Have I fucked up at work?

[millerjane]

So on my internal comms I noticed there was someone with the exact surname as me. My dad is Sri Lankan so our surname is very ...um...specific. I just messaged someone on IM saying "HI never knew I shared my surname with anyone else" (I was VERY bored)

It's really inappropriate/unecessary. How inappropriate was this?

We did it years ago sending text messages (prior to predictive text) to our phone neighbours; the people with the number one up and down from your own. Sure you colleague will see the humour, we call all do with something to smile about just now.

@SummerDayWinterEvenings - not wishing to out yourself, but really hope your name is Elizabeth Warren

@Nanalisa60 and OP this thread has inspired me to contact the person at work with my grand parents surname as most people have said few of any will mind I think most people will be slightly curious thar we might be dInstant relatives.

My married name is Spanish, and unusual in Spain. I am an accountant and had to speak to a client’s lawyer. With the same surname.

He was out when I called, left a message with his secretary. It was hysterical.

When he called me back, he said I’d broken her! We chatted and his grandfather and my father in law came from different areas in Spain, so we didn’t think we were related.

Not inappropriate at all. I had an unusual maiden name and would’ve loved to have got a message from someone with the same name. Hope you connect with the person and have a nice chat.

Have they read it OP?

Oh I hope they reply and you can find a family connection.

I took my DHs name. It’s very obviously Eastern European, and I’m very obviously not Eastern European (especially once I speak). I often get queried on it and aside from once when it was clear the individual was a xenophobic irrational bitch, I’ve never been offended. I sometimes get emails from other staff in DHs language and have to reply back that I’m linguistically ignorant. I’ve even been asked in the hospital when it was commented that there’s only 3 people on the national records system with our last name - DH, moi, and a stranger. I’m sometimes tempted to find on social media just to see who she is.

Ah that's nice! I have the most boring name but area specific. I'll sometimes get the odd... ooh whereabouts are your family from?!

Although, once, one of our IT guys was surprised I was young as my name made me sound 90 😂😭

I'm Sri Lankan and always make a comment when I see someone with a Sri Lankan surname!

I think that's rather a nice thing to do OP. Hope you get a friendly and interesting/interested reply.

There aren't very many Toadflaxes out there and DH is completely adamant that every single Toadflax is related to him in some way. My only irritating experience was when an exceedingly twatty recruitment consultant called Mr Toad started chasing me to place his candidates in the company I work for (I don't work in HR or any remotely related department so I have no idea why). His opening line was "we Toads should stick together and help each other out"! No no no. I am Mrs Toad flax. Not Mrs Toad. Completely different!

My husband's name is very unusual. There's only about 60 in the whole of the UK and a few hundred in the world. I'd be delighted if someone messaged me like that, I'd think it was really cool

DH found a man on FB with the same first and surnames that lives in LA. They've been FB friends for years now and love to comment on each other's posts to confuse people

No you'll be fine 😊

I have an unusual surname and when other people find me on the HR intranet, some people even message me to say "AHH I love your surname" randomly...😂

I don't think you fucked up - its normal.

My brother got an email from someone at work - they ended up realising they were second cousins.

We had a new delivery guy who was sooooooo excited that he had the same surname as us that he wanted to spend ages going through the family tree to check we weren't related - even though the name was spelt differently and it's my married name so I wouldn't have a clue if his Uncle Bob was from Wolverhampton.

And my friend was introduced to some bloke because they had the same unusual surname - and she married him, which was incredibly convenient They were not related.

At one point there were only two of us out of 50 000 employees who had the same surname and I was the one who received an email asking about the name. I wasn't in the least bit offended and never even considered it inappropriate so I think you're worrying over nothing.

I once had a work email from someone who shared my (v unusual) surname and I was so excited! I looked him up online and he was from the part of the country that my every single family member of my dad’s originates from. I replied saying we were probably related and asked a couple of questions and then he never replied 😂 made me feel a bit silly!

You’re overthinking. I would have done the same. The worst thing they can do is not reply.

I totally would have done that with my maiden name!

Unusual and area specific surname. Once got an email from a man at work who I had never spoken to before, just telling me facts about my surname and the region it's from. That was a bit odd but interesting nonetheless.

This is the least inappropriate thing that has ever happened at a workplace. I messaged a colleague to say hi. FML

I did this (unusual maiden name).

I really enjoyed making the connection with someone I didnt previously know. Ours is a friendly organisation though and this sort of contact is very much encouraged.

They probably haven't even seen it yet. Funny times! You haven't done anything weird or inappropriate. I'd be really pleased if I was on the receiving end.

Not weird at all . Would be very normal where I work ... global international company 😂 its kit friendly

My maiden name is quite unusual, someone at work tracked me down in the kitchen to see if I was related to someone with the same name who she used to work with in the 60s - turns out it was my aunt!