# People who abbreviate their first name…
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 22, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281 "2022-04-22T21:17:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/1 "2022-04-22T21:17:52Z")
…and use their full middle name. T. Boone Pickens is one that immediately comes to mind.
Why?
I get that they may not like their first name, simply prefer their middle name, or use it to avoid confusion with someone else, etc., but why not simply just use the middle name and completely exclude the first?
Just curious as to the decision-making behind this, because it seems like a pretty major thing to do. Also, I believe I’ve only ever seen men do this. Are there examples of women that do?
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### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/2 "2022-04-22T21:27:46Z")
E. Jean Carroll, the woman who has accused Trump of raping her.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/3 "2022-04-22T21:32:39Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> Why?
Google’s failing me for a specific explanation in Pickens’ case, but his full name was Thomas Boone Pickens Jr. My guess would be that “T. Boone” was a family name for him, to distinguish him from his father.
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### Author:  [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/4 "2022-04-22T21:32:55Z")
One of my doctors doesn’t seem to like his firstname, but apparently his profession doesn’t like middle names.
He is listed in directories as Firstname M. Lastname.
He signs documents as F. Middlename Lastname.
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### Author:  [@Retzbu\_Tox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Retzbu_Tox)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/5 "2022-04-22T21:35:01Z")
I know someone who uses their first initial and their full middle name. He states he doesn’t like his first name. (He thinks it sounds easy to ridicule, or something.) I can understand that. What has puzzled me is that his father had the same first name, also used his first initial and full middle name for similar reasons, yet still gave that name to his son. :shrug:
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/6 "2022-04-22T21:39:01Z")
Also, another woman who goes by her first initial and middle name is actress S. Epatha Merkerson.
The S stands for Sharon, according to IMDB, which also has this quote from her on her name:
> [@](#):
>
> My dad said he had a teacher named Epatha who was influential in keeping him in school. But my mother said it was an old girlfriend of his. So that’s why she stuck in the Sharon Epatha. That’s what the “S” stands for. Everyone knows now because some numbskull I went to high school with decided to put it on the Internet.
> **[S. Epatha Merkerson - Biography - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580924/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm)**
>
> S. Epatha Merkerson. Actress: Law & Order. A native of Michigan, S. Epatha Merkerson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Wayne State University. In 1978, she moved to New York City to apply her craft on stage. Although best known since...
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### Author:  [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/7 "2022-04-22T21:46:31Z")
Madame P. goes by “C. Kathleen”. Her first name is Carrie. It was also her mother’s name, and she was called Kathy to keep 'em straight. It gripes her no end to get mail for Carrie.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/8 "2022-04-22T22:22:28Z")
I knew a woman who went by E. Joan Smith (Joan Smith made up me). Turns out the E stood for Elizabeth, she didn’t like the name or any of it’s common nicknames.
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### Author:  [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/9 "2022-04-22T22:29:56Z")
My wife does this on some of her professional papers - since she has a ‘gender-neutral’ middle name, and it, sadly, helps to not obviously have a female name in the scientific field if you don’t want condescending advice on your research.
Not a happy thing though.
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/10 "2022-04-22T22:39:28Z")
S. Christa McAuliffe was also Sharon Christa McAuliffe, but she always went by Christa.
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### Author:  [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/11 "2022-04-22T22:40:42Z")
When you said “abbreviate their first name,” I thought you meant things like “Thos.” for “Thomas” or “Jos.” for “Joseph.” I didn’t think anybody even did that anymore. Maybe they don’t.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/12 "2022-04-22T22:44:40Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> why not simply just use the middle name and completely exclude the first?
Is assume it’s to make it clear that the name they are commonly called is not their official first name.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/13 "2022-04-22T23:06:41Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> but why not simply just use the middle name and completely exclude the first?
Every person I know to do this writes articles for psychology journals and I kind of assume it’s to signal to people in the same profession that they interact with that they’re _that_ [J.] Ethan Smithe.
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### Author:  [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/14 "2022-04-22T23:34:36Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#):
>
> My wife does this on some of her professional papers - since she has a ‘gender-neutral’ middle name, and it, sadly, helps to not obviously have a female name in the scientific field if you don’t want condescending advice on your research.
Has she ever said why she doesn’t simply go by her middle name? I’ve wondered the same thing as the OP.
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### Author:  [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/15 "2022-04-22T23:35:24Z")
An ex-bf of mine was named after his grandfather, but was always called (and from the start intended to be called) by his middle name.
I wouldn’t be surprised if some of that is going on. Wanting to honor a family member, but not wanting to actually use the name.
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### Author:  [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2022, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/16 "2022-04-22T23:56:38Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#):
>
> It was also her mother’s name, and she was called Kathy to keep 'em straight.
This was my mother, named for her mother and then called something else so they weren’t confused. Mom preferred her nickname, so legally changed it after her mother died. Her older sister had fits, despite the fact that she, too, prefers her nickname. Mom threw it back in her fact and Aunt accepted the reality check rather than be called Kathleen in public by her sister. Yay Mom!
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### Author:  [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2022, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/17 "2022-04-23T00:05:12Z")
Our late county executive was best known as “L. Brooks Patterson.” Of course, when he filed for divorce it was as Lawrence B. Patterson.
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### Author:  [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2022, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/18 "2022-04-23T00:10:44Z")
I have a friend whose first name is William but goes by his middle name, “Harrison.” He styles himself Wm. Harrison Lastname. He’s the only one I know who does this.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/19 "2022-04-23T00:13:10Z")
It makes sense to me when they do it in places where you would normally include your middle initial. But it is a bit weird otherwise, unless that first initial is special.
My dad treats his middle initial that way. But that’s because he has a common name, where there are like 6 people with his first and last name here in my town and general area. His middle initial is thus important for disambiguation. (This is also why I have a unique first name, and his first name as a middle name.)
I suspect the man in the OP has the initial to seem a bit more distinguished. I associate that format F. Middle Last with “high falutin’” folk.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2022, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-abbreviate-their-first-name/963281/20 "2022-04-23T00:23:37Z")
I would speculate that with some people it’s to avoid confusion.
Let’s say your full name is John Paul Jones and you choose to go by your middle name. If you style yourself Paul Jones, there will be situations in which there is a reference to J. Jones and people are going to think _“Well, that can’t be Paul. He’s P. Jones.”_
By calling yourself J. Paul Jones, you’re establishing that you wish to be called Paul. But you’re also letting people know that you have another name that might appear at times.
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