How do you react when people call you by the wrong name?

Electric Gypsy

The last two times it's happened to me it took me a second to actually realise it, because (in both cases) it was said with a certain amount of confidence. The first thought I had was "oh what does it matter, I never have anything to do with that person". But then I thought I should have corrected them because I'd want to be corrected if it were me. I feel that by the time I realise it that I feel it's too late to correct them and that I'd be making too big a deal out of it, and then the very next thought is "it actually wasn't too late when you had that thought but it kinda is now"!

Last year I had a neighbour call me by my father's name. I'd expect someone from the generation above me to make this mistake, but not this person considering we'd remember each other from primary school. Granted we don't talk anymore but it's a little strange that another name popped into her head. I don't think this would happen to me, and even if it did, I'd realise the mistake a few seconds later and say "oh sorry, meant to say blah blah". This person always always seemed a little stuck-up to me so just wondering if it may have been deliberate. I was out for a jog at the time and was passing her family home. She was sort of looking at the ground as she was going to her car while pretending she couldn't see me. Normally I'd play along and pretend I couldn't see her too, but I was too near really so I decided to say hi, saying her name in doing so. She replied saying "hi 'name', how's things?". I answered "good" as I continued jogging. I could've stopped and said "well I was doing fine until I was called by another name" and then called her by her mother's name". If I were walking I don't think she'd have caught me on the hop as easily. Just a thought but it was as if she thought that any sign of politeness might cause me to stop for a chat, so therefore did this deliberately to keep me away.

If you're unsure of someone's name isn't the best thing to do to not call them by a name, rather than taking a wild guess? Do some people do this deliberately. I'd a fella today, who I hadn't seen in about 5 years call me Gary, after a very quick chat exiting supervalu. There is no one in my family called Gary. Sure, most of the time it happens it's probably a mistake but it makes me wonder do some people do this deliberately... as in as if to say "okay we've just acted as if we're friends but now I'm going to call you by the wrong name as I walk away just to remind you that we're not".

Jim_Hodge

I've often called someone the wrong name and have been called the wrong name. It's no big deal. If the same person did it a few times I'd jokingly say something like "I'm Jim, Tom's my younger good-looking brother"

AyeGer

I think you are reading too much into this Electric Tinker. People often make this mistake, if they call you the same wrong name again correct them.

suvigirl

Jaysus my mother calls me the wrong name all the time! And she only has one 🤣

BENDYBINN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120659447#Comment_120659447

When the wife calls you the wrong name then you worry......

endacl

Starbucks think my name is bob. Saves time.

Perhaps, if Starbucks thought we were all called bob, they’d abandon that ‘scribbling on the cup’ shyte…

ednwireland

I have a foreign surname I make a game of it. Great ice breaker

Andrea B.

Not a feck do I give.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120659460#Comment_120659460

Good idea for a flash mob....

Nobody is doing it deliberately, at least I’ve never encountered that. I have relatively uncommon first and second names, and together they are a unique but not unusual sounding combination. I can always use the combo without adding numbers on email & apps. My first name is French, ending in ‘e’ but people invariably turn it into the much more common Italian version and thus add a syllable by turning the ‘e’ to an ‘a’. Likewise my surname is two syllable but has a commoner version with 3 syllables. People always call me by the latter, so I end up being called at medical appointments with a clumsy 6 syllable name. I’m so used to responding to it that I don’t bat an eyelid.

taxAHcruel

It is an error many people make in their lives - and have experienced being made towards them. In fact for many of us our first experience of it is in primary school when the occasional student will call the teacher "Mam" or "dad".

It may be worth considering the possibility of narcissism or paranoia - if one is finding people making such innocuous and common errors and turning it instantly into a narrative of them doing it "deliberately" towards us for some end. I am not sure that is healthy at all, OP.

BraveDonut

I joined a golf club about 15 years ago and in the early days I played with a lot of people I met on the first tee. Once I played with a lad who introduced himself as "Colin". So, I was "good shot Colin", "well played Colin".

After the round, 4 hours later, he told me his name was Alan.

I pissed myself and, when he saw my reaction, so did he.

These things happen - if it happens to me, I just correct them as many times as needed - not a problem

Boscoirl

My old barber, who is a neighbour of my parents, calls me by my fathers name, been going to him for nearly 30years, but only started doing it for the last 10 years or so i never corrected him the first few times so felt i couldnt after that. I dont live near there anymore and dont go to him now to get my hair cut, so would only see him if visiting the parents, probably no point in correcting him at all now

freshpopcorn

My name is William.

I like been called Will and William is grand.

Does my head in when people call me Willie tough. It was fine when my grandmother did it but with some people do it to annoy me.

knucklehead6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120659447#Comment_120659447

In our house there were 4 of us. Whichever ones name was called last was the one in trouble!!

miamee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120666513#Comment_120666513

Same here, you'd get called every name but the right one! Older relatives have often called me by my mother's name. No big deal at all, especially if they are people you don't see very often. My dad used to think I was my mother on the phone which I used to be slightly put out by as a child but now I know we all sound alike on the phone (mother, my sisters and I).

Tavrin Callas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120666013#Comment_120666013

I'm totally with you on that one. It's one thing someone getting your name wrong, as that's probably just a genuine mistake, but someone taking it upon themselves to shorten your name or give it a diminutive without asking if you go by that name, would really drive me up the wall.

Sgt Hartman

Some of the nurses in my department keep calling me Paul for some reason. I must look like a Paul 😅 I've a first cousin who keeps calling me by my brother's name. I'm not too bothered though, I just find it amusing.

Grayson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120666013#Comment_120666013

I used to work with two guys called Richard and William. I called them Dick and Willie as a joke one. Just once. The look on their faces made sure it never happened again.

Greyfox

I think people getting annoyed at been called the wrong name is petty, theirs far more important things in this world to be concerned about. Theirs a cafe near me and the staff call me something similar to by real name but not my correct name, I've started to like that name now so I'll never correct them

Badly Drunk Boy

I used to be called the wrong name by two people, and they'd call me two different 'auld lad' names, Bill and Stan. 🤨 One colleague used to call me Bill, probably because there is another tall person who works near my area who was Bill, so probably that caused the confusion. I never bothered to correct him (for over 10 years!) because our paths rarely crossed (only in the canteen) so I left it.

The 'Stan' person was somebody I'd only encounter in a local nightclub 25 years ago so repeated drunken greetings don't really count.

I usually go by the short version of my name, but sometimes people I don't know mishear it as a different, two-syllable name instead of my single syllable name. In that case I'd usually just tell them (sometimes using my full name), and problem solved!

Strumms

if you call me another name, ok I’ll correct you… do it again I’m presuming you don’t care what my name is. Therefore I won’t care what yours is…. and I’ll invent a new name for you…

‘

EmmetSpiceland

I can call you Betty. And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al.

miamee

Wondering if OP's name is Rodney...or Dave 🤣

cj maxx

i met a local man at a football match and called him by his brothers name . He then called by my brothers name. I corrected him , he answered i’m not X I’m Y . I had to laugh

Grayson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120659447#Comment_120659447

Now I think about it, the dog has a similar name to mine and when I'm in my mums house, she sometimes calls me by the dogs name.

wench

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120669792#Comment_120669792

Indiana?

Badly Drunk Boy

I forgot to say that yesterday morning, coming in the front door in work, I realised that there was somebody behind me. As I went through, holding the door open, I said "Howya, Sandra!" to the person behind me. Then I realised I got her name wrong so corrected myself.

I've known her for years so I don't know if it was the curse of this thread or the fact that she's one of the better-looking women here that got me a bit flustered, appearing out of nowhere like that! 😁

I never get names wrong, so that was trivially annoying. (Wrong thread!) 😜

cj maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120668927#Comment_120668927

I remember having a summer job in a factory where a guy would tell us what orders to make up. One of the full timers told the summer workers his name was Paul , which it wasn’t. Anyway the yearly returning summer workers keep it going so he just laughed at it . An ongoing line joke.

Electric Gypsy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120669817#Comment_120669817

So how did this lady respond? And is Sandra the name of another fine looking lady that you've known?

Badly Drunk Boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120670106#Comment_120670106

I didn't quite hear what she said but she seemed good-humoured about it. The fact that I corrected myself immediately probably helped.

And there's no Sandra. I don't know where 'she' came from.

banie01

I am very poor at recalling names. It takes a while for them to bed in with me. What's most odd about that for me? Is that I spent yrs in the bar game abroad. Very high turnover of customers. A new batch every 2 weeks. In that environment, I could recall the round, and who was drinking what but not the names. For repeat guests, customers back yearly, the same thing. I'd remember their drinks, conversations about what they'd done and lots of info.

But?

I'd always struggle to remember the names.

I got into the habit of notetaking to try and keep on top it. Still do it to this day and most of my meeting notes will be annotated with description & name if it's not someone I know well. I do it out of habit and the worry that if I mangle an ID, that they'd take it as a sleight.

What I find maddening, is that if I listen to or read a document, an opinion, technical history or anything like that. I have very good recall,not eidetic recall by any stretch but I am quite good at retaining and recalling reams of professional, technical and otherwise useless info,but, I struggle with names 😐

Grayson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120669813#Comment_120669813

The dog was called Anu. See if you can guess my name :)

NewbridgeIR

Life's too short to worry about this stuff and whether or not you should tell people they got your name wrong.

I have a simple way of dealing with it. I correct the person immediately - interrupting them if necessary.

Apiarist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120672027#Comment_120672027

Same here. It's better to correct the mistake immediately, saving them from more embarrassment later.