Neil / Niall

Creamy Goodness · 05-08-2007 6:57pm #1

Ok as some of you might know my name is Neil.

I was out there at a party over the weekend and was introducing myself to people I didn't know - as you do - started off with "Hi, I'm Neil" etc.

During the night i then bump into the person again and they say "Ohh hi Niall".
now it could have been down to the drinking but it got me thinking that I've gotten this all the time right through primary and secondary school and from lecturers in college.

Like how ****ing hard is it to differentiate the two names?

Any other Neil's agree?

Does it happen to Niall's in the reverse order as in your name is Niall and you get called Neil?

hmmm...

Stench Blossoms · 05-08-2007 6:59pm

Easy way to stop that.

Call yourself Cremins the same way everyone else does.

astrofool · 05-08-2007 7:01pm

Happens to me as well, I think people presume you're mispronouncing your own name and choose to correct you later.

TerrorFirmer · 05-08-2007 7:03pm

Only knew one Neil ever, at work, and yes everyone called him Niall. An interesting question though you're raised. why does this happen?

padi89 · 05-08-2007 7:03pm

could be worse,could be named Patrick;)

Creamy Goodness · 05-08-2007 7:04pm

orla wrote:

Easy way to stop that.

Call yourself Cremins the same way everyone else does.

We only do that when two Neil's are around :P, i prefer to be called Neil more than my second name I ain't no Bauer

astrofool wrote:

Happens to me as well, I think people presume you're mispronouncing your own name and choose to correct you later.

Thank you, at least i know now it wasn't just happening to me.

05-08-2007 7:04pm

Happens to me as well. My name is spelled Niall but pronounced Neil. Everyone gets it wrong. I blame my parents.

AlmightyCushion · 05-08-2007 7:12pm

My name's Conn and pretty much everytime I introduce myself to people it's goes the same way.

Me: Hi, I'm Conn.
Other person: Hey John, I'm xxxxx.
Me: No it's Conn.
Other person: Oh sorry about that Tom.
Me: No it's Conn.
Other person: John?
Me: No it's Conn. *Wonders to self how stupid his person could be as I just told them 2.3 seconds ago that my name wasn't John*
Other person: Oh Paul.
Me: No it's Conn. *Wonders to self how stupid his person could be as Conn and Paul sound nothing alike*
Other person: John?

Then I just proceed to rip out the other persons throat for being a useless waste of organs.

Lately I've taken to just telling them that it's the first part of condom. It usually gets a laugh out of them.

hunnymonster · 05-08-2007 7:13pm

I've heard it the other way around with Nialls getting called Neils.

My surname is slightly unusual and everyone pronounces it wrong. I actually had someone correct me saying my own name once "That's not how you pronounced it". I wanted to reply "well that's how I've pronounced it for 30 years with no problems so far".

Terry · 05-08-2007 7:14pm

I get Perry and Gerry.

AlmightyCushion · 05-08-2007 7:15pm

Deleted User wrote:

Happens to me as well. My name is spelled Niall but pronounced Neil. Everyone gets it wrong. I blame my parents.

I used to go to school with someone who's name was spelled Niall but pronounced Neil. Never understood how there name was pronounced Neil.

Chinafoot · 05-08-2007 7:17pm

Daphne....*sigh*

05-08-2007 7:21pm

AlmightyCushion wrote:

I used to go to school with someone who's name was spelled Niall but pronounced Neil. Never understood how there name was pronounced Neil.

I have often questioned my parents wisdom in this matter. They insist its an Irish pronounciation but I doubt it. These days I introduce myself as Niall, only my family pronounce it Neil. Even my friends of 20 years still can't say it right. Very annoying.

J.S. Pill · 05-08-2007 7:22pm

orla wrote:

Easy way to stop that.

Call yourself Cremins the same way everyone else does.

On occasion there can be up to 3 Nialls present when we're going out. Absolute pain in the arse.

Another one of my mates is called Neil but we've been calling him by his second name for the last 15 years. Sometimes I have to pause and think what his first name actually is. Like when I'm calling him at his parent's house: "Hi is *******...I mean, um, ah, Neil there?"

Puck · 05-08-2007 7:22pm

AlmightyCushion wrote:

Lately I've taken to just telling them that it's the first part of condom.

Other person: John?

StupidLikeAFox · 05-08-2007 7:26pm

Cremo wrote:

Ok as some of you might know my name is Neil.

I was out there at a party over the weekend and was introducing myself to people I didn't know - as you do - started off with "Hi, I'm Neil" etc.

During the night i then bump into the person again and they say "Ohh hi Niall".
now it could have been down to the drinking but it got me thinking that I've gotten this all the time right through primary and secondary school and from lecturers in college.

Like how ****ing hard is it to differentiate the two names?

Any other Neil's agree?

Does it happen to Niall's in the reverse order as in your name is Niall and you get called Neil?

hmmm...

Thanks for sharing Niall

AlmightyCushion · 05-08-2007 7:30pm

Puck wrote:

Other person: John?

It wouldn't surprise me.

lemansky · 05-08-2007 7:33pm

No matter how clearly I pronounce Darragh it always becomes Darren or Darryl, much like the way AC described above. Very annoying.

One of my friends is Niall and I always go to great pains to ensure that everybody calls him that. I have my work cut out though because the sin is committed all the time. Its an uphill struggle tbh.

Love2love · 05-08-2007 7:37pm

When my son was born everyone thought that his name was NOEL. He was born in October and everyone would say "Oh, Noel, for Christmas" His name is Noah and its only ****ing October!

gustavo · 05-08-2007 7:43pm

My name's Aengus and at least 50 percent of people call me Angus , its ignorance on their part but im so used to it i dont even notice anymore

Zapp Brannigan · 05-08-2007 7:45pm

Dan. No hassle, it's great. My second name is a bitch though, no-one can spell it or pronounce it!

AlmightyCushion · 05-08-2007 7:47pm

lemansky wrote:

No matter how clearly I pronounce Darragh it always becomes Darren or Darryl, much like the way AC described above. Very annoying.

I can understand Conn as it's not a name that many people have heard but Darragh? How could you not have heard of the name Darragh?

AlmightyCushion · 05-08-2007 7:48pm

Love2love wrote:

When my son was born everyone thought that his name was NOEL. He was born in October and everyone would say "Oh, Noel, for Christmas" His name is Noah and its only ****ing October!

Reminds me of that meteor ad. It's November! :mad: Man that ad pissed me off. I was never so happy to see December 1st before in my life.

lemansky · 05-08-2007 7:54pm

AlmightyCushion wrote:

I can understand Conn as it's not a name that many people have heard but Darragh? How could you not have heard of the name Darragh?

Precisely and thats what gets me the most! The only mistakes I allow with my name are spelling ones seeing as there are many versions, but when you're introducing yourself to somebody and spelling doesn't come into the equation, there is only one mistake to make....mis-pronunciation, and that everybody, is as wrong as it gets! There is no excuse for it, its just like you say AC.

Ruu_Old · 05-08-2007 7:59pm

Rory, bastards! (queue 'whats the story, Rory?') :mad: Ru *pause* awry as the Americans say it at first. I suppose I can't blame them.

uglyjohn · 05-08-2007 8:00pm

Deleted User wrote:

Happens to me as well. My name is spelled Niall but pronounced Neil. Everyone gets it wrong. I blame my parents.

my name is niall, loads of people say neil........i blame people like you! pick one or the other!

i think colin and colm would be the other big one that people mix up.

Dave! · 05-08-2007 8:00pm

Shut up Niall (pronounced "kneel")

JohnCleary · 05-08-2007 8:05pm

I'm Niall and the amount of people that call me Neil really pisses me off.. how frickin hard is it like

Hagar · 05-08-2007 8:12pm

If you don't mind me saying so, bollox to that.*
Stuff it down their throats, My son's name is Cillian not Killian or any variation thereof. If you're too ignorant to accept that well **** you, I also can be too ignorant to accept your name. I'll make something up that's close but not right and I will continually insult you by using it. Well fnck you and the horse you rode in on. No offence, you bastard.

* That didn't sound in anyway un-subservient did it? I'd hate to upset the massa.

Reku · 05-08-2007 8:16pm

Well for all the Nialls who are complaining I'm afraid that technically those calling you Neil are in the right.
Niall is an Irish name that should be pronounced neel (or Neil as the Brits decided to spell it).
Neil is the phonetic (incorrectly spelled) version that the English use (now you see where the Yanks got the stupid habit of spelling everything phonetically).

lemansky · 05-08-2007 8:20pm

I forgot to mention earlier..........my middle name is Niall and the odd time when it gets used its pronounced Niall. It was only when I took another look at this thread that I remembered it was my middle name which shows how often its used!

ironictoaster · 05-08-2007 8:21pm

My name is Craig and gets wrong by saying Greg very annoying.

rannerap · 05-08-2007 8:24pm

i always get called suzanne even though saranne sounds nothing like it!

05-08-2007 8:27pm

AlmightyCushion wrote:

My name's Conn and pretty much everytime I introduce myself to people it's goes the same way.

Me: Hi, I'm Conn.
Other person: Hey John, I'm xxxxx.
Me: No it's Conn.
Other person: Oh sorry about that Tom.
Me: No it's Conn.
Other person: John?
Me: No it's Conn. *Wonders to self how stupid his person could be as I just told them 2.3 seconds ago that my name wasn't John*
Other person: Oh Paul.
Me: No it's Conn. *Wonders to self how stupid his person could be as Conn and Paul sound nothing alike*
Other person: John?

Then I just proceed to rip out the other persons throat for being a useless waste of organs.

Lately I've taken to just telling them that it's the first part of condom. It usually gets a laugh out of them.

I've heard this situation from my mate (called Conn) several times, with the inclusion that people always ask what it's short for!

On topic: Dónal - Donald. Sometimes even after I'm in contact with people by e-mail, I'm still called Donald. Bah.

Fringe · 05-08-2007 8:39pm

Most people call me Cheung so that's what I introduce myself as. Everyones often confused and I've been called John, Ron and even Craig once.

AlmightyCushion · 05-08-2007 8:41pm

Myth wrote:

I've heard this situation from my mate (called Conn) several times, with the inclusion that people always ask what it's short for!

Forgot to mention that. That I don't mind as much but every so often I have a conversation that goes like this.

Other person: What's it short for?
Me: Nothing.
Other person: Are you sure?
Me: Eh yeah. *Wonders to self I'm twenty years old I think I would know my name by now*
Other person: Is it not short for corneilus?
Me: No that would be corn *Wonders to self how stupid his person could be as I've already told them twice that my name isn't short for anything*
Other person: Are you sure?
Me: Eh yeah *Wonders to self how stupid his person could be as I've already told them three times that my name isn't short for anything*

Myth wrote:

On topic: Dónal - Donald. Sometimes even after I'm in contact with people by e-mail, I'm still called Donald. Bah.

Does your email address represent you're name e.g. Dónal@blah.blah?

05-08-2007 8:47pm

AlmightyCushion wrote:

Other person: Is it not short for corneilus?

I used to get that a lot, every time I'd introduc myself with the right pronounciation of my name. Nothing else used to piss me off as much.

Sonnenblumen · 05-08-2007 8:49pm

Well if Niall was Nile, at least we could nail down Neil and everyone would be happier!

But what about the Nilers or is it de Nilers?:D

aidan_dunne · 05-08-2007 8:59pm

I often get people calling me "Adrian" and it pisses me off as well. It's Aidan, not Adrian you fúckwits! :mad:

Another one that gets me is how a lot of people go about spelling my name. People are forever spelling it Aiden. It's not, it's Aidan! I've even had people spell it some really weird ways over the years such as Aidean, Aedain, Aden, Aedan, for example.

Jaysus, I mean, come on, how difficult is it to say or spell Aidan, eh? :rolleyes:

Zapp Brannigan · 05-08-2007 8:59pm

I'll tell ya what gets me alot: Colm and Colin.

GhostInTheRuins · 05-08-2007 9:15pm

A few weeks back I was introduced to a guy and he told me his name, fair enough, I thought I'd remember it untill I went over to talk to the guy later. I stopped halfway and thought "Bollix, is his name Niall or Neil?" I asked a few people and all I got was "Yeah, it's one of those alright". I just decided not to use his name when I met the guy a few times after. (I later found out it was Niall). It's not that I mix the two up or anything, just that he said it pretty fast and didn't catch it properly, which I'd say is what happens to most people that mix them up.

Ps, Hi Cremins, long time no see

AlmightyCushion · 05-08-2007 9:17pm

Zapp Brannigan wrote:

I'll tell ya what gets me alot: Colm and Colin.

I also get those two as well. :mad:

rain on · 05-08-2007 9:18pm

farohar wrote:

Well for all the Nialls who are complaining I'm afraid that technically those calling you Neil are in the right.
Niall is an Irish name that should be pronounced neel (or Neil as the Brits decided to spell it).
Neil is the phonetic (incorrectly spelled) version that the English use (now you see where the Yanks got the stupid habit of spelling everything phonetically).

I used to live with a guy whose parents were Irish purist types, his name was spelt Niall and pronounced Neil and it's completely f'd up my ability to pronounce Niall as Nile. I often see names in my head as I'm saying them, so now when I see Niall the first thing I think is the Irish pronunciation.

My name is frankly ridiculous and nobody ever gets it right first go, people are always throwing in unnecessary fadas and the like. My parents even had the bright idea of sticking some extra consonants in the middle for the laugh, but that got dropped fairly soon after I was born because people made a total hames of it.

Fiachra and Fachtna are ones I always have trouble with too.

05-08-2007 9:24pm

AlmightyCushion wrote:

Does your email address represent you're name e.g. Dónal@blah.blah?

Yes... just without the fada.

Big Ears · 05-08-2007 9:44pm

aidan_dunne wrote:

Another one that gets me is how a lot of people go about spelling my name. People are forever spelling it Aiden. It's not, it's Aidan! I've even had people spell it some really weird ways over the years such as Aidean, Aedain, Aden, Aedan, for example.

Jaysus, I mean, come on, how difficult is it to say or spell Aidan, eh? :rolleyes:

If I was going to spell you're name without being told the spelling I would put Aidan but Aiden , Aedan , Ayden , Aden and all sorts of other ways are how other people spell it .

The only thing my name gets confused with is Jim(my names Tim) .

robinph · 05-08-2007 9:59pm

You guys are really complaining about nothing. I have occasionally had post sent to me where they not only get my name wrong but change my gender too from Robin to Roisin. Although i do actually find it more annoying when people decide that my name is Robbie.