Mara Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) People who know me also know I loathe my name (which is NOT Mara). Yes, I know that's supposed to be a sign of poor self-esteem according to pop psychology. But my name is a pain in the ass. People can't spell it or pronounce it correctly at least 75% of the time and I get tired of repeating it 15 times and explaining it when I introduce myself to someone. Oh, and it's kind of a double name (though all one word), so of course everyone thinks they can shorten it: "Can I call you ____?" The answer I give them is "Once." Some people don't even do me the courtesy of asking - they just abbreviate. It's not a totally unheard-of name, but a Google search reveals that most of the other people with this name are African-American, which I think is a hoot. (I tried to change it at one time but ended up with a very unhappy paternal grandmother - my dad made this dumb name up and Grandma thought it was an insult to Dad to change it. Well, Dad doesn't have to wear it, and he really didn't care, but it does not do to upset Grandma). If I could pick a new name, I'd go with something simple. Anne or Anna would do nicely. Anyone else? You don't have to hate your name like I do, but if you could have chosen your own, what would it be? Edited June 23, 2011 by Mara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circumstantial tree Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 QUOTE (Mara @ Jun 23 2011, 10:22 AM) People who know me also know I loathe my name. Yes, I know that's supposed to be a sign of poor self-esteem according to pop psychology. But my name is a pain in the ass. People can't spell it or pronounce it correctly at least 75% of the time and I get tired of repeating it 15 times and explaining it when I introduce myself to someone. Oh, and it's kind of a double name (though all one word), so of course everyone thinks they can shorten it: "Can I call you ____?" The answer I give them is "Once." Some people don't even do me the courtesy of asking - they just abbreviate. It's not a totally unheard-of name, but a Google search reveals that most of the other people with this name are African-American, which I think is a hoot. (I tried to change it at one time but ended up with a very unhappy paternal grandmother - my dad made this dumb name up and Grandma thought it was an insult to Dad to change it. Well, Dad doesn't have to wear it, and he really didn't care, but it does not do to upset Grandma). If I could pick a new name, I'd go with something simple. Anne or Anna would do nicely. Anyone else? You don't have to hate your name like I do, but if you could have chosen your own, what would it be? wait a minute! Are you saying you're not a black girl?! Don't know what name I'd choose. I'll have to think some more, but I like the name "Ian" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rush Cocky Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Mine is Brett. Now....in the South that's kind of a pain, because people go: "Did you say Brat?" And I'm thinking, no my parents actually loved me enough to not name me Brat. Nevertheless, I have to repeat my name 2 or 3 times before some people get it. I've also been called Brent or Brad. Look, I know it's not common. I sometimes resort to saying, "you know like Brett Favre, except I'm a lousy QB?" (sometimes good for a laugh) In my youth I hated my name and wanted to change it to something more common, like John. Nowadays, I just take the mispronounciation thing all in stride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circumstantial tree Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 People have told me that Kelly Paris (my real name) sounds like a movie star name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khan Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Bob. Yeah, I'd pick Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 QUOTE (circumstantial tree @ Jun 23 2011, 10:30 AM) People have told me that Kelly Paris (my real name) sounds like a movie star name. Well you are a movie star! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMWriter Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Christine. That's right, Christine is not my real name. It's just the one I use on the 'net. Actually after the first fiction character I ever created. My real name is kept secret for security purposes, primarily because of creepers on the internet who lurk at message boards. Either that or I would switch my actual middle name, Marie, to my first. I don't care for my given first name, but I don't think I'll ever actually change it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Whompus Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I'd change my name to Chuck Steak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gompers Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 My proper name is pronounced in French but the spelling is the same in English. Richard. The 'ch' sounds like 'sh'. Thanks to my wonderful French Canadian parents. I wouldn't change my name though. I just deal with the English pronunciation. All my closest friends say it properly though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librarian Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Mara, I like your name! I don't like my name, as millions of other females have it also. There are a few of us on this Forum, too. hmmm... I like old school names: Eleanor Abigail Simone Evelyn Dorothy Joy Noelia Carolyn Elizabeth Emily Emma others: Owen Raven Siobhan just a few... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gompers Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 QUOTE (Mara @ Jun 23 2011, 10:22 AM) People who know me also know I loathe my name (which is NOT Mara). Yes, I know that's supposed to be a sign of poor self-esteem according to pop psychology. But my name is a pain in the ass. People can't spell it or pronounce it correctly at least 75% of the time and I get tired of repeating it 15 times and explaining it when I introduce myself to someone. Oh, and it's kind of a double name (though all one word), so of course everyone thinks they can shorten it: "Can I call you ____?" The answer I give them is "Once." Some people don't even do me the courtesy of asking - they just abbreviate. It's not a totally unheard-of name, but a Google search reveals that most of the other people with this name are African-American, which I think is a hoot. (I tried to change it at one time but ended up with a very unhappy paternal grandmother - my dad made this dumb name up and Grandma thought it was an insult to Dad to change it. Well, Dad doesn't have to wear it, and he really didn't care, but it does not do to upset Grandma). If I could pick a new name, I'd go with something simple. Anne or Anna would do nicely. Anyone else? You don't have to hate your name like I do, but if you could have chosen your own, what would it be? So what is your name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Barchetta Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 People constantly mispronounce my last name, 'Limebrook'. Here are some examples of the myriad of other ways i've heard it pronounced or written: "Limebrock" "Limbrook" "Limbrock" "Liembrock" - This one is actually pretty close to our ancestral surname in Germany. Anyway, it's pretty annoying. It's two relatively easy to pronounce words. Lime. Brook. Some people still get it wrong even after I correct them. I've made a promise to myself that if someone gets it right the first time they meet me, they're getting a hug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILSnwdog Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I like Jim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Sawyer Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I'd change my name to Tyler or Sven. Or maybe James. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMWriter Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 QUOTE (Gompers @ Jun 23 2011, 11:04 AM) QUOTE (Mara @ Jun 23 2011, 10:22 AM) People who know me also know I loathe my name (which is NOT Mara). Yes, I know that's supposed to be a sign of poor self-esteem according to pop psychology. But my name is a pain in the ass. People can't spell it or pronounce it correctly at least 75% of the time and I get tired of repeating it 15 times and explaining it when I introduce myself to someone. Oh, and it's kind of a double name (though all one word), so of course everyone thinks they can shorten it: "Can I call you ____?" The answer I give them is "Once." Some people don't even do me the courtesy of asking - they just abbreviate. It's not a totally unheard-of name, but a Google search reveals that most of the other people with this name are African-American, which I think is a hoot. (I tried to change it at one time but ended up with a very unhappy paternal grandmother - my dad made this dumb name up and Grandma thought it was an insult to Dad to change it. Well, Dad doesn't have to wear it, and he really didn't care, but it does not do to upset Grandma). If I could pick a new name, I'd go with something simple. Anne or Anna would do nicely. Anyone else? You don't have to hate your name like I do, but if you could have chosen your own, what would it be? So what is your name? My name gets revealed if and only if I meet with someone IRL. Just too risky otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 My name is good. It can also be turned into quite a few well-known nicknames, and I've had them all by now plus a few completely original ones. I'm pretty neutral about the nicknames really, it's more of a signature of the person who uses it than anything to do with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 QUOTE (Gompers @ Jun 23 2011, 11:04 AM) QUOTE (Mara @ Jun 23 2011, 10:22 AM) People who know me also know I loathe my name (which is NOT Mara). Yes, I know that's supposed to be a sign of poor self-esteem according to pop psychology. But my name is a pain in the ass. People can't spell it or pronounce it correctly at least 75% of the time and I get tired of repeating it 15 times and explaining it when I introduce myself to someone. Oh, and it's kind of a double name (though all one word), so of course everyone thinks they can shorten it: "Can I call you ____?" The answer I give them is "Once." Some people don't even do me the courtesy of asking - they just abbreviate. It's not a totally unheard-of name, but a Google search reveals that most of the other people with this name are African-American, which I think is a hoot. (I tried to change it at one time but ended up with a very unhappy paternal grandmother - my dad made this dumb name up and Grandma thought it was an insult to Dad to change it. Well, Dad doesn't have to wear it, and he really didn't care, but it does not do to upset Grandma). If I could pick a new name, I'd go with something simple. Anne or Anna would do nicely. Anyone else? You don't have to hate your name like I do, but if you could have chosen your own, what would it be? So what is your name? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) No, it's a seldom-seen combo of two normal, maybe even boring, names. Stick them together and for some reason it just confuses the crap out of people. It's all one word, but no, folks deduce that it MUST be a combo of my first and middle names, and that the pronunciation of the first half is completely altered from its stand-alone version. I had to get a login for a professional-related website, and the project manager in charge of getting everyone's IDs established screwed it up - she can't remember how to spell it and adds extra letters, even though it's RIGHT THERE ON EVERY SINGLE E-MAIL I SEND HER. So now I have to remember to misspell my own goddamn name every time I go to log in, because SHE spelled it wrong in the request to the site admins. Edited June 23, 2011 by Mara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostGirl Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I'd pick Julia. I've always liked that name. Although, my married surname starts with a J, so that'd be kind of weird. My given names, both first and middle, are kind of bleh. My first name makes me shudder every time I hear it, so I wouldn't go with that. My middle name is Michelle, which is what I go by - and it seems that every other woman in my age group is either named Michelle, or it's their middle name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColdFireYYZ Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 My first name is Joe, and I don't mind it. I kind of wish I had a middle name, because no one believes me when I tell them I don't have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circumstantial tree Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 QUOTE (ColdFireYYZ @ Jun 23 2011, 03:19 PM) My first name is Joe, and I don't mind it. I kind of wish I had a middle name, because no one believes me when I tell them I don't have one. I like the name Joe. There's a song by Sinead O'Connor called "Just Call Me Joe" which I think is a great tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thing2jordan Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I would go with something more feminine. I was tormented in elementary school by people who thought Jordan was an exclusively masculine name. My last name starts with a J as well, and I'm short. Therefore, my classmates assume that it is perfectly acceptable to call me "L'il JJ". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarizeMe Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) I don't mind my first name....that is until you find out that it's the first half of my first name. For personal reasons, I'm not gonna reveal my name, but I will say that there's someone famous out there that has my first name as his first and last name. I got tormented for most of my life because of my name being the same as some celebrity. My last name is even worse....not a single person could ever pronounce correctly without saying it awkwardly....some people were closer then others on the pronunciation, and then there was one guy who wasn't even close and sounded like he was mumbling gibberish, but my last name is gibberish to begin with. I have an alter ego whose name is Algernon. I don't know why, but for some reason there's something about that name that I just find appealing, it just sounds mysterious which for me is cool, and plus, not many people except for Algernon Blackwood and the mouse from Flowers For Algernon have that name. I wouldn't change my name to that cause I'd have to come up with a new name for my alter ego or delete him completely and create a new alter ego. Instead, I'd promise to name my first born son Algernon, and whoever my wife will be, she'd better be alright with that name cause then there'll be problems if she doesn't like the name. Edited June 23, 2011 by PolarizeMe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Star Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I'm happy with mine.. i think Adolf suits me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaoi_myantidrug Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I shorten my name to 'Pat', which I like better because it's unisex. I actually am changing it in the future;hopefully that will stop everyone I meet asking: 1) "is that really your name or is it just short for something?" 2)"Why do you have a guys name?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now