Would it be wierd to have a work name? If not help me find one.

[Freakishlycommon]

I have the most common name that ever existed. I'm sure you can guess. I've spent my whole life at school, university, work, school playground etc having to add a surname on as there are thousands of us.
Anyway I'm starting a new job next week in a small company. There are about 10 women. Currently 3 share my name. However there is another lady starting in the same day and my heart sank when I found out that yes she also has the name. So that's 5 out of 11. Potentially very confusing and I don't want to spent years being known as short x or old x or just a surname.
Anyway so I wondered whether to just say call me y to make things easier.
So I need suggestions assuming you don't think it's ridiculous. I want a nice normal name for a lady aged 46. But nothing too popular of course.

I think people would find it weird if you picked a random name not on your ID! Remember payroll will need you real details.

I think a nickname is better so "I'm Sarah but known as Sadie'

What about Sorah? Sounds nice and when you leave you can blame any inconsistencies on a typo

Pick something a bit out there. Have fun with it!

My gran had a work name in the factory she worked in during the war. There were several Dorothy's so she was told to find another name. She picked Jackie. For years a few people called her Jackie while everyone else called her Dot.

I knew a Sarah growing up who went by the Gaelic, Sorcha - it was nice.

It sounds like your company is little enough to manage but do be careful re payslips, mandatory training etc.

I have an opposite problem- my official name is, say Jennifer Jones. But no one has EVER called me Jennifer, I've always been Jen. However I work in the NHS and way back when I got allocated my email address it was based on my passport, so it's (not actually, please don't email a random) [email protected] - this means that despite signing all emails "Jen" people don't look closely and I get Jennifer anyway. It then seeps into real life despite how often I say "call me Jen" and it keeps coming across like I'm ignoring people because I'm just not conditioned to answer to Jennifer! Ahem, sorry for hijacking your thread for that little rant.

Actually you just made a very valid point that I hadn't considered. My email address in the organisation is sarah.surname84 or something like that.
Looks like it's stinky Sarah after all.

Say your name is Sarah, maybe just be asked to call S or if its Kate, then K etc

Sadie was originally a nn for Sarah. I think that's nicer than Sally.

Sadie's lovely. The email doesn't have to be a big deal, it's not difficult to change a name on an account to sadie.surname and designate sarah.surname as an alias for the same account, so that when people email sarah.surname it still comes to you. You just need to update directories / business cards / whatever with the newer account name.

I have a very popular first name and also surname so feel your pain! What about adding a nane after Sarah so being called Sarah Rose for example? Id try and keep it as close to your real name as possible.

15 years ago I worked with someone a similar age to me whose name was Carrie. An unusual name for someone our age. Turned out she was actually Susan but had changed her name in her twenties. Go ahead. Be called what you want.

I feel sad for you that you would consider changing your name to something you might struggle to respond to. I mean this in a kind way but you seem to have quite low self esteem? Maybe you could talk to someone about how you feel? Be proud of your name and yourself! Who cares what the others are called, what's to say you won't be the most memorable Sarah in the office? I agree with previous posters who say that you will be known for your positive qualities not what your name happens to be. I must say I know lots of people with the same name but it never really crosses my mind because I think of them as individuals rather than as a 'name'. I also have a common name and I've never been bothered by it. Hold your head high!

I would definitely tell them that you name is xyz but you go by as it's so popular. You'd need to be upfront for it to not come across as a bit odd but I think it's perfectly fine. I love Sadie.

I would LOVE to change my name, mine is also very popular and boring and I don't think it suits me! Because I'm not boring of course I would like to change my name to Megan.

Theveryhungey I'm not sure about low self esteem. I mean I'm overweight and insecure about that but it's not related to my name. I think I've akwya felt that my name makes it hard to stand out. I would like to be able to be Clarissa or Stephanie or April ( examples) not short Sarah or pale Sarah or just Sarah J. I assume this is the very reason this board is awash with people trying to find unusual names. Above all of that though it's confusing. Emails sent round to and from Sarah. People talking about Sarah. If 45% of the female workforce share a name it's just confusing.

I have a classic name that is not hugely common, someone with the same name as me joined our team because of the way we work it was tricky to have two of us so I became Dave forever.....

Honestly I think you would be crazy to change. If there are already multiple Sarahs, then they already manage to distinguish satisfactorily in the workplace and I would even think the fact you have the same name as so many others and yet were hired means you performed particularly well at interview. So stroll in there with your head held high and be Sarah and a great colleague and work well. That is all there is to it.

'Hi im sarah but, please, call me sal / sally / saskia / sasha / serenity' why not just do that?

Could you tack another name onto yours? So if you like Jane, then why not Sarah-Jane.

Yep, Sadie's a nickname for Sarah traditionally. I love the name Sadie and I also love the name Sarah

Stick not stink

Stinky it is then

I used to work somewhere where you could not use your real name and everybody had to have a different name. It was surprising how quickly you got used to being called your new name.

Hairdressers often have to change their name. I know one where there were three Nickys so two of them picked something exotic.

I like the idea of that. I would go fir something very unusual in that situation.

Guccibelt, What were the other Nickys called?

I know a Sarah in her 80s and she gets called Rae (pronounced Ray). How does that sound? I like it. I'd like to be a Rae.

I think you should go for it if you want to. I have a friend who reinvented herself after divorce. She was Karen and became Kari when she started a new job and later hyphenated her maiden surname with her new partners.

It's funny I'm 'only' 14 years older than you but only know a few Sarahs of my age. It obviously grew rapidly in popularity. Maybe it took over from Susan (6 in my class of 30).