People Are Sharing The Problems They’ve Encountered With Their Own Names

Starbucks isn’t the only place that gets your name wrong. People mishear, misuse, and mistreat names everywhere. Usually, it’s a normal misunderstanding. Occasionally, though, screwing up someone’s name is a product of a weird system that hates people being different.

I, for one, plan to give my children super bland names. No one in my family is going to be called “Apple” or “ABCDE” until they are old enough to legally change it themselves. That’s up to them. I want them to have every opportunity in the world to feel normal and safe, and I read in the book Freakonomics that giving your kid a weird name screws up their whole life.

Still, folks will find a way to screw up even the banalest names.

A guy named Marcus tweeted this his own issues with his name:

Problems with your own first name, weird names, easy to pronounce names, getting name wrong, forgetting name, strange real names, stories of problems with own name, twitter, tweets, funny stories

The world responded. I myself spent every day of my youth hearing adults do a Mr. Ed impression when they said my last name Wilbur. For the longest time, I thought adults just liked talking like horses. I had no idea. Thankfully, Nick at Night set me straight.

Here are the most awkward and funny examples of people struggling in the world with their own legal names:


1. Almost got it.

Problems with your own first name, weird names, easy to pronounce names, getting name wrong, forgetting name, strange real names, stories of problems with own name, twitter, tweets, funny stories

2. When your name is everyone else’s name.

Problems with your own first name, weird names, easy to pronounce names, getting name wrong, forgetting name, strange real names, stories of problems with own name, twitter, tweets, funny stories

3. Almost!

Problems with your own first name, weird names, easy to pronounce names, getting name wrong, forgetting name, strange real names, stories of problems with own name, twitter, tweets, funny stories

4. Should have started there, Martin!

Problems with your own first name, weird names, easy to pronounce names, getting name wrong, forgetting name, strange real names, stories of problems with own name, twitter, tweets, funny stories

5. There’s only one answer.

Problems with your own first name, weird names, easy to pronounce names, getting name wrong, forgetting name, strange real names, stories of problems with own name, twitter, tweets, funny stories

6. Racism is everywhere but especially here.

Problems with your own first name, weird names, easy to pronounce names, getting name wrong, forgetting name, strange real names, stories of problems with own name, twitter, tweets, funny stories

7. An all-encompassing name.

Problems with your own first name, weird names, easy to pronounce names, getting name wrong, forgetting name, strange real names, stories of problems with own name, twitter, tweets, funny stories

8. Move over, old man.

9. Ah, yes. Sounds.

10. Like the letter.

11. When you know your legal name.

12. Guess again.

13. Try harder, other people.

14. Sure, let’s go with that.

15. Why not?