And now, for the twelve millionth rant on the subject:
I just started a new job last week.
So far I have seen my name misspelled by four different people.
Each of these people found out my name from the e-mail that I sent them.
Each of these e-mails contained my name, spelled correctly.
Each of these people read my name, learned what it was, then apparently decided that it was spelled incorrectly, and thoughtfully corrected it in their e-mail response to me. ‘That extra letter must be superfluous,’ they told themselves. ‘Surely her finger slipped. Here, I’ll just spell it properly when I address my e-mail back to her. No doubt she will appreciate it.’
My ex-wife used to get that. One time we received a bunch of legal papers where the law clerks had thoughtfully corrected her spelling of her own name on every document. They all then had to be retyped. Her favourite is the time she said her name over the phone and spelled it only to hear back “Don’t you mean…”
don’t ask: I get that all the time - ‘Are you sure …’ but mostly with my last name. See, my first name is somewhat common but has a million different spellings (actually, only around four but they’re equally common so people are always confused). My last name, on the other hand, is very, very simple to spell and pronounce, but uncommon, so people are really uncomfortable with it. ‘Are you sure there’s no N at the end?’ they will say. ‘Maybe a W?’
And once, my sister had to log in to something where the password was automatically set to your birthday. Her password wasn’t working, so she had to go in to the office; when she told them her birthday they said ‘No, it’s not, it’s [six months later].’ They ARGUED with her ! oy.
Tell me about it. My last name sounds like it could be asian, so people tend to spell it in an asian way. Then when they actually meet me face to face, the assume they heard my name wrong and suddenly I get a new last name.
I have a common sounding last name that is spelled in an unusual way. I spell it out whenever I say it (in the same breath), and it still doesn’t help. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been told that I don’t exist in a system, only to point out to them that they’re looking under the wrong first letter. I’m not asking them to remember the 6th letter, but you think they could pay attention long enough to listen to me when I say the first.
When I used to work in a cube, I decorated one wall with all the misspelled versions of my name that I received on the job. Lily’s “Wall of Name”.
I know the feeling.
I almost couldn’t get my driver’s license renewed because the DMV clerk couldn’t believe that my Social Security Number was incorrect in their system (two numbers transposed). This is despite the fact that I brought my SS card to show her. I had to demand a supervisor.
This sort of thing does provide comic relief though. I’ve gotten numerous flyers from MCI advertising what I can only assume are their great rates for calling China. I’ve recieved calls inviting me to attend the Manderin Chinese Church of Cary. (I politely let them know I’d reather attend a church where I could understand the sermon.)
My favorite was a message on my brother’s machine. He got a call from some one who was not at all happy with whomever he thought my brother was. There was about thrity seconds of verbal abuse in (I guess) Manderin, which ended in the caller screaming, “And when’d you learn to speak Engilsh!!”
My name is Ian. Not Iain, not Ien, not Ein, not Ean, and not Iean. Moving along to the verbal, it is also not Inn, Eye-in, Een, Yan, Yon, or Ion.
Ian. I-A-N. Ee-an. Everybody in Upstate New York gets it right. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, in the south ever gets it unless they have a relative by that name (and I know, because they’re always sure to mention it). Are there significantly more Scots in the northeast than the south, or what?
Heh, if I didn’t know better, I’d think we had the same first and last names. I have the same problem with both. People “correct” the way I spell my first name all the time, and are intimidated by my last name, too.
Pain in the ass, I tell you.
Hi, my name is Loretto. I too receive much paperwork and e-mail with my name incorrectly spelled, in spite of the fact that the misspeller had my name in print or in writing in front of their face at some point. I once had a third-grade teacher “correct” the spelling of my name on a classroom assignment.
Plus, nobody can seem to pronounce it. I used to get a lot of, “oh, did you know your name is spelled wrong on your name tag?” I would look at it and say, “Oh, did they put an “a” on the end?” Usualy shut them down. I get the usual “Loretta” plus a lot of “Laredo”- often they continue to mispronounce my name after numerous corrections. One of the worst offenders was an otherwise very nice Italian Byzantine Catholic lady, who, when I first introduced myself to her said, “Oh, like Our Lady of Loreto”, then continuously called me Laredo from that day on. Each and every time, I would correct her…
I don’t have this problem with Philipinos, BTW. I’ve had several Philipinos plus a Mexican or two tell me I was the first white girl they had met with that name. I guess it’s a fairly common name in the Phillipines and in certain areas of the Spanish-speaking world.
A few years back, I started having my last name put on my name tag. I have one of those English last names that has become commonly used as a girl’s first name, and since I can easily pass for being a good decade younger than I actually am, people just assume that’s my first name.
Heh, forgot to add this little juicy blast from the past…
A credit card company actually sent a sign-up form for my then 13 year old son Ian…I called to tell them that he needs to be taken off the list and also to send notices to all the other companies that they have sold this list to. The lady became very miffed that I would dare issue such a command, but I responded that there are very many 18-25 year olds that can’t handle credit issues, why would you even assume that a 13 year old could do better? The rep then tried to confirm his name with an indignant voice…Is that spelled E-Y-A-N? I responded “No it’s spelled: ‘I’ as in ‘Ignorant’, ‘A’ as in ‘Asshole’, ‘N’ as in ‘Nutlicker’.”
