Would you correct someone who...

[Kyrian007]

I have a nearly unique name. I live in the U.S. and I'd highly doubt there were a dozen people with my name in the country. I hate it, I hate getting asked the stupid questions every single time I meet someone. No it isn't short for anything, no I'm not named after anyone in my family, you really need me to spell it for you...? So when somebody gets it wrong (it sounds like a couple of other more common names) I don't bother correcting them. I'm so sick of correcting and then answering the stupid questions I just answer to anything close enough.

Strangely enough people get pissed when they find out they've been wrong. The longer they've gotten it wrong for, the madder they are when they find out.

So it's not all bad.

Just a protip for prospective parents from someone with a very unusual name. NAME YOUR KIDS SOMETHING NORMAL AND FREAKING SPELL IT RIGHT. William, Donald, George, Theodore, Brad, John, James... SOMETHING YOU'VE SEEN AND HEARD A THOUSAND TIMES. Your kid isn't yet a unique special snowflake that need a name no one else has... and by the time they develop enough personality to achieve unique-ness.. they will resent you if you saddled them with a stupid-ass name.

 

[Ryallen]

To this day, people keep pronouncing my last name wrong, and I have no problem correcting them. It gets a little annoying, but I don't mind. More than anything, I'm confused as to why they automatically assume that it's pronounced the way that it doesn't look like it's spelled.

 

[Zontar]

Not really, my name is one that's just close enough to two common ones that it's not worth the effort when people mix it up.

Now whether I'm an anglophone or francophone on the other hand I will continue to correct people on, since I'm anglophone but because of my father's last name everyone assumes I'm a francophone.

 

[Kotaro]

My name is Craig, but people always hear it as Greg. Generally though, I only need to correct them once, and it sticks.

 

[Lightknight]

No, because eventually the from of correction I go to would involve them not being able to talk anymore... [/joke]

I don't personally care but if a person can't be bothered to learn my name if they're using it regularly then it probably isn't the sort of person I'd want in my life. Failure to listen to others' concerns when they're expressed is a significant sign of an inconsiderate nature.

 

[Scarim Coral]

This happened to me in the past per say. It wasn't an invorrect name but rather he keep mistaken me for someone else.

I was one of the few Chinese people in the town and I get my statonary from this shop and the owner (a friend dad) keep mistaken me for the other Chinese lad in the town (we DO NOT look alike before you asked!). I was quite lazy and couldn't be arse correcting him since I was to the point sort of guy.

In hindsight I really should had corrected him but since I was moving away soon I figure why bother? I'm just glad my mate never asked me to come vist her house or if she was throwing a party at her place. Heck I even lied about going to China (the other lad did went to China) on holiday.

OT- I probably would correct that person but my name is common. I actually do know someone at work (a local shopper) who get people name wrong mainly the manager name (again her name is common).

 

[Something Amyss]

As someone that has a very common name, Michael, yes it does bug me quite a bit.

That actually kills me. I was born with a rather common name and people get it wrong constantly. Including when I worked at stores where you wore a name tag.

OT: I generally don't correct people on much of anything, my name included. Wouldn't want to be seen as "pushy."

 

[Cycloptomese]

This guy at work keeps calling me Mark. My name is very far from Mark. I've been letting him keep going for a couple of years now. I joke about it with the real Mark.

 

[Pseudonym]

Well, my name is very easy to pronounce and remember. Unless you are a foreigner, that is. Most foreigners fail to pronounce it correctly altogether. I don't think I'd make to much of a fuss of it if somebody couldn't remember or pronounce my name.

 

[happyninja42]

As someone that has a very common name, Michael, yes it does bug me quite a bit.

That actually kills me. I was born with a rather common name and people get it wrong constantly. Including when I worked at stores where you wore a name tag.

OT: I generally don't correct people on much of anything, my name included. Wouldn't want to be seen as "pushy."

See, for me, my name is Wesley, but I usually just go by Wes. Which sounds a lot like several other words, and names. So I'm pretty used to having people say my name wrong, especially over the phone. I can't count how often I'm at work, and get called "Les, or Russ" over the phone by a customer. It doesn't really bother me much, and unless they specifically ask me to clarify my name, I usually just let it slide. I'm probably never going to talk to that person again. But if a client comes in to my office, and directly sees me, or a coworker keeps getting my name wrong, I would correct it, but I wouldn't be pushy about it.

 

[FPLOON]

Maybe? I might just go along with it because, honestly, it's better than them constantly saying "And your name was?" and the like...

Other than that, how the fuck is my name hard to remember?

 

[Secondhand Revenant]

Would you keep correcting someone who repeatedly gets your name wrong? You've already corrected them twice before, and they apologised and used your real name, but the next time you saw them they reverted back to the wrong name. They are clearly very confused as it doesn't appear to be malicious. This person is just an acquaintance, and their not knowing your real name won't have broader repercussions. What would you do?

I'd try at first but if they can't seem to get it then they can't seem to get it. People don't usually get my name wrong. Mostly during orders for food or at Starbucks. Though one friend confuses my name and my brother's. Tend to correct him because he gets it right sometimes.

Though if some one kept doing it, even if they genuinely couldn't seem to fix it, I'd admit it would probably start to irritate me more and more. Not that there's anything I can do about it but it seems annoying.

 

[laggyteabag]

My last name is said like "Coosa", but often incorrectly spoken as "Cooca". I just get on with it.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

My name is so generic it sounds like a place-holder name you would expect to see as an example on a form, so no, I don't have to worry about such things.

 

[Evonisia]

I only really have issue with spelling. My name is Shaun, not Shawn or, God forbid, Sean. On more than one occasion I've been called John though, which just prompts a look of confusion as a retort rather than attempting to correct the person.

 

[K12]

I get called "Tom" surprisingly often despite the fact that my name is "Ben" which has literally none of the same letters (I think people just remember "common single syllable boy's name" rather than the actual word). I think having a fairly simple name means you tend to attract more errors (and nicknames) than you might with a multi-syllable name.

The more irritating one is callers who I speak to as a phoneline counsellor always think I'm a woman (fuck knows why, I don't have deep voice but it's far from feminine sounding and everyone I tell this to who knows me face to face has been genuinely surprised by this) and they usually hear my name as "Bev" or occassionally "Gwen" so I have to introduce myself as "Ben as in short for Benjamin". The more fun response is "Ben??? but that's a man's name"... Fun times!

I do correct people when they get it wrong and usually take the piss out them for getting it wrong, I think that's actually far less awkward for both parties than the passive route. I think this definitely a situation where Hanlon's razor comes into play. They aren't being disrespectful, just stupid.

 

[Just Ebola]

My name is so generic it sounds like a place-holder name you would expect to see as an example on a form, so no, I don't have to worry about such things.

Are you referring to your... first name or last name?

Sorry.

Anyways, my sense of identity is more important to me than social convention, so I make it a point to correct anyone who gets my name wrong. Not that I'm rude about it, I just give a simple "Actually, it's...".

 

[freaper]

Yes, but gently. I'd say "SHHHHH", place one index finger gently against their lips and whisper softly, "No, it is...Barbas."

And maintain deep eye contact.

Don't forget to circle their areola with your free hand.

If they don't know my correct name, how will they ever retrieve me from the Lost&Found?

 

[Diablo2000]

Happens too often with me, as far as I remember and I correct them every single time.

"Renato, right?"
"*No, it's *Diablo's Real Name*"

 

[Bellvedere]

I wouldn't bother. Don't get it much myself outside of Non-native English speaers writing my name on orders. The names they come up with are better than my real name. I think my favourite ever was Eejabeth. My name is not Elizabeth or any remotely similar variation on it.

I also do this all the time though. I mean any name is fine right?

Sometimes people just look like a different name so I use that one instead. If I'm actually friends with someone, it's not like I'm going to be using their proper name anyway after the first week or so of knowing them anyway. Like what am I, their driver's license? At first you call someone by their name, then you call them by a one syllable version of their name, and then the more you like someone the longer the name you call them grows.