Using surname initial to distinguish between two children with almost same name - almost!

[NewLookings]

Am I being very precious about this? My child has just started big school and is one of two children with a name that is pronounced the same but spelled differently.

I get that verbally they will need to be distinguished by their surname eg Bob A and Bob B. But when written down, is it really necessary? This is not the name but is a close likeness:

Juliet
Juliette

In everything, I have noticed my child’s is referred to as Juliet A and the other Juliette B. Surely this isn’t needed? Her tray, her work on the wall, her name on the class whatsapp group etc etc always with the surname initial.

I KNOW I’m being a bit precious. I know this. And yes, I’m disappointed there’s another one as it’s not a very common name.

AIBU to think there is a difference here because of the different spelling?

This thread provides a lot of evidence that people who can spell easily, are simply unaware that many, many people cannot spell, do not remember words visually and will not just 'learn to spell' your darling's name correctly, to please you.

Indeed. It's almost as if they think people choose to be bad at spelling, but could do it perfectly well if they bothered thinking about it. I'm a language teacher and I can confirm that's definitely not the case! It's fine if someone says they have a bad memory for directions, numbers or dates. But if it's spellings, it's just laziness, apparently.

Spare a thought for my DS poor Reception teacher who had a "Mary Brown" and a "Mary Browne".
Anyway YABU.

OP: AIBU?

MN: yes you are

OP: No i'm not...

This method of di0stinguishing kids with same name for years.

It's the obvious, natural, neutral thing to do - when people share one identical/similar/homophonic name, you go to their other names and look for differences to distinguish them. It works the other way too, in settings where just surnames are usually used - you'll have Thompson, Roberts, L. Smith, Higgins, Warner, P. Smith, Brown etc.

It's got to be better than seizing on a personal characteristic, which might or might not be awkward (unless there's a big age difference and it's just something like Snr/Jnr, or Big/Little, whilst the younger one is still very young).

Would you prefer Pretty Juliet and Plain/Ugly Juliette?
Fat Ollie and Slim Oliver?
Thick Katie and Clever Kate?

Meanwhile in Syria/Calais/Greece

Insert as appropriate.

we had loads of gemmas one was gemma g she is 21 and still referred to as gemgee

Loads of chloes too one was called coco even some teachers picked that one up in the end it was easier

Loads of William wiliam and various other spellings

Teachers need a way to distinguish them apart are they supposed to point them out no not that one in the white shirt and tie the OTHER one in the white shirt and tie?

I agree that they’ll have done this for consistency. Easier for everyone to keep on top of which child is which if the same naming convention is used throughout.

Be thankful they have different surnames. My DH wasn't even the only "Paul H" in his primary class (with four other "Paul"s!) so he has to be known by his full name for all of primary (secondary they were called by surname so no issue when they all went off to the same secondary).
I had two boys in my primary class with same forename and surname, and they were known as David Cooper 1 and David Cooper 2 their entire schooldays.

My DD now has Jane1 and Jayne2 in her class, because saying the names aloud you can't hear the difference.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll I was in pre-school with a “good Gillian” and a “bad Gillian”. I don’t know where/ who those names came from (they were pretty accurate, Bad Gillian was quite the bully) but as a small child I never questioned it. Just accepted those were their names.

My DNiece has a friend in her class called Sally Mac to distinguish from another Sally. Sally Mac’s full name is Sally MacSomething. I’ve always thought Sally* Mac sounds awful and a little bit ridiculous and it would annoy me were it my DC. But Name Initial isn’t too bad.

*it‘a not really Sally but similar.

My dh has the same first and surname as another boy in his secondary school, albeit spelt differently. Turns out they were related too! The teacher used their primary school to distinguish them both.
Dh spent his entire time there being referred to as Ian Jones- Saint Catherine’s. His classmate was referred to as Iain Jones - Saint Peters.

In the sixth form classes I teach the staff will often say (for example) - “oh, which Sam? Tall Sam?”. In one class I had two boys with the same name - one was a model student and the other one not so much, and I did call them Good Bob and Naughty Bob (don’t worry, Naughty Bob just grinned, and came out with good marks anyway! No self esteem was smashed in the making of that nickname).

It's fairly obvious why it's important for all staff to be able to pinpoint the right student.

Here's a more serious situation. A parent calls reception and leaves a message for Juliette (Year 6) to walk home tonight but the person on reception writes the message as Juliet. This gets given to the Year 6 teacher, who releases the wrong child to walk home alone.

I've had students with lots of overlap in names (eg. Lewis, Louis pronounced lou-iss, and Louis pronounced lou-ee). Their surname initial got added to get the right student. Thankfully nobody told me their experience of moving up to Year 7 as ruined by me using their name to correctly identify them.

@emilybrontescorsett Ian Jones - At Catherine's sounds just like the announcer on University Challenge

@TheNewLook

It's a method to make things easier in class, simple as that

But for art work on the wall? They didn’t need to surname that, did they?

because when the teacher says "Its [name] a" everyone knows who they are talking about. Its not rocket surgery

We've got Naughty David and Good David, they're in year 6, it stuck in nursery

(I don't think the teachers refer to them by that though)

KrakowDawn it does now you mention it! It’s true though. Better than the nickname one of his teenage friends gave him ‘Gay Ian’ because he had a long blonde perm! His so called friend only ever called him Gay Ian. For years new acquaintances assumes he was gay 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Am I being very precious about this?

Yes, yes you are

YABU. It really doesn't matter

in my dc class are 2 children with exact the same name and surname.

they are called by their table colours i.e. tim red and tim green.

Total non-event.
My sister’s middle name is Scarlett, and age still remembers mum looking for her birth certificate when filling out a form as she couldn’t remember if she’d chosen Scarlett or Scarlet

For what ever reason, teacher has chosen to add the initial. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I wonder if the Spice Girls had this problem.

@Callmejudith

We've got Naughty David and Good David, they're in year 6, it stuck in nursery

(I don't think the teachers refer to them by that though)

Imagine if that one sticks and one day he’s a lawyer walking in to give a presentation going “hello everyone, I’m Naughty David” xD

@viques ah got it! Can’t believe his parents started Tuaying him too

Don't you like your surname or has she got a different surname to you? Dont understand why this would bother you tbh.

@ZoeCM

I wonder if the Spice Girls had this problem.

Ahahaha, best answer

Honestly OP (not that you’ll be back) thank your lucky stars it’s determinism by initial.

I had 2 Lisa’s in my year, one Lisa and the other Leisa.

The latter was called “Little Leisa”. Not “Leisa with an E” nope, “Little”.

I saw her a few days ago for the first time in 30 years and my internal monologue instantly called her “Little Leisa”.