Hunter's Moon Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 My name is very common, especially within the Hispanic community where I live. Because my name is very common, I feel it has contributed to my shyness. I'm not saying it made me shy, but it didn't help with it at all. I would hear my name being called, turn around and wave or smile or even just look, and feel like a dummy when I realized it wasn't me they were speaking to. Happened to me in school all. the. time. It eventually got to the point where when my name was spoken, my hands would get sweaty and I'd hold my breath to see if it was I or another that was being spoken to. Sounds silly now, but I hated constantly embarrassing myself by looking or responding when I wasn't being spoken to. I'm not as shy anymore, and I try to like my name, but I just really don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 No. I didn't read the responses prior to posting this, but I don't think that I'm any different than I would be had my name been Lexi (the other name my mom was considering). I don't think my sons and daughter having unusual names is going to affect who they are as people, either. We are who we are, and our name is just a part of that - not a deciding factor in our life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 (edited) With a name like Lawana, you might imagine a *different* sort of person. Yet, I am the most forgetable person you'll ever meet. Same with my mother, Vola. I gave my kids regular, fairly popular names, spelled in the regular, popular way. I am quite sure that neither Lawana nor Vola even appears in this book of *impressions* regarding names. ETA: At about 8 yrs, I would not tell a stranger my name, because it was not immediately recognizable. Edited August 11, 2011 by Lawana adding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Yes! I have a name fiasco. My first name is Alveraz, which is commonly a last name and is commonly spelled Alvarez. However, my mother named me while in labor and misspelled the name on the birth certificate. She also didn't realize it was a last name. I haven't forgiven her. My life is consumed by people confused upon hearing or spelling my name. 99% of the time it is put in the last name column whenever calling customer service. To make things worse, my last name rhymes with my first and is usually misspelled and butchered orally. If you also add my two middle names, you're looking at an additional 15 minutes of confusion during any phone conversation or business meeting. My last name is usually switched with my first and God forbid if try to tell someone to just "call me Al". It then becomes spelled All, as if everyone suddenly forgot the English language. Ugh. I'd be so tempted to go with a namechange to Al. That's gotta be really hard to deal with. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Without reading 11 pages of responses, yes to a point. I think for girls especially, it doesn't so much affect who they are but rather how they are treated/perceived. I made a point of naming all my kids with "strong" rather than cutesy names. I used to work with a girl named Barbie. Yup that was the name on her birth certificate. We worked together in long term care, she wanted to go to med school one day and all I could think is who in their right mind is going to so see Dr. Barbie? I did not want my girls to have "stripper" names, or my boys to be stuck with cute little boy names when they became grown men. I think having a name like that can really hinder you in the work force particularily in white collar professions. That does not mean that the name determines who will be spoiled, who will be stuck up, who will be emo etc. Just the perceptions/impressions someone has of that person initially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I think it plays a bigger role for girls than for boys. I don't know too many successful career women who have "cutesy" or "bimbo" names. I also know several women who have chosen to go by their middle names rather than their first names because they thought it sounded more distinguished. When naming our girls, we do the "doctor test". As in, if I say the name Dr. _____ [surname], does it sound funny? This is sort of like what I did. I pictured my kids names on the gold placard and thought "is this the name of someone I would listen to/respect" Mainly for the girls. For the boys I thought about what their name would sound like as an adult. So if I wanted a boy named Billy I would actually name him William so that as an adult he would have a stong name not a little boy name kwim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I happen to have owned a baby name book that lists perception of names for years and it is freaky creepy accurate far more often than not. So I voted yes. Oh what is it called? It would be interesting to see what it said about my name and the kids names, maybe my library has it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 See, I told you all about the invisibility. It continues. A different name does not make a noticable person. An invisible personality reigns supreme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogMom5 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I don't think it affects who I am. It may affect how people perceive me, based on others they've known with my same name. Most men confuse my name with Diane, Debbie or Donna. Women don't seem to have this same confusion. Other than that, I really haven't thought too much about it. One of my sisters and my dd have unusual names. They're both feminie and pretty but unusual. It will be interesting to see how people react to dd's name as she gets older. I'll ask my sister this question and see what she says about it. Interesting question. Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 okay done all 11 pages. I can see the points made by the pp that how people perceive you affects who you are. My folks named me with a hyphenated name (of course my mom ut right denied that was my name until I showed her my birth certificate last year). It was Very close to my surname. The kids at school used it as one more tool to tease me when they found out. I refused to even answer to my full name and when someone addresses my by it (usually businesses that needed my full legal name, like the hospital or utilities etc) it gets my hackles up because of it. So in that regard it has affected me, but I don't think it has hindered me kwim Though it was the main reason I kept my married name even when I left my husband only 8 months after the wedding. I did not want to go back to using it. My full name is Brandy-Lee but I only go by Brandy. I was named after the song by the Mama's and the Papa's so you can guess my folks frame of mind back then. My maiden name was Bradley. Try being in elementary school with a first name and last name so similar. PITA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 See, I told you all about the invisibility. It continues. A different name does not make a noticable person. An invisible personality reigns supreme. Oh I notice you. I had a guide leader called Lewana so your name always catches my attention. :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 So, ultimate test--has anyone ever met a NICE, kind, respectful, and intelligent person named Butch? Yes, my grandpa! Only it wasn't his real name just a nickname, but everyone called him that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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