# What Name Do You Go By? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 21, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174 "2011-04-21T03:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/41 "2011-04-21T17:07:59Z")
My nickname, not my actual first name. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/42 "2011-04-21T17:16:43Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Short form of my first name. For some reason, people who insist on the long form of their first name really annoy me. > > “Excuse me, Tim is it?” Me > “No, it’s Timothymapopolous” Him > “It’s actually ‘dick’ now” -my inner voice My father always preferred to be called Robert, and fought a losing battle to not be called Bob. He hates Bob, but everyone calls him that. My son, OTOH, get called Nick a lot. He always tells anyone who calls him Nick, that he prefers Nicholas. His Granddaddy is very proud of him. ---
**Author:** ![Marc\_Xenos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/43 "2011-04-21T17:16:43Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > I must say that I don’t get the American obsession with the concept of First Name, Middle Name and Last Name. I have three forenames and one surname and I go by the second of the forenames. Similarly, I have only two names, a first and a surname, yet more and more, society is forcing me to list all three names on my birth certificate on all legal documents, whether or not I want the middle name. (Under American law, one does have the right to choose one’s own name, regardless of the name originally given, and it does NOT require any judicially orchestrated process.) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/44 "2011-04-21T17:22:16Z")
My first name …unless you went to college with me then it’s Teacups 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/45 "2011-04-21T17:32:50Z")
I go by my middle name, which also happens to be a relatively common surname. When I used to DJ on the college radio station I dropped my last name and went first-middle. So if my name were Joseph Carter McFartypants I would go by Carter, but my radio name would have been “Joe Carter.” ---
**Author:** ![El\_Nene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/da6949/32.png) [@El\_Nene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Nene)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/46 "2011-04-21T18:40:45Z")
Family uses a nickname I’ve had since I was eight. Every one else uses my first name or some variation of it. I wouldn’t mind if everyone used my nickname but some people **ahem (whities) ahem** have trouble pronouncing it and it annoys me when they do. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/47 "2011-04-21T19:06:19Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Short form of my first name. For some reason, people who insist on the long form of their first name really annoy me. > > “Excuse me, Tim is it?” Me > “No, it’s Timothymapopolous” Him > “It’s actually ‘dick’ now” -my inner voice By contrast, it annoys me when people shorten my name when I introduce myself by my full name. If I meant to be referred to by the short form, that’s how I would have introduced myself. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/48 "2011-04-21T20:33:07Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > By contrast, it annoys me when people shorten my name when I introduce myself by my full name. If I meant to be referred to by the short form, that’s how I would have introduced myself. I agree. If I’m introduced to someone and a shortened form of their name seems to be indicated, I’ll ask if I can call them that. But mostly I assume that how they introduce themselves is how they wish to be addressed. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/49 "2011-04-21T21:00:08Z")
Growing up my family called me Jake. Then I decided I preferred Jacob. It used to really bug me when people called me Jake. Some of my family and friends of the family still call me Jake. It doesn’t bother me anymore. I still prefer Jacob, however. Lately, I get called Jake Brown or Jacob Brown a lot. I have a friend who is also named Jacob/Jake Brown(different middle names), so it can get confusing. Nobody ever has called me just Brown. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/50 "2011-04-21T23:16:07Z")
All four choices above…it’s kinda complicated. ---
**Author:** ![Marc\_Xenos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/51 "2011-04-22T00:41:30Z")
Makes one wonder what each of George Foreman’s sons prefers. Then again, I know a family where the grandfather is … Sr, the son is … Jr, and the grandkid is … III. So everyone in the family and most of his friends call him Three. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/52 "2011-04-22T00:59:54Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > By contrast, it annoys me when people shorten my name when I introduce myself by my full name. If I meant to be referred to by the short form, that’s how I would have introduced myself. I usually ask people: Do you prefer Dan or Daniel? I’m one of those people who thinks names are important and I always want to get it right. ---
**Author:** ![Marc\_Xenos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Marc\_Xenos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marc_Xenos)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/53 "2011-04-22T01:00:11Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > By contrast, it annoys me when people shorten my name when I introduce myself by my full name. If I meant to be referred to by the short form, that’s how I would have introduced myself. When I first started at one company, one of the co-workers was named Judy. That’s how she introduced herself, and it’s what everyone called her. After a couple years, she decided that it was too “demeaning” and she preferred to be called Judith. Don’t know if her name really ever was Judith, but nothing prevents her from adopting it. Problem was, she became insufferable with her entire attitude in general, part of which included the name change. So we did oblige her. But we started calling each, in her presence, by the same suffix. I was Marc-ith, there was Billith, Paulith, Bobith, etc. Which only served to agitate her even more. Especially when Josie (short for Josephine) joined in the fun and became Josephineth. It was a joy to watch. Funny, in telling this, it reminds me that it was the same place where another co-worker just didn’t fit in well with the others. Which led to \ tacking a 3x5 index card to the company bulletin board, said card including a safety pin attached to a dangling unrolled condom, and crudely printed on the card was “\, Entertainer of the Year Award.” But that’s another topic. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/54 "2011-04-22T01:04:23Z")
I go by my first name and don’t care if people shorten it to the nickname. I hate when people tack on my middle name, Anne. Please, just Firstname, not Firstname-Anne. I was given a nickname when my nephew was very young and couldn’t pronounce my name, but it’s been more than twenty years and only a few people still call me that name. For a while, when I worked in security, everyone was referred to by their last name, so I got used to being called that too. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/55 "2011-04-22T01:16:34Z")
Steve, or Hat Guy. There should probably have been a poll option for a diminutive - Steve is NOT the same as Stephen. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/56 "2011-04-22T02:44:29Z")
Short form of first name, so Nick for Nikola ( nobody calls me by full name except my mother ). The only problem with my full first name is that it is outside the norm in the US and marketers and the like tend to assume I’m female. I get a lot of junk mail addressed to **Ms.** Nikola \_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Just another cross to bear. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/57 "2011-04-22T08:33:36Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > You didn’t give context. The name I usually give as my first name is a variation of my last name; if, say, my last name were Michaelson, I’d be introducing myself as Micky Michaelson. My wife calls me simply Michaelson, though. Occasionally people call me Mick, but I don’t like that: either of the long forms, please. That is why it is multiple choice. If you want to give context, then you post as you did. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Real\_Regency\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@The\_Real\_Regency\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Real_Regency_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/58 "2011-04-22T14:34:42Z")
Long version of my first name at work, short version with family and long time friends. I know it seems kind of flaky, but in the past couple of years I suddenly wanted to go by my full first name in professional settings. At lot of times at work we refer to others by their initials as well. Just a little quirk introduced by our team lead that stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/59 "2011-04-22T14:42:38Z")
I didn’t respond to the poll because I’m not sure how to. At work when I answered my desk phone I said the diminutive of my first name along with my last name. My signature is of the complete first name, middle initial, and last name. In college I was most often called by my last name. My friends and family refer to me by the diminutive of my first name. I rarely if ever write or say my middle name. ---
**Author:** ![maisoui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@maisoui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maisoui)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174/60 "2011-04-22T14:59:16Z")
I go by my middle name. Most people do know that it is my middle name but tend to forget that until it comes up in coversation. It is a HUGE pain in the rear for doing banking or legal stuff. I am named after my two grandmothers and the “flow” of the two names works best in this order, but there was a cousin in my generation already being called by my father’s mother’s name, so I am called by my mother’s mother’s name. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-name-do-you-go-by/579174.md?page=4)