# Your gender and your attitude toward your name **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180 "2010-11-19T02:56:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180/101 "2010-11-24T08:00:26Z")
I used to hate my entire name. My father chose to make up a name for me and people have issues pronouncing it. My middle name is Madonna and I started school just after a certain someone put out her first album. Need I say more? However, as I grow older, I care less about other people’s inability to pronounce my name and I have learned to appreciate the fact that my father adjusted my name so that it flows into my last name. It’s the only thing I have to thank him for but it’s a good one. I still hate my middle name. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180/102 "2010-11-24T09:52:14Z")
There was a time, when I was a teen, that I wished my name, Paul, was cooler or at least less common. I grew out of that minor resentment, but in any case it’s gone from top twenty status to bottom 500, so it worked out okay anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180/103 "2010-11-24T10:16:06Z")
I like the way the OP phrased the poll _I hate my given name_ instead of _I like my given name_ I like the fact Mark is pretty unique yet common. There are a lot of Marks out there, but I went through grade school, high school and college without running into another one. Oddly when I worked at Westin there were FIVE people named Mark, but other than that, I’ve never run into one. Oddly enough I get called Mike a lot. I guess Mike and Mark are close enough but I don’t see it. I would prefer to spell my name with a “C” though, but it’s not worth changing ---
**Author:** ![Schrodinger\_s\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Schrodinger\_s\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schrodinger_s_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180/104 "2010-11-24T11:06:28Z")
I don’t mind my given name, and it is a combination of my grandmothers (Laura and Lorraine), but it seems like half the country had the same idea as my mother at the same time. When I relocated, I started to use a diminutive of my middle name, so as to avoid being Lauren with an adjective attached to distinguish me from the other Laurens. So, I don’t hate it, but I don’t use it for practical reasons. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180/105 "2010-11-24T12:11:41Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I would prefer to spell my name with a “C” though, but it’s not worth changing I used to know a Marc. But everyone would usually [spell it wrong](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0029678/). ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180/106 "2010-11-24T17:33:39Z")
I’m David. Or Dave. I don’t care either way and I let other people choose which they prefer to use. I’ve met other Davids that _hate_ being called Dave. Being Australian I sometimes get called Dave-O which I also don’t mind. I don’t hate my name, either version. I don’t love it, but it’s OK in a dull kind of way. I’m guessing Not a Platypus’ real name is Daisy. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180/107 "2010-11-25T07:44:25Z")
Male. The name itself is fine though I wasn’t crazy about being a “Junior”. I also happen to share the name with a well-known hamburger clown, so what ribbing I got as a kid was due to that, but no big deal; could have been much worse. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180/108 "2010-11-25T09:19:45Z")
I used to get teased for my name, and very few people actually pronounce it right (and far fewer spell it right, due to an uncommon spelling). But dammit it’s mine! I’m unique! And I likes it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180/109 "2010-11-25T18:47:14Z")
I didn’t like my name as a kid. All the girls had those girly names that ended in “y” or “ie”, like Kelly, or Barbie, or Jackie, etc. I was the only one I knew other than my sister who had a name that could not be shortened or lengthened (like Ann to Annie) to sound girly. Now I like it for the same reason, and for the reason that I have a name that has never been very popular or unpopular, but seems to get used in TV or movies a lot (usually as the comic relief or smart-ass friend, never the lead.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-gender-and-your-attitude-toward-your-name/561180.md?page=5)