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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:
Stopthatdog · 19/04/2017 11:50

I think it depends a bit on the name. I don't think I'd get Jane/Jayne wrong but at my work there's a Vickie and a Vicky and I know that I occasionally start writing and use the wrong ending. I do try though.

Lozzy5790 · 19/04/2017 11:57

I have a guy at work who's work email is [email protected] but his actual name is Stephen Surname! Can you imagine the confusion that causes lol

EvansOvalPies · 19/04/2017 11:57

I know an Angee (usual spelling would be Angie, probably) . . . . but I know she spells her name Angee, because she's my friend. For someone who doesn't know her at all (same as with my name, for someone who doesn't know me at all) then it would be an easy mistake to make. But if they're meant to be friends, whom you've known for years (and years and years) - it's really not rocket science, is it?

MadisonAvenue · 19/04/2017 11:59

I have no problems with my first name but our surname is rarely spelled correctly.
I say it and people assume that they know how to spell it and get it wrong, so I spell it out for them and they rush ahead of me and still spell it incorrectly.

I was furious at a school awards evening when the school governor who was reading out the awards pronounced it incorrectly when calling up our son. It's not difficult to pronounce - it's a pretty standard Irish surname - but she added a letter at the end even though the bloody correct spelling was on the programme in front of her.

OffOut · 19/04/2017 12:01

I think some of my DC have incorrect name mail accounts for internet privacy reasons. They also have slightly incorrect names, date of births etc on their Facebook accounts for the same reason. It's not a bad idea.

purpleprincess24 · 19/04/2017 12:38

Even family and close friends sometimes spell my name wrong !

5moreminutes · 19/04/2017 12:39

Evans how often do people type out your email address? People hit reply, or type in a couple of letters and then pick from an automatically generated list of addresses from their address book, or cut and paste...

As for needing to list the individual names of youradult offspring - no wonder fewer and fewer people send Christmas cards...

Berrybakecake1 · 19/04/2017 12:46

My sis is Nicole and since she was born (she's 41) she gets called Nicola she hates it. My name ends in 'ley' but people write 'ly'. It infuriates me.

Daffodils07 · 19/04/2017 12:49

My own parents can not spell my name right! Ffs there the ones who named me.
And it's the most normal name you could have (80s).

gamerwidow · 19/04/2017 12:54

I have a surname that could also be a first name e.g. Robert. I get no end of people writing Dear Robert even though I have signed off From Jenny. It's very lazy.

SarcasmMode · 19/04/2017 13:06

I'm Stefanie and I get Stephanie all the time even from my own grandparents.

It doesn't bother me though to be fair. Except one or two idiots who have told me I'm spelling my own name wrong...

ExplodedCloud · 19/04/2017 13:06

I have a Jane/Jayne type name.
Most of the time I can shrug it off although I do think you could get it right in an email exchange.
What is really pissing me off is I sent my driving licence off for renewal and it's come back misspelt. Fair enough and we have a lot going on and I meant to sort it out. But now I've received a tax coding thing. Where the misspelling has suddenly appeared. Last year it was fine. Angry

KayTee87 · 19/04/2017 13:09

Yanbu. I had an EE call centre person ask me if I was sure I was spelling my email address to him correctly as they had my name spelt differently ...... erm yes you complete fuckwit you're the ones who have it spelt wrongly!!

2ndSopranos · 19/04/2017 13:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CheshireChat · 19/04/2017 14:07

I'm a foreigner so obviously my name gets misspelled/ mispronounced, but what baffles me is that:

  1. I'm asked if I'm sure that's the correct spelling?! I was also asked why is it spelled in x way if you pronounce the y way? Uhm, because I'm not English...
  1. It starts with an i, but obviously a capital letter so people change the I to L. Is there anywhere in the world where names aren't spelled with a capital letter?
emilybrontescorset · 20/04/2017 08:55

Berry_ I have a friend called Carolynn. My mum insists on calling her Caroline.

WonderMike · 20/04/2017 09:04

emilybrontescorset "it's the same name, isn't it"

MAGIC E, MAGIC E No it's not Grin

Lilyoftheforest · 20/04/2017 09:16

I remember once asking for something in the post, and said my name is Mrs L Jackson, (L for Lily!) and I got it addressed as Mrs Elle Jackson! Grin

A very easy thing to do - getting someone's name wrong. But when someone keeps doing it, it's very very annoying and rude.

My friend is called Heidi, and an old school mate of hers (they left in 1991,) still keeps in touch now and again (sends the occasional Christmas card and drops her a line when she has something to brag about,) and she always spells my friend's name as Hiedi! She has told this girl - Lisa - a dozen times, and she still does it! So she sent her a Christmas card last year with Lisa spelt as 'Leesa.' The card came back with 'not known at this address' written on it. (PMSL!)

So it's ok for Lisa to spell Heidi's name wrong, but not OK for Heidi to do it to her! Hmm

When people give their kids weird/unusual names, then complain that people (teachers etc,) keep spelling it wrong, I do tend to think 'what do you expect?' But when it's someone who is called 'Catherine' and people spell it 'Katherine' and keep doing it despite being told they are spelling it wrong, then that is super rude imo.

If I was you Jayne, I would start doing it to them; keep spelling THEIR name wrong! Why not? They are quite happy to do it to you!

EvansOvalPies · 20/04/2017 09:43

Berry and Emily - I have a friend named Maria, and we have another friend who still calls her Marie, after years of knowing her!

Plainlycrackers · 20/04/2017 09:56

I have a not uncommon name but there are a few ways of spelling it but mine is not the most common but not one of the least known either but people spell it the most common way even when replying to my emails... it is even in my email address FFS... and now I am finding that I am getting the American equivalent as well... turns out I am losing the battle because auto correct is against meAngry

We also get it with our surname which is really simple but people spell it really unusual ways rather than the simple dull boring normal way!! Think Smyth rather than Smith or Maye rather than May... so flipping annoying.

Plainlycrackers · 20/04/2017 10:05

gamerwidow we had the opposite of that for the first time the other day... my DH has a first name that could be a surname and we got a canvassing letter from a candidate for the upcoming local council elections addressed (handwritten too!) to xxxx Family ... with xxxx being DH's first name rather than our surname!! #failedatthefirsthurdle #notgettingourvote

clarab3 · 20/04/2017 10:07

With you, I'm a Clare, and really bugs me when they keep adding an 'i' in!

Dixiestamp · 21/04/2017 00:53

I spelt my name in a shop today as they wanted my email address for a digital receipt and they asked me if I had the right name e.g. I said 'xxxxWhite.com' they said 'did you mean 'Wright'? Wtf? I know my own name!! Unbelievable!

GaladrielsRing · 21/04/2017 01:10

My SIL was signing up for broadband over the phone and told them her surname was Browne, with an 'E'.

She received her welcome letter
'Dear Mrs Ebrown' GrinGrinGrin

keeplooking · 21/04/2017 01:44

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.

Are you sure you weren't just being given someone else's coffee by mistake? Grin