Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get annoyed with people not spelling my name correctly?

105 replies

HomityBabbityPie · 18/04/2017 09:55

I have a fairly common name but one that is spelt two separate ways. Let's say it's Jayne instead of Jane.

People (mainly at work) INSIST on spelling it as Jane even when they receive emails from Jayne and signed Jayne. Even people I work really closely with who know full well how it's spelt. Like I'll go:

Dear xx

Please could I have Y document.

Kind regards,

Jayne

And get back:

Dear Jayne,

Please find attached etc etc

It's pissing me right off as that's not my bloody name!

OP posts:
Monkeychopsticks · 18/04/2017 11:02

I always have my name spelt wrongly, no matter how many emails or Christmas cards I send with my name on. Even my boss spells it wrong, maybe I should start underlining my name Confused

LumelaMme · 18/04/2017 11:12

My ILs still can't spell my bloody surname.

I've stopped fretting about it: it's just not worth the stress.

Original poster
HomityBabbityPie · 18/04/2017 11:19

I also get referred to as my husband's surname by my in laws despite me not taking his name

OP posts:
Meekonsandwich · 18/04/2017 11:48

Funny story!

I have a name I have never ever seen anybody spell wrong, I don't think there's an alternative spelling as I have never ever seen one. It's a simple short name, (imagine a name like Anna) one Christmas I got a card from a colleague and it was addressed:
Dear Annarh

I was like what?!?!? How do you mess that up?!?! You made it 10 times more complicated than it had to be!

My last name however gets butchered on a regular basis, it has an apostrophe and it blows people's minds haha

SaltedCaramelEverything · 18/04/2017 11:52

I have this problem too.

Does anyone reply to the emails to point out the error?

I have been tempted many times but haven't actually done it... yet

emilybrontescorset · 18/04/2017 12:01

Yanbu

When my mum retired from a company she had worked at for 40 plus years, they engraved her name wrong on her leaving gift.
There are only 2 ways to spell her name, it's a common easy to spell name.
She was upset that after working there all that time they couldn't recently featured health name right.

emilybrontescorset · 18/04/2017 12:04

My last name is easy to spell. It's an actual thing and there is only one way to spell it.
Quite often people will ask how it's spelt. Depending on my mood i sometimes give a long pause untill they come to there senses.

Iamastonished · 18/04/2017 12:05

It's frustrating isn't it. My job requires attention to detail. Also, when I was a sales rep it was extremely important to get my customers' names right, so I always make a point of making sure I get it right.

It is also one of the reasons that I gave my daughter the name she has. It isn't so unusual that no-one has heard of it, and there is only one way to spell it (and I didn't give her a name with an "alternative, out there" spelling)

SomethingOnce · 18/04/2017 12:07

A name is the most basic bit of data about a person; next to zero excuses for failing to spell it correctly, and little excuse for not ascertaining - and at least attempting - correct pronunciation.

badhotfanny · 18/04/2017 12:07

I get it too. I just shrug and think they must be really unobservant. Sometimes people write it incorrectly even when I'm spelling it out to them Hmm

5moreminutes · 18/04/2017 12:08

I think it's quite petty to get worked up about it (except on official documents of course) tbh. My name also gets misspelled. It doesn't matter.

LittleCandle · 18/04/2017 12:08

My name is spelled wrong quite often as there is another, more common, spelling of it. It annoys me if people mis-spell after they have been corrected. I gave DD2 an unusual spelling of a common name and cursed her to a life of being told she's spelled her name wrong etc. My last manager had an unusual spelling of a common name and one of the bosses constantly got it wrong - there again, she didn't appear to be able to spell anything and never spell checked any document before sending it out. When we were getting name badges, I managed to find out which company it was that were making the badges and emailed them the correct spelling of our names. Just as well, as the boss had spelled both of them wrong!

Minniemagoo · 18/04/2017 12:12

My surname is a mans first name eg Thomas, my first name is an unusual name but not unheard of, it would definately be known as a girls first name. I wotk in a very male dominated industry and I regularly get replys Dear Thomas! I even respond by leaving off my surname but by that time the know me as Thomas. Its fun when they ring (e-mail is usual communication) and ask for Thomas and get me.

KatsutheClockworkOctopus · 18/04/2017 12:17

YANBU. People spell my name the wrong way frequently - and occasionally call me by an entirely different name which just shares a couple of letters ! It does mean I'm very careful to get other people's names right though.

Lucked · 18/04/2017 12:20

It happens to me, exactly as you say in the replied to an email with my name on it. All I can say is it doesn't bother me and never has so I have never had to get over it. I have never once thought anyone has been intentionally rude.

For me it is the first letter they change so it can be pronounced wrong too. If I had made this something to be annoyed about then there isn't a week of my life when I wouldn't have been annoyed. Think of all the frustration and annoyance I have saved by just not giving a shit.😀

BlondeGinger · 18/04/2017 12:30

I noticed on my mums last birthday that people do this to her. She has a really simple, common name with an E on the end. It can also be without an E. So many people said happy birthday to her on FB without the E! But her name is right there on her FB page so you can clearly see how she spells it! I can understand if they couldn't see your name written down and they were guessing, but to have the spelling right there and to ignore it anyway is a little strange!

Justanothernameonthepage · 18/04/2017 12:31

I've a pretty standard name, similar to Elizabeth. Example is I'm known as Beth but the amount of work emails referring to me as Liz is ridiculous. I wouldn't even mind if they used the full name instead. I sign off as Beth, am Beth in company directory yet still get Liz. I either correct them or if they keep on doing it I mistype their name/give a new nickname

EvansOvalPies · 18/04/2017 12:36

Yep - annoys me too. I have friends of many years, have lived in this house for 27 yrs, with the same next-door neighbours, having exchanged various greetings cards (signed with my name, correctly spelled), send emails to people signing off with my name, correctly spelled. Yet I get all sorts of weird and wonderful spellings of my name coming back at me. It is rude and lazy.

ShotsFired · 18/04/2017 12:48

@vansOvalPies It is rude and lazy.

I agree. It's basically saying "I simply cannot be bothered enough with you to spend 1 second looking at your name"

EwanWhosearmy · 18/04/2017 12:54

I get this all the time. I know my name can be spelt in several ways, but as others have said, when it's right there in front of you on an email or FB how can you get it wrong?! It's rude.

I had to give up having my first name on my email because so many people left one or two letters off that they would bounce back. It's a normal, boring, English name, so why is it so difficult?

OdinsLoveChild · 18/04/2017 13:03

I hate this. I've resorted to fining people who spell my name incorrect. Usually a bar of chocolate or something. They soon stop unfortunately which means I have to buy my own chocolate.

Its ironic that I often get a whole page pointing out incorrect spellings sent to me to amend with various comments about how I should check my work more thoroughly yet it will have my name spelt incorrectly at the top.

Maybe I should change my name to Bob Hmm

Blodplod · 18/04/2017 13:15

I had this at work. A guy called Andy kept spelling my name wrong. Something like Vicki instead of Vicky.. I kept signing off emails with the correct spelling, and pointed it out to him etc but he never got it right. In the end I started referring to him as Andi in emails.. he stopped getting my name wrong almost instantly! Mind you, this was the same guy who joined every single conference call and didn't mute himself despite repeated requests to do so.. every single time we got the pleasure of hearing his background noise..

TheChippendenSpook · 18/04/2017 13:20

I get the same. I even have people writing my name with their own made up spelling.

hudyerwheesht · 18/04/2017 13:22

I agree. It's basically saying "I simply cannot be bothered enough with you to spend 1 second looking at your name"

This!!

I have had this my whole life, having been blessed with a name that can be spelled at least 3 different ways but the real fun comes when I go to Starbucks. I too have a simple, one-syllable name but - despite always having to repeat it at least once when ordering - my cup has come with an assortment of names like: Vicki, Frances, Claire, Joan, Glen (yes, really) and some that were so odd I had to Google them as I didn't even recognise them as names! None of them sound remotely like my actual name.
I used to play a game in my office where whatever Starbucks had decided to write on my cup was how I was to be referred to all day.

Notso · 18/04/2017 13:42

DS2 is destined for this. The name we called him was to my mind a different name to the one he gets called but others obviously think differently.

People like to add extras to my name and surname, my name is along the lines of Ann Clark and I get Annie Clarks. Annoying, especially when it is within seconds of indroducing myself.
Me: "hi I'm Ann Clark"
Annoying person "hello everyone, meet Ann Clarks"
Or
Me "hello I'm Ann Clark, here to see Mr Blah"
Annoying person "Take a seat Annie, Mr Blah is on his way"

Swipe left for the next trending thread