# Names with Initials (only)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-with-initials-only/839911
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [September 9, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-with-initials-only/839911 "2019-09-09T01:35:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-with-initials-only/839911/21 "2019-09-09T16:46:00Z")
D.B. Cooper
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### Author:  [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-with-initials-only/839911/22 "2019-09-09T20:43:42Z")
True story. A former postdoc of mine was an immigrant from Serbia. His first name was Andrej and he had no middle name. When he became as US citizen, they offered him the possibility to change his name. He wanted to make it Andre J. They wouldn’t allow it. When he brought up Harry S Truman, they still wouldn’t allow, but they did decide that if he knew that much American history, they would not bother to quiz him on it. He now uses only Andre, no middle initial or name.
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### Author:  [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-with-initials-only/839911/23 "2019-09-09T20:50:39Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#):
>
> I have a friend that has initials only for a first name(I will call him DC Smith) . He claims the Army, companies or people asked him so often what the DC stood for, he started writing D(only) C(only) Smith on his paperwork.
>
> He then claimed he started getting mail for Donly Conly Smith, sound like BS to me and could never provide a letter that had that name on it.
>
> Have you ever heard this from an Initialed only person?
Wondering if the OP is being read. I am not asking for people that have only initials for their name, asking about adding the “ONLY” bit.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-with-initials-only/839911/24 "2019-09-09T21:07:02Z")
Google turned up info that actual military (USAF, specifically) use would be (IO) rather than (only).
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### Author:  [@Taesahnim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taesahnim)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-with-initials-only/839911/25 "2019-09-09T21:21:18Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#):
>
> I have a friend that has initials only for a first name(I will call him DC Smith) . He claims the Army, companies or people asked him so often what the DC stood for, he started writing D(only) C(only) Smith on his paperwork.
>
> He then claimed he started getting mail for Donly Conly Smith, sound like BS to me and could never provide a letter that had that name on it.
That was snitched from[Henry Cho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7_3xxQXgFs), who I’m sure snitched it from someone else.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-with-initials-only/839911/26 "2019-09-10T13:26:29Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> Each side of the family could assume it was derived from someone on their side. So the “S” doesn’t really stand for anything.
It is, in both senses of the word, Schrödinger’s initial.
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