Common Name Woes

[polar]

I have a different problem. A slightly common/uncommon name that can be spelled a hundred different ways. Always turns out to be the wrong way though. Whenever I meet someone with my name we high five, especially if the spelling is "right" It can also be pronounced in a hundred different ways. I've gotten to the point where I don't correct people anymore. As long as I know when I'm being called or mentioned. Too much of a headache the other way around.

[emery]

I have a VERY uncommon name (Branduin). I go by Brandy to make things easier since no one has ever heard of Branduin. But wouldn't you know it my very best friend since we were 10 years old is named Brandy and then I married a Brandon

I've never told you before, but I really do like your name. It is so unique! Does it have an origin somewhere or just parent made up?

Thanks! It's actually one my parents got from a short sci-fi story called "Tin Soldier" by Joan D Vinge. Branduin in the story is a space traveler and she always stops at this one planet and has a glass of brandy with the bartender at the Tin Solder. It's kind of the opposite story of that song Brandy by the Looking Glass. I think there is also a river or something to do with Lord of the Rings which is called the Branduin (shortened from Brandywine?) but that's not where my parents got it.

I forgot to mention that my best friend and I both married men who have last names starting with W so we are both now Brandy W.!

[Galactica]

I feel your pain-  I have one of the most common names that there is (and yes it was mentioned here already)

There are two TWO other people at my relatively small sized office who share my name.

There is no good way to cope-  one of the assistants who does a lot of random projects shares my name and is always getting paged overhead-  but of course they frequently forget to say the first letter of the last name- so I am always calling reception to find out why they are paging me.   

[sparkykandy]

I have a fairly common first name which I hate.  My mom once told me that I nearly was going to be named Danielle, but one of my parents thought it sounded too masculine for a girl.  I do wish that they named me that instead.

[Zapper]

ohh, and sara/Sarah, i know about 5 of them!

Hee, I'm one of those Sarahs!

...and when I was a little kid I really hated my name.
It was when I got into Kindergarten and met so many other Sara(h)s that I no longer felt unique (haha, I wish I could have my childhood "problems" back).
I tried to pressure my parents into re-naming me Jasmin (the German equivalent to Jasmine) because I was in love with Princess Jasmine from Disney's Aladdin and her name was perfection to me. It didn't work out 

Nowadays I have no problems with my first name anymore. My second one is not that common in my age group but it doesn't fit my last name OR personality, as it is way too soft

[brighteyes]

My last name is school was pretty uncommon so at least I was never one of two Jessica XXXX at the school.  My married name is really common though so I keep having people confuse me for Jessica XXX or ask me if I'm realated to the XXX from Lowel or whatever LOL  Um no... my husband might be though.

We named our daughter a really uncommon name because both my husband and I have common names and we didn't want her to have to deal with the irritation of it.  I hope she doesn't end up regretting her uncommon name but if she does we gave her a pretty normal middle name just in case.

Edited to Add:

The thing that really kills me is that my dad wanted to name me Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird which I think would have been the best name ever.  Ugh, if only! 

[Roccoriel]

I never knew anyone with my full name (Margaret) who was my age until recently- and now I know 4 or 5!  Because Margaret is an "older" name, and I go by Meg, people would just assume my name was Megan and call me that, which is much more common in my age group.  So, basically, I've been called something that isn't my name for most of my life. >.<

Edit:  Also, I had an easy to spell and pronounce last name until I got married, and now I have a last name that is French, so no one can spell it or say it.  People in my own family have trouble spelling it (thank goodness they can say it though!) 

[Vintergatan]

My first name is really common in my home country and it' just the south-slavic version of Joanna, and sounds quite similar to Icelandic Jóhanna, which is VERY common here, so at any given time, there will always be a few of us with essentially the same name, just different versions of it.
However, my surname is very uncommon both in my home country and my adopted country. It's a Jewish surname with Serbian spelling and I think I can safely say I am the only person in the world with this exact name (spelling and all), so I'm quite fine with that

[nollilols]

I have the opposite problem, uncommon (and pretty stupid) first name. It's the Irish for Christmas/December, and also the Irish version of the names Noel or Noelle (in Irish it's gender-independant).

Interesting note for the OP - Jessica is a very uncommon name in Ireland, and I've never actually met a Jessica or Jess in my life - just one girl whose name was probably Jessica but insisted on being called Jessie.

[rybett]

Sister had a male friend whose last name is the same as her first.  That would have been cool if they married.
Daughter as a toddle thought her last name was XXXX-x-x-x-x.  'Cause hubby and I generally say it then spell it.  Mouse figured it was all part of it.

[Bren41882]

My name is Brenda I had 2 other students in my class with my name. One of them still is one of my best friends we get called the 2 Brendas lol I was never crazy about my name never minded it either *shrugs*

[ashes]

My name didn't become popular until I was a teenager (Ashley).  In fact when my parents named me (this was the late 70s), many of their friends told them it was an odd choice.  And lo and behold in the 90s it boomed in popularity.  I never had anyone with my same name in any of my classes until I was in college.  So most of the people I've met with my same name have been a good decade or more younger than me.

Still, I do like my name.

[silverdragon54]

My sweetie's name is John Smith. Try making vacation plans or hotel reservations using that name! It's hilarious!

[Artemesia's Garden]

I never knew anyone with my full name (Margaret) who was my age until recently- and now I know 4 or 5!  Because Margaret is an "older" name, and I go by Meg, people would just assume my name was Megan and call me that, which is much more common in my age group.  So, basically, I've been called something that isn't my name for most of my life. >.<

Edit:  Also, I had an easy to spell and pronounce last name until I got married, and now I have a last name that is French, so no one can spell it or say it.  People in my own family have trouble spelling it (thank goodness they can say it though!) 

Princess Margaret Countess of Snowdon was the most beautiful Princess

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[Tap Dancer]

I was one of several Kellys in the 80s and 90s, but it didn't bother me.