Neil / Niall

Creamy Goodness · 05-08-2007 07:57PM #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 07:59PM

Easy way to stop that.

Call yourself Cremins the same way everyone else does.

astrofool · 05-08-2007 08:01PM

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 08:03PM

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 08:03PM

could be worse,could be named Patrick;)

Creamy Goodness · 05-08-2007 08:04PM

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 08:04PM

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 08:12PM

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 08:13PM

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 08:14PM

I get Perry and Gerry.

AlmightyCushion · 05-08-2007 08:15PM

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 08:17PM

Daphne....*sigh*

05-08-2007 08:21PM

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 08:22PM

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 08:22PM

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 08:26PM

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 08:30PM

Puck wrote:

Other person: John?

It wouldn't surprise me.

lemansky · 05-08-2007 08:33PM

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 08:37PM

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 08:43PM

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 08:45PM

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 08:47PM

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 08:48PM

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 08:54PM

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 08:59PM

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 09:00PM

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 09:00PM

Shut up Niall (pronounced "kneel")

JohnCleary · 05-08-2007 09:05PM

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 09:12PM

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 09:16PM

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 09:20PM

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!

Neil / Niall

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