Love, Hate or Indifferent, How do You Feel About Your Name?

[speeder]

I never liked my name as a kid, I wanted a more common name like John or Joe or Jim. I also thought that my brother got the better name, Kevin. Also, my parents for whatever reason 60+ years ago decided to go with the European spelling instead of the more common American spelling, ensuring that I would have to spell it out for people every day of my life for the next 80 years.

I've grown into it. One bit of trivia is that no one in my family has ever called me Denis in my life, including 35 first cousins. Same with anyone I grew up with. It was always "Denny," my parents did not even use Denis when they were angry with me. When I moved to California at age 22, I began introducing myself as Denis, (especially in professional situations), "Denny" seemed too familiar and a little awkward. Now I'm Denis to everyone I know. Interestingly, I have friends named Billy or Tony or some other familiar name who use that professionally and for all of their lives.

The naming of children can be an interesting subject and I agree that some parents take it to a weird place these days.

[mattdavis11]

I think Norm is a pretty cool name. I can only imagine what it would be like to walk in to the bar and have everyone announce you by name.

I'm indifferent about first and last, but hated my middle name when I was younger. Now I like it.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by speeder

, my parents for whatever reason 60+ years ago decided to go with the European spelling instead of the more common American spelling, ensuring that I would have to spell it out for people every day of my life for the next 80 years.

My grandfather was called Denys. Quite strange spelling. Whereas I'm more familiar with Dennis as in ""Dennis the Menace" (Beano comic).

[john70t]

Growing up John was always too plain and ordinary. Besides that, everyone said "I'm gonna go hit the john". Hey whoa what did I do? And the john was always caught doing something with Madge in the side alley on t.v. cop shows. But conversely there is a Friar John and a Saint John so it's okay that I'm famous. Plus there is Jack, Sean, Ioannes, etc. At the end of the day it sounds better than a UPC string.

[GH85Carrera]

I always like my name. In school no one could come up with a variation or rhyme with my name that was derogatory.

It has served me well.

[A930Rocket]

I always thought my name (James/Jim) was boring and was envious of cool names.

Our kids names are different and they rarely meet someone with the same name.

[MAS956]

My mother's maiden name was Austin. I ended up with that as my middle name. Never really liked it as a kid but served me well later on. Whenever a new girlfriend asked what the "A" in my name was, I would in turn ask her what the capitol of Texas is. If she said Amarillo (and I got that more than once), I could tell how things were going to go.

[mjohnson]

Michael - like one of the perennial top names for boys in the 1970s.
Johnson - OK, sure we're not the Smiths but in the midwest US in the last century we're kinda big.

At this point I'm nearly anonymous. Strangely I've gotten jokes about some famous runner, but that's kinda old. I mean, I run - but not really that fast.

Not kidding, I was a freshman in college with a Michael Smith that actually changed his name to something else because he felt so "common". The new one was something literate and very fabulous.

I'm cool with mjohnson...

[A930Rocket]

I went to high school with a guy whose last name was Herpe. Met him years later and he had changed it to Smith.

[SCadaddle]

My Dad was born in a dog trot style home in rural Mississippi in 1920. His parents named him "Murray", as only a few years earlier, the local Banker, "Old Man Murray" loaned the family the money to buy their modest farm.

Then came the great depression in about 1932. My grandfather didn't have the money to pay the mortgage, and "Old Man Murray" sent his sons to foreclose on the farm. Grandpa was a Mason, and the local Masons had offered to help him out but he declined their help. The family was kicked off the farm and resorted to living elsewhere.

My Dad's mom was so upset with "Ole Man Murray" kicking them off the farm that she decided to change my Dad's name. He was stripped of the name "Murray" and became "Maxwell" for the rest of his life......because his mom loved listening to Jack Benny on the radio and him talking about his "fine Maxwell automobile".

So how's that for a "name story"?!

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

I think Norm is a pretty cool name. I can only imagine what it would be like to walk in to the bar and have everyone announce you by name.

I'm indifferent about first and last, but hated my middle name when I was younger. Now I like it.

You know you're in deep doodoo when mom calls you by your first, middle and last name!

[craigster59]

When I was in Army Basic at Ft Leonard Wood Misery we had all of us recruits together from all corners of the USA.

I remember this one guy, from way down south. His name was A.V. Hanners. I asked him what the "AV" stood for. He said "Nothin, that's my name 'A.V.', but my people call me Danny".

I'm thinking "Well why in the heck didn't they just name you Daniel?".

[Nostril Cheese]

Gonna name my dog Plop.

[dan79brooklyn]

My parents gave me TWO middle names. One of the names they misspelled on my birth certificate and the other was misspelled on my passport while the first one was corrected.
Now I live in a country that only uses two names but I have to enter what is on my passport. So I often run out of space and need to spell it wrong as it appears on my passport.
Plus my parents made up a new last name when they got married.
At least my first name (Daniel) is normal.
Haha

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I give eveyone else nicknames. I change mine to suit my moods.

Why are you giving people my name?

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Tobra

I never really thought about it. Named after a football player

I am quite confident I am the only person on the planet with my first and last name, so there is that.

I don't have a common name .... there are at least 3-4 of me around here... go figure

signed...

Joe Smith

[mattdavis11]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

You know you're in deep doodoo when mom calls you by your first, middle and last name!

Lol! I didn't have to hear that. I have 4 older brothers, she would rattle off first names only until she got to the right one. Sometimes you could be out the door by the time your name was called!

[shadowjack1]

What mattdavis11 said.
For years I thought my name was Billy/Ray/David/Gail.

[unclebilly]

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by shadowjack1

What mattdavis11 said.
For years I thought my name was Billy/Ray/David/Gail.

I knew I was in a pickle when my Mom yelled my name in Spanish.