Why are people calling me by another name? This happens all of the time.

[StPaulandTheBrokenBones]

Obviously this is not my real name but let's say that my name is Deborah.

At work I send emails to clients very regularly and sign off with my actual name. However three times this week and a number of times last week clients have replied to "Dawn". The clients are not the same people, they are all different clients.

Deborah and Dawn obviously begin with the same letter but are not remotely the same otherwise! They don't end in the same letter, they don't rhyme with each other. I have even had a Christmas card from a client today addressed to "Dawn".

This has happened throughout my life and I am not sure why people are doing this. Has this happened to anyone else?

I’ve always had it, I don’t even get the same first letter. Even worse when they give be some random nickname, say my name is Lauren I’d get Loz, Lozza from people.

I once got someone’s name wrong and instantly corrected myself and apologised. She said that she’s used to being called the other name because that’s her identical twin sister’s name. It freaked me out a bit because I had no idea that she had a twin, it was just a random brain fart on my side and out of all the thousands of names to make a mistake with I picked that one. 😲

I can’t explain emails but for some of you, could it be accent? I used to get mistakenly called a name on the phone at work that doesn’t rhyme with mine when said in my actual accent but would the way certain others would say it. Hopefully that makes sense…I’m knackered.

How strange that this happens with Rachael so much!

I’m another one that has been called Rachael all my life and no it’s not my name either.

DH does this. I have no idea why. We know someone called Debbie. I know her much better, but we have known her as a casual acquaintance for several years.

DH calls her Liz. He says vaguely she looks like a Liz when pushed. I have a sister called Liz and she looks nothing like my sister, so goodness knows what a 'Liz' looks like.

Everytime DH says I saw Liz today I repeat Debbie. It makes no difference.

My name is Julian -- I was named after Julian of Norwich, female fourteenth-century anchorite, because my mum was...well, my mum. Unsurprisingly I have been called Juliet or Julie all my life; I have to firmly correct everyone every time! Yes, Julian is also a girls' name!!!

It's extremely common, I can't believe you don't know that. I've been called Susan and Helen - nothing at all like my actual name - as well as names which are similar or begin with the same letter.

@girljulian - I've just seen your post. Julian is my name also!!! I often used to get called Jillian or Julia, and one of my teachers called me Juliana the whole time I was at school. I love my name.

People keep calling me Wendy . My name isn’t at all like Wendy but it keeps happening. I had an elderly neighbour who called me Wendy for the 5 years we lived there!

My name begins with J and I get all kinds of J names other than the real one (although never Jessica or Jennifer). Usually female names, but at least three times have been called Jake in emails by people who have met me in person.

I have also experienced this - my name is Rachel, I sometimes get called Rebekah. I guess people see a word and the first letter and in a hurry guess the rest! It doesn't bother me tbh.

yes! and it’s always the same name, So strange

You should only have to correct people once. If they do it a second time, just remind them that some racists do this deliberately with people whose name reflects their heritage or ethnicity.

@HerculesMulligan I'm Catherine....and have been Caroline all my life!!
Hi!

@Howshouldibehave

I always think the lady down the road to me is Rebecca. It’s Rachel. Someone else has also called her Rebecca!

I've always linked Rachel and Rebecca for no good reason and then I met twins called Rachel and Rebecca so it's obviously not just me and you!

Anyway yes it happens to me. One variation starts with the same two letters, the other starts with the same letter, has the same ending and is perceived to be from the same country. In my case it's very much an older people thing though as both "alternatives" are from a generation or two before me.

It’s definitely a Rachel/Rebecca thing!

When someone calls you Rachel, just say Rebecca. That’s what I do. It’s not rude or awkward. I just want to be called by my actual name. I get that it’s an easy mistake and don’t take offence.

I've had this many times and it used to really annoy me but now I just go with it. For example one customer at work called me Penny for years. I corrected her at the beginning and then just let it slide.
I quite liked being Penny, (she was a bit of a renegade with a mysterious past) but then a colleague corrected her when she phoned one time and she stopped calling me that.

I have a male colleague whose surname is the same as the shortened version of a woman’s name. Our email addresses are displayed as “Surname, Firstname” in the header and so he gets many emails addressed to ”Dear [Surname]”. What’s worse is that he signs off with his actual name but still they continue with “Hi Surname” - drives him mad.

Some people were just named the wrong name to start with.

I get this all the time! It drives me utterly insane. I also get my surname confused for a first name, but although the sound is the same as a female Christian name, the spelling is totally different.
Very annoying. Just READ the email before you reply.

My name is Ally (not short for Alison) and I get called Alison all the time

@HerculesMulligan

I'm a Caroline and have been called Catherine all my life.

@HerculesMulligan How funny - exactly the same here, although vice versa. Even when emailing me and my email address is right there in the “to” box! Doesn’t help that my current boss’s boss is Caroline.

[quote Barkleyspaubles]@HerculesMulligan I'm Catherine....and have been Caroline all my life!!
Hi! [/quote]
@Barkleyspaubles

Actually DH, DD1 and DD2 all get called the wrong thing routinely too (along the same lines as this thread for each of their names), so we joke between us that we have a whole alter ego family with the wrong names…

I have a similar name to Rachel and Rebecca and I get called both those names!

The reasons are...
A) They are both common names for women born in the 70s, 80s, 90s so probably fit your age.
B) They are both traditional old testament names so fit the same 'box' in people's minds.
C) The R!