Fun With Names. (now with 50% more racism)

[AdminAssistant]

Could be worse. My name starts with a K, but cause my last name is Ashe, people call me Ashley.

There are enough Ashley's in the world!! Srsly. (Mom, why didn't you pick a more original name? )

When I was in undergrad, there were so many other Ashley's that I just went by my last name, which is English (derived from a town in Cheshire). It's one of those names that's relatively simple, but people tend to screw it up.

[Bliss]

Well you all now know my name is Lars thanks to the post where I hinted it out, so if you're going to go postal on me, find me and shoot me, that's life, I'll risk it , of course living in a country where such a name is practically unheard of, well I get all the normal misspronunciations, Blas/Plas/Flas.... but the best was the mother of an business partner of my dad, she insisted for years no matter what we told her, on calling me Laser..... *facepalm* (no she was not senile. She just thought listening to anybody under her (and the whole world was under her incredible station in life as ruler of all awesomenes) was useless) :P

[tropicsgoddess]

Ugh, idiots disgust me, but not as much as the racist idiots. You have a beautiful name, btw and it's too bad we couldn't give those asshats this lovely parting gift .

[NightWatch]

I feel your pain. My name is somewhat common, but I get some really horrible mispronunciations too.
Teesa (my least favorite because it's how many toddlers pronounce my name, so it feels like baby talk), tracy, becky (totally off the wall) and various other "standard secretary names".
The sad thing is my greeting is a recording, and I made a point to very carefully pronunciate every syllable, nice and slow. So I guess they just aren't listening. But I have a lot of callers who answer a question like "what's your address?" with "I'm 42 years old"...

[edible_hat]

It's one of those names that's relatively simple, but people tend to screw it up.

So people call you Smeeth too, eh?

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Shara doesn't really sound like a black girl name to me. Lashara maybe, but not Shara.

[KellyHabersham]

My "real" name is Melissa, and I've gotten some interesting variations over the years......in high school, one of the school librarians suddenly started calling me "Emily", when I was at Macy's and gave my name over the phone, people heard it as "Marissa" or "Marcia", and half the time, our regular volunteers in the church office refer to me as "Melinda" or "Michelle".

[Jay 2K Winger]

My real name (Jay Winger is just my net handle) is Evan, pronounced so it rhymes with "seven" or "heaven." And I've gotten just about every other pronunciation for it as well. "Ee-vahn." "Ivan." "Ee-vann." etc. etc.

I often have to tell new coworkers, when they mispronounce it the first time, "It's pronounced Evan, like Kevin, but without the K." And they get that straight away.

[Trayol]

Oh Jay 2K, you've been called my name, Ivan. I've had some of your problems, usually Ee-vahn. Have you been called Alvin?

[Imogene]

I share my legal name with a character on Battlestar Galactica. And that's all I'm saying about it. I'm pretty sure I was born before the series started, though, so, my parents claim they got the name from a grandfather somewhere up the family tree... when I got to middle school, I chopped the first five letters off my name. When I got to game design school, I changed my name completely, and started going by my SN... and people seemed okay with it. (I've got some way, way, way out there beliefs. For instance, names and labels are worthless. Names can be used to control people (See Spirited Away for more)... and labeling things is only useful for collapsing its waveform. Once it's defined, it's no longer what you called it.) So, I have a tendency to latch onto interesting names and use them for a few weeks until something else catches my interest... the roomie thinks I must have ADD, after she watched me go from playing a video game, to watching TV, to playing the video game again, in the space of ten minutes.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

The sad thing is if someone were to tell me their name was Shara...not only could I pronounce it, I could spell it as well.

I'm guessing that it's pronounced "shh are ah" which in my little phonetically functional brain would spell as Shara.

I might have been wrong, but not by much as I'm sure that there is a Sharah or two lurking out there somewhere as well.

Besides, it's a lovely name. You are correct and it is Hebrew and it means "She who sings". It started gaining popularity in the United States in the early 70's and likely about the same time in GB as well.

Sorry you have to deal with such assholes.

M

[Emrld]

As far as my knowledge base goes . . .an adult (typically ones parents but sometimes the gov't ) assign a name to a new born.
I have a very common girls name. Rarely do I go anywhere that I am the only person with my name - type common name.
And yes, I have seen eyerolls and heard "another one" under someones breath.
Yes, I said to a teacher one time that I would be more than happy for her to call my parents and discuss the issue that by their choice in a name for me it was making her life difficult. Luckily I spoke to my parents prior to her call that evening. She started to tell them about my "attitude". Mom asked her what was wrong with my name. Teacher backed off and next day had the school transfer me out of her class.
To this day I have no problem if people say something about my name that I will give them my parents number for them to call. Personally I don't want to hear it.

BTW - I think Shara is a beautiful name. I like Unique names. Grass is greener on the otherside mentality. (those with common names liking those with Uniques names . . .while those with Unique names like common names)

[RetailWorkhorse]

Go bother Frank Zappa.

O - Good morning and welcome to Powercorp, can I take an account number.
SC - Sure, can I have your name first?
O - Certianly, it's Shara.
SC - .....Pardon?
O - My name is Shara.
SC - Oh for God's sake! Why can't you people have normal names? I'm fed up of getting people with stupid names that i can't spell or pronounce, forget it, I can't be bothered with this, I'm going to move companies.
O - ...? Um, ok, I'm going to have to put you through to customer services if you want to go ahead with that, alternatively you can take my employee ID number, anyone can get hold of me using that.
SC - I said I want to move companies, what part of that didn't you understand?
O - Very well, hold please while I transfer you.
I call the cusomer services line and an operator picks up.
CS Colleague - Hi this is Shugopftan how can I help?
This is just too sweet. I know Shugophtan very well.
O - Hey, it's Shara, got a right one for you, she wants to move companies cos she doesn't like my name. She says it's too complicated.
Colleague - Heh, send her over.

Shugopftan has a serious mean streak and will probably now use his full name, which I can't even pronounce let alone spell when he introduces himself. I just wish I could have heard the woman's response.

Just for diclosure, Shugopftan knows I post on here and has given his permission for his real name to be used.

I LOVE Shugopftan's name. Seriously. To rinky dink still-bleeding-still-pumping-blood little heart pieces.

My real name (Jay Winger is just my net handle) is Evan, pronounced so it rhymes with "seven" or "heaven." And I've gotten just about every other pronunciation for it as well. "Ee-vahn." "Ivan." "Ee-vann." etc. etc.

Me and EQ had a best friend named Evan when we lived in TN. We called him Evie. Yes, we were little brats, but he called us by baby-names, too.

[draftermatt]

Where I work there are 3 of us. It's fun on the phone "Hey Matt, it's Matt"

I've thought about going by Matthew again, but I haven't done so since I was 7.

My last name on the other hand. People like to spell it (and pronounce it) with an extra E. Even if I've sent them an e-mail where my signature says Matt ****** they still write Mr. **e****! GAH!

My own boss can't pronounce it correctly!

I had a teacher once, when I pronounced it correctly say "Oh, I guess we're using the German pronunciation" all snotty. I'm still mad about that.

My wife even gets mad at restaurants when our name is called. It's flipping annoying.

I think it sometimes having to do with people a)not paying attention or b) thinking they are pronouncing it correctly.

Just write it/pronounce it they way I tell you too, please.

[Golden Phoenix]

I'm guessing that it's pronounced "shh are ah" which in my little phonetically functional brain would spell as Shara.

[snip]

Besides, it's a lovely name. You are correct and it is Hebrew and it means "She who sings". It started gaining popularity in the United States in the early 70's and likely about the same time in GB as well.

Sorry you have to deal with such assholes.

M

You're right, It's Shh aah raah (i'm not so good with phonetics, heh)

I thought it meant something to do with shinging, which is kinda appropriatte, i'm a soloist in a local choir and i perform in musicals put on by our local amateur theatric group.

And thank you, the assholes are unfortunately part of the job. I'm getting ued to them.

My last name on the other hand. People like to spell it (and pronounce it) with an extra E. Even if I've sent them an e-mail where my signature says Matt ****** they still write Mr. **e****! GAH!

My own boss can't pronounce it correctly!

I had a teacher once, when I pronounced it correctly say "Oh, I guess we're using the German pronunciation" all snotty. I'm still mad about that.

My wife even gets mad at restaurants when our name is called. It's flipping annoying.

I think it sometimes having to do with people a)not paying attention or b) thinking they are pronouncing it correctly.

Just write it/pronounce it they way I tell you too, please.

Thing is, mine really is pronounced how it looks, but people still get it wrong.

I had a teacher at school who taught me two different subjects *and* was my form teacher, he had to read out my name a minimum of twice a day, not once did he get it right in the five years i was there.