Spelling Name Incorrectly

[OdaMaeBrown]

A colleague keeps spelling my name incorrectly. Think Ann/Anne Sara/Sarah Hanna/Hannah. I've politely pointed it out to her and she's just emailed again with the incorrect spelling.

Do I just leave it or do I correct her? It's not the end of the world but I do find it rude and annoying.

Her name is Mary so I can't really do it back!

My surname is foreign and in the days of post was hardly ever spelled correctly. It's also become a female's first name and the amount of time I get called by the feminine version of my first name especially by email is unreal. It is what it is and it's quite often an icebreaker.

Oh OP I know how you feel my name can be spelt two ways and my actual Uncle has spelt my name wrong since birth it’s so frustrating!

A senior colleague sometimes spells it right and sometimes wrong, I almost feel that worse, that she can’t be bothered to remember which it is

it's just a small mistake that makes no difference to me at all. I don't understand how people get so wound up about it.

For me it just shows a lack of care. I understand if it’s a first email to me but in a response with my name in my signature it’s just lazy/rude.

BIL spells DS's name the French way, which is one letter different to the English version we called him.

It pisses me off, but BIL tends to shout people down, so it's not worth mentioning.

Ironically I'm Welsh but we stuck to a middle name only in Welsh to avoid this sort of thing

Ha! I regularly get messaged by someone who spells my name incorrectly every single time. I use the most common variant in the U.K. I've politely mentioned it once or twice but I CBA to correct her every single time, especially as she got very defensive and asked what did it matter as if I was stupid.

The interesting thing is, her name also has potentially several different spellings and hers is one of the least common ones. Woe betide anyone who accidentally uses one of the more common variants instead of the real spelling!

My BIL did this on a parcel to us this week, I haven't said anything because I know it's a genuine oversight, but I hate it. The other spelling is not my name, end of, it may sound the same but it just isn't my name. Sadly people seem not to care, but I am always hyper careful with spelling names because of being so picky myself.

So YANBU! Sorry OP. I'd just chalk it up to the person being rather PA and probably a bit self-obsessed, not noticing or caring how others spell their names.

Btw I used to have a boss who purposely got our names completely wrong (eg if I was Nicola he'd call me Natalie). He saw it as humorous 'banter' with his staff and what a great laugh he was. We all thought he was a dick.

Are you a Linzi (although maybe not that spelling)?

My son has a four letter name that it’s very easy to spell but everyone seems to want to complicate it and add letters to it! The amount of strange spellings we have had honestly makes our minds boggle! A certain wrong spelling of it angers me so much as it means something completely different and I actually feel insulted people think I would call my child it! It’s very annoying especially when you correct people and they continue to do it.

Don't do the spelling her name wrong thing. That will just make you look stupid.

I'd correct her again, ' Hi Mary, blah blah blah.. and just to prevent any confusion going forward, I am Anna rather than Annie. Kind regards, Anna'

@Soontobe60

Is your colleague dyslexic? If so, that could account for the repeated use of incorrect spelling especially if there are lots of possible variations. My DD has a name that can be spelled and pronounced in different ways and it used to annoy me when she was younger. Doesn't bother me now.

But if they are aware of their issues in that regard, and are definitely now aware that they keep spelling it wrong as they have been told, they could just copy and paste it from the OP's email and then it would be correct.

Assuming she's just being awkward though, you could put it in capital letters so it stands out?

People always misspell both my DD and DH's name, even though they're so simple like Sara/Sarah or Ann/Anne, or Jon/John. Really frustrates me.

I get this with my surname, the. People ting me up to tell me that my email address is not working.

I can see why you're annoyed, but I would just let it go. I've spent my entire life having to spell my very ordinary first and last names and it really doesn't bother anymore when it's spelt incorrectly. As long as it's correct on official documents, I'm not bothered.

at my self “ting me up”. That could cheer up a Friday afternoon!

It really bothers me. I have a very ordinary, bland name. It's not so common anymore but it is by no means obscure. People spell it and pronounce it wrong all the time. But the way that it is spelt and pronounced actually changes it to a different name.

My own grandparents spelt my name wrong in my latest Christmas card. I wouldn't mind so much if I had an unusual name or an unusual spelling.

I get this all.the.time.

Thing with mine is that they often spell it so badly it’s not even a name anymore. They actually take a real, old, Biblical name and bastardise it into something non-existent.

Think Mary being mistaken for Mierreey. And in emails with my name in the address and signature too.

Not a Linzi.

Although it doesn't bother me that much, maybe because I've had a lifetime of 'Eleri' being bastardised both in terms of spelling and pronunciation on a constant basis, it's really not difficult for someone to copy and paste a name if they're not familiar with it.

I do that with Irish colleagues to make sure I've included the relevant fadas etc. for example Oisín and Seán. It's a very small amount of effort to do.

It's not difficult to do it with names which have spelling variants e.g. I work with a Johanna and an Elisabeth.

Making a little effort to get something right shows respect. However, it's not always a lack of respect if someone gets it wrong - a dyslexic colleague struggles with my name, Welsh names are completely phonetic, but in Welsh and he doesn't speak Welsh. He mostly spells it right but occasionally gets it wrong. Same with the blind colleague I mentioned earlier - he relies on his speech to text software not to get it wrong.

I can tolerate the incorrect spelling of my name, mainly because people take it upon themselves to abbreviate it

How RUDE!!!

Emails are simple, whatever the person has signed off with you use - copy and paste if need be!

She ignored me, so I pointed it out again. She came back with 'it is just one letter'.

I'm rarely outraged, even on MN, but that is disgraceful!

Having said that I have a name which is more often than not spelt wrong and I've just realised I actually don't mind a bit and never have. Weirdo (me).

My name has one spelling but some people just can’t get to grips with it. Think Philippa (not my name but similar format) I get Phillipa, Philipa, Phelapa etc. One person who was awful for it was a colleague and it was on my e-mail address and signature. He was called Stephen, if you wrote Steven he’d get annoyed so I just addressed e-mails as Steven until he pulled me up and I said ‘yes it’s annoying when your name isn’t spelled correctly but once you spell mine correctly I’ll return the favour. One L 2 P’s, please do me the professional courtesy of spelling my name correctly!’

I am also one of the examples.
YANBU! It drives me around the bend! It’s my signature, email address and I actually ‘look’ like it 😂😂😂

Why to add any more letters? Will never understand... 😔😔😔

I like Marie though! 😉😉😉

People spell my name wrong too. I had an email from someone called Carole. I emailed back as Carol - funnily enough the next email from her had mine spelled correctly !

She misspelled it as a power play. Showing she is bigger then you. Set her straight every time. Or repay her the favour of misspelling her name or just calling her Susan