Identity Anxiety
Like many American school children, I was introduced to school through a program called Head Start. With my rudimentary reading and writing skills, I was slightly-ahead of the pack.

"Tell us, dear, how do you spell your name?" two Head Start teachers asked. I smiled and recited "M-A-R-C!"

Suddenly I was plunged into a Kafkaesque nightmare. "No, dear," they replied, "it's M-A-R-K!" I began to panic. "My mom says it's M-A-R-C!" They replied "She's wrong, dear: it's M-A-R-K!"

The power of bureaucracy has haunted me ever since.
(Perv With A Dog had his eyes pecked out by scrub jays on, Thu 29 Apr 2010, 21:29, 18 replies)

Isn't it Valders?
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Thu 29 Apr 2010, 23:36, closed)

how the fuck
can anyone have the gall to say that a parent has spelled their own child's name wrong?
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 0:54, closed)

reminds me of that Siobhan post a few questions ago.

(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 1:59, closed)

In Marc's case, I've no idea.
In other cases, the made up names (code for deliberate misspellings "to make them more individual", or for just plain illiteracy) like T'aaneeyah (for Tanya), N'Ormann (Norman), Mikelti (Michael T.), or Track, Bristol, Trig etc. that lots of Septics of all hyphenates (Sarah Palin, I'm talking to you) inflict on their offspring make it a forgiveable mistake.

I'm surprised such kids manage to spell their own name the same way twice running, never mind their teachers.
( shinyshinyscalp less a man, more a way of life, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 15:31, closed)

The Name I Like Is "Ashole"
Pronounced "Ashley"
(Perv With A Dog had his eyes pecked out by scrub jays on, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 17:45, closed)

some of the spellings are fucking stupid
but, if that's how it's spelled on your birth certificate, that's how it's spelled, no matter what some jobsworth says
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 20:45, closed)

spelled is spelt spelt

( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Tue 4 May 2010, 16:44, closed)

to add to your mispelled names
why choose Dhaaniyaal, instead of Daniel? Unless this is a name in another culture of which I'm not aware of?
(maggotriddendirtbox fast, feral and sharp as a tack since, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 23:47, closed)

mispelled is spelt misspelt.

( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Tue 4 May 2010, 16:44, closed)

True story
My ex boss was called Debra, everyone called her Deb. However, she once told me that her real name was Debri; her dad filled in the Birth register form when he was pissed, and misspelled her name; so it can happen.
(kitescreech still here, Sun 2 May 2010, 16:59, closed)

There was a wrestler
British Bulldog. His name was Davey Boy Smith, after his parents didn't understand the form they had to fill in.
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Tue 4 May 2010, 11:40, closed)

"Oh, you're Gary's brother aren't you?"
No, I'm bloody not. But you'd be amazed how often I got this from teachers at school. My surname is pretty unusual where I grew up, and the aforementioned Gary had a differently-spelt version of the same name. I suspect that something like 18 or 19 years later there are *still* former teachers who believe I'm Gary's wee brother.
(gordonjcp, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 7:51, closed)

Yup, I get this
There's a family of degenerates in my home town with a similar-sounding surname to mine. I used to often be asked 'Oh, are you related to Mike XXXX then?'

Mike XXXX is a well-known car thief/burglar. I expect people thought I was denying he was my cousin or whatever out of shame!
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 8:46, closed)

I have always had the pleasure of being known by my middle name irl
and have sworn I would NEVER do this to any kids I might have.

At school, there was more than one teacher who, at the beginning of each year, would call out the register, of course it would be my first name and surname on there.

Teacher: Maggot Dirtbox
Me: present. Actually, its Ridden Dirtbox
Teacher: I have Maggot here on my register
Me: Yes thats my first name, but I'm known as Ridden
Teacher: Well it says Maggot here
Me: . . .

I was quite self-conscious at school; particularly hating on this part of the year as this would be repeated in every. single. class.
And I wasn't quite cheeky enough to come out with something like "look, you moron, I might be 'only 12' but I know what my fucking name is, and has been for the last 12 years, regardless of what is written on your 'bit of paper' ".
Now I realise that this could have been the behaviour of a naughty kid winding up the teachers, but in reality, if you saw me, you would know this was not the case straightaway.

And yes, there were some fucking moron teachers that insisted on calling me Maggot for the entire year.

Powertripping arseholes.

Yes I'm still pissed off
(maggotriddendirtbox fast, feral and sharp as a tack since, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 11:17, closed)

Should'a gone to a posh school
All that would have receded, because everyone at school would have just called you Dirtbox.

On a related note, I'm always a bit miffed when adults go by a middle name. My current company seems riddled with it; my boss does it (mind you, his first name is Bernard), one other guy goes by his third given name, while his brother (who also used to work here) hated all his names and went by his surname alone.

Haven't they heard of deed poll?
( shinyshinyscalp less a man, more a way of life, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 15:47, closed)

i can't stand my middle name
but i'd never dream of changing it. it was my grandmother's name, she died just before i was born, which is why i'm the only one in the family with a middle name
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 20:47, closed)

Yeah, its not like I CHOSE that awkwardness
I used to threaten deed poll for years cos I hated my first name with a passion.
Years of people chanting this at me, my first name took on some sort of perjorative status so I either associated it with arseholes, insults or being naughty.

These days I don't mind so much, I've not exactly grown into it, and its not worth changing. I kinda 'grew a pair' after school and have no problem with telling people how the name thing works with no embarrassment. Granted its no longer happening in front of a room full of teenage plebs waiting for ammo.
I think the singling out was the issue, not the name, that was just a catalyst.

Shoulda gone to a posh school, yeah, I'll pull that one out on my parents when I'm berating the things I didn't get as a kid cos they were skint. Tbh, the school thing probably gave me a slightly thicker skin, and elevated camouflage powers
(maggotriddendirtbox fast, feral and sharp as a tack since, Fri 30 Apr 2010, 23:44, closed)

Your first name
could only be Gaylord.
( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Tue 4 May 2010, 16:51, closed)