the name Sharon, but I think some people pronounce that to rhyme with ā€œheronā€.)? As for my own name, Iā€™m very happy with it. I did go through a phase where I wished it was spelled _Katherine_ rather than _Kathryn_, but that was 20+ years ago. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/71 "2010-02-17T16:29:04Z")
> [@KittenKat](#): > > I donā€™t know about Ms. Belafonte, but didnā€™t Shari Lewis pronounce it Sha-ree, with the first syllable having the same vowel sound as cat (I would have said like the name Sharon, but I think some people pronounce that to rhyme with ā€œheronā€.)? > As for my own name, Iā€™m very happy with it. I did go through a phase where I wished it was spelled _Katherine_ rather than _Kathryn_, but that was 20+ years ago. I guess this goes back to the old ā€œmerryā€ marry" ā€œMaryā€ debate. The only people I ever hear say it the way you mentioned are east coasters. I pronounce ā€œmarryā€ and ā€œMaryā€ the same way and my name is meant to rhyme with both of those. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/72 "2010-02-17T17:12:55Z")
> [@Silvorange](#): > > šŸ˜ƒ Itā€™s Daisy. Heh, I wasnā€™t expecting an answer, but thanks! Daisy is a totally cute name. I always think Dazy when I hear it, which is a good thing (to me). ---
**Author:** ![mil0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mil0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mil0)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/73 "2010-02-17T17:56:29Z")
My name is David, which Iā€™m not too thrilled about. Thereā€™s always another David everywhere I go. Not only that, but everyone seems to think theyā€™re entitled to call you ā€œDaveā€ as well. And personally, I canā€™t stand when someone calls me Daveā€¦ It just sounds so front-row Nascar tickets-y. Matters are not helped by the fact when I learned to write, my parents taught me to sign my name as ā€œDave.ā€ Well, Iā€™m in my mid-twenties now, and itā€™s still a deeply ingrained. I sign ā€œDaveā€ for everything, and then subsequently shudder when someone pronounces it. I prefer to be called Milo, which I derived from my last name. My last name happens to sound similar to a certain famous Serbian war criminalā€™s (no relation!). Incidentally, Iā€™m actually one of 20 or so people in the entire country (maybe the world?! who knows!) with the surname, as it is a misspelling of my grandfatherā€™s original last name made during his immigration to the US. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/74 "2010-02-17T18:01:25Z")
> [@](#): > > A good name is more desirable than great riches Proverbs 22:1 New International Version * * * Pleased to meet you. Iā€™m Aaron Nicholas XXXXX. I like the name Aaron. Itā€™s Biblical, but not excessively so (like Zedekiah or something). Itā€™s not trendy (like Jason), but itā€™s not obscure (like Herkimer). Nicholas I can take or leave. I learned that I was originally slated to be named Nicholas Aaron XXXXX, but Pappahomie changed his mind at the last minute, for reasons that he is cagey about. My last nameā€¦ blows. It lends itself to ridicule. Plus, my dadā€™s side of the family isā€¦ colorfulā€¦ so a lot of people, when hearing my name, immediately say ā€œAre you related to Soandso XXXXXX?ā€ And 9 times out of 10, I am. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/75 "2010-02-17T21:10:07Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Iā€™m Sara, born in 1980 along with every other damned Sara(h) in the world. I work with four or five. I used to hate it, but Iā€™ve grown to love it. I just wish all those stupid Sarahs-with-the-H would go away! > > I used to yell at my mom for giving me such a _stupid_ name - there arenā€™t even any nicknames for Sara unless you count Sally which I donā€™t. I wanted a name like Catherine or Elizabethā€¦ Heh. My sistersā€™ names are Sarah and Catherine. My parents told me awhile back that, if Iā€™d been born a girl, they wouldā€™ve named me Elizabeth. I like my name, William, a lot. Of course everyone thinks they oughta change it to Bill or Will or Billy or whatever in conversation, but I prefer the full name. I have two middle names because I was named after a cousin who died not long before I was born. My parents took his three names, first, middle and last, put our family name at the end, and boom, I had four names. Since my initials start with a ā€œW,ā€ they look like a radio stationā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/76 "2010-02-17T21:51:20Z")
My name is Rachael and I think it is awesome. The only time I was ever less than pleased with my name was when I briefly considered marrying a man with the last name Rambo. Thank the FSM I reconsidered (name issues aside, he was an ass.) Rachael Rambo sounds like something Scooby-Doo would say. My current fiance has a lovely last name that works wonderfully with Rachael so I am super excited about that. ---
**Author:** ![DivineComedienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c67d28/32.png) [@DivineComedienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DivineComedienne)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/77 "2010-02-18T03:47:30Z")
I am a Lisa, and I have always disliked it. It was apparently a common name when I was born (witness Elvisā€™ daughter, also a Lisa Marie, born around the same time). There were always more than one Lisa in the class, which meant I was saddled with the dreaded ā€œlast name initialā€ added to differentiate me from Lisa G. or Lisa B. Lisa sounds to me like I should be a blonde cheerleader; too perky a name for a grown-up businesswoman to be taken seriously. My maiden name was very Italian and very difficult to spell; when I got married I was relieved to change it to something simpler. Now that I am divorcing, I have been told I can choose a new name for free as part of the divorce decree. I donā€™t want to go back to the difficult maiden name, and donā€™t want to keep the married one. I want something easy to remember and spell. Iā€™ve been considering ā€œDisneyā€. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/78 "2010-02-18T03:55:11Z")
I am old enough that we were named Bob, John, Mary ,and common names like that. It is hard to get angry about a common name. Also hard to like it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/79 "2010-02-18T03:59:08Z")
> [@DivineComedienne](#): > > I am a Lisaā€¦ > > Now that I am divorcing, I have been told I can choose a new name for free as part of the divorce decree. I donā€™t want to go back to the difficult maiden name, and donā€™t want to keep the married one. I want something easy to remember and spell. Iā€™ve been considering ā€œDisneyā€. šŸ˜ƒ How about ā€œSimpsonā€? ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108/80 "2010-02-18T16:03:13Z")
My name is Cynthia but it isnā€™t me at all. Iā€™ve gone by Cyndi for most of my life and before that, Cindy. I chose to change the spelling of my nickname because I thought it made more sense. Iā€™ve always been okay with my name, but thereā€™s this girl I know named Liesl, and I think thatā€™s about the coolest name ever. Oddly she does not agree! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-name/529108.md?page=5)