To start using my initials as a nickname because I’m sick of people saying it wrong?

[stronglemonbunting]

I have a name which is very common in my home country, however I no longer live there and people in the country I live in now can’t pronounce it.

It’s not an English name but I am a native English speaker and live in an English speaking country. The spelling is admittedly hard but the pronunciation isn’t and it’s very similar (rhymes with) many other commonly used English names

I always explains my name the first time I meet people - e.g Anna - like Hannah

People consistently struggle with it. I’ve posted before about having it pronounced wrong in professional environments however as I’m now living away from my home country it’s an every day issue of meeting new people who continue to struggle with it.

I’ve got a “Starbucks name” but I can’t use that in normal settings as it’s an entirely different name

Is it weird if I start introducing myself as my initials? The initials together (if said as a wrong rather than the letters themselves) sound like a common nickname for another name so it may give people the impression that my name is something else rather than it being a nickname which feels like lying but I’m just so sick constantly being called the wrong thing

or should I keep correcting people? I love my name, I just hate being called the wrong thing so regularly.

keep correcting them. I’d like to told if I was getting it wrong

Not necessarily. Depends if it works. For example being introduced to someone as PJ, short for Philip John, not odd at all. Being introduced as AA, short for Alex Anderson, is odd.

It’s your name OP. Personally I wouldn’t change it because others are stupid enough to struggle with it, but equally if it’s bothering you, go for it. What are the initials?

@Eyebulb not specifically but it’s an issue personally and professionally, I mean more using it as a general nickname. It would be more like saying hi I’m Jo and people assuming it’s Joanne/Joanna rather than being called Janet O’Neill (for example)

No it wont.

OP you can ask people to call you whatever.

Not sure what your initials are but my mum used to be known affectionately by initials. Once you've said it should be fine.

I'd do this, you can do whatever you like really. There are plenty of public facing jobs where the workforce have a name badge on, or introduce themselves as "Claire" "Steve" over the phone and it wouldn't matter to me one bit if that was their "work" name, it's just something to call them for the length of the transaction.

Call yourself what you like, it's not going to affect anyone else, it doesn't sound like?

It must be hard to hear your name being butchered on a regular basis but I’d hope it isn’t deliberate.

People try their best, but if a name isn’t phonetic and they haven’t been told the correct pronunciation, odds are that they will get it wrong.

Many of my colleagues have anglicised names that they use at work to make things easier, especially those that do phone shifts.

Or you accept that people just get your name wrong sometimes. I have a classic English name but am often called variations of it. A bit like Anne being called Anna, Annie or Hannah. I just accept it and answer to all of them because life is too short to get upset by it.

Is it something like Angharad? That does sound like Anne Harrod if you've not heard it before and I think you'd need to explain to someone who did call you Anne for example.

I’m at a new job which is customer facing, I meet a lot of customers, I don’t wear a name badge and I probably won’t meet most of the customers again.

I’m also living in a new city so I’m meeting a lot of new people.

I would probably say I’m Jo to customers or people on first/casual meeting and then if anyone questions/I get to know people better say oh my name is actually Janet but my initials are JO and I go by both/either.

I just don’t know if it’s a bit weird to give yourself a nickname

it’s not weird if it makes your life easier and removes the annoying repetitive barrier of people mispronouncing/not understanding your name when you say it. I honestly don’t think this would cause any issues, especially since you have no secrecy around it and are clearly happy to give the ‘longer explanation’ of your real name when it’s required/you want to. I say go for it!

It is a shame because I love my name but it’s such a chore constantly having to discuss it. I’ve never thought of it as being hard to say, it’s honestly so similar to other common names but I think because people can’t visual it they just struggle.

I have a fairly strong accent as well which probably doesn’t help

Not unusual at all IMO, many of the guys I’ve worked with use an Anglicised name because they CBA to keep correcting the pronunciation of their actual name/being misgendered.
Sad really that English speaking countries have such poor knowledge of names from other countries and cultures that people feel the need to have a ‘work name’ but that’s a different conversation

people get my name wrong all the time and it’s a simple name. Doesn’t bother me, I know what they mean.

I have a white hard to pronounce name and just correct or ignore. If I'm not meeting them again I just don't care but if I do I remind them what it rhymes with (which is annoying as people used to sing the rhyming word to me as it's a famous song 😂)

I think that’s a great idea. Still keeping your identity with your given name but a slightly simpler one which others will pronounce/remember.
if you have tried many times to get them to say it correctly and constantly meeting new people who struggle I would do the same. And did the same

I am known as LJ as my initials rather than my full name which is 14 characters long (even the short version isn’t cute).

I think it’s fine to use your initials.

@BoredlassI’m glad it doesn’t bother you but unfortunately it does bother me. They don’t mean my name because they don’t know it

@bchaslsbfhe123how did you start being called your initials? Did you just introduce yourself as it or did people call you it?

then if anyone questions

They won't. How could a customer you're not going to meet again question what your name was really?

If it makes it easier for you and you're happy to be called it, then go ahead.

I've known 2 people who did this. The first introduced herself as Elsie and it was years before I realised she was actually L.C. The second was known as Meg because her initials were M.E.G.