So you’re saying Emanuel is your slave name…? 😉

I remember an article in the Scotsman years ago by a columnist who brought his English bride back to Edinburgh where she found a job at the Infirmary. She could not understand why all the porters were apparently named James and sought his advice…………..

not as cockish as John Thomas

Pun intended? 😉

I’m not if this is a Welsh thing either but its something I’ve only noticed since living in Wales, but lots of Welsh tend to use their middle name as their forname. e.g Susan Jane Williams would be called Jane.

I’ve also got 8 members of staff, 5 of which are called Paul. I really should rename 4 of them…

My dad uses his middle name.
He only found out it wasn’t his first name when he needed his birth certificate to join the Navy. Apparently, no-one knew except his auntie who’d been the one that registered the birth. she’d added his uncle’s name on the front. 🙂

I’m not if this is a Welsh thing either but its something I’ve only noticed since living in Wales, but lots of Welsh tend to use their middle name as their forname. e.g Susan Jane Williams would be called Jane.

Well it’s my Welsh family that does it.

Well, I did know a girl called Dorothy who went by the name Megan as that name is so hilariously bad. I don’t blame her.

I know someone who calles herself Dorothy, or Dot, when her actual name is Tracy…

I got called Des at school (surname related). This caused confusion when a teacher who wasn’t in on this asked me whether I was called Derek or Desmond (er… Andrew).

I know a bloke who everyone calls Sid, but is really Stephen (mother wouldn’t allow father to register him as Sid, but dad called him it anyway).

I also know of a colleague called Claire who is known to one and all as Bob.

Andy

Well it’s my Welsh family that does it.

I always, like myself, had you down as an immigrant to these shores Mol 😛

I just found out that at least 3 more senior people at work use a completely different first name than their given names.

Quite common where I come from (East Yorkshire); most of my Dad’s family had names other than there own, and I’m known by my middle name and only found out when in my teens.

I always, like myself, had you down as an immigrant to these shores Mol

Immigrant? I live in Cardiff 🙂

I am called Scott even though my real name is John, my Dad missed my first birthday due to Villa playing away and getting lashed, so after that my Mum started calling me Scott, after one of her exe’s.

After 3-4 years, even my Dad gave up calling me John and started calling me Scott 😉

Sad but true..

Scott (ski)

Went through my phone the other day, I’ve got Dogger, Spud, Gimp, Harry the pig and Harry hairy arse, amongst others.
Mates in the forces where Mush, Toss, Smudge, Button(mushroom) to name but a few.

My Mum’s first name is Margaret, but she has always used her middle name, which is much more fun – Merry

I chose my own name; I added Adam in 1992 when I was 26 and moved to Nottingham; clean break.

Just fancied it. Though I am still called by both of my other names: Charlie and the-one-I-don’t-really-like. 😀

My late dad was known to everyone even my mum by an abreviation of our surname. When crankbrat was born we named him after his grandfather using his first name it took my mum 4 hours to realise that his name was the same as her husband’s (he got his maternal grandads as his middle name)

I’m not if this is a Welsh thing either but its something I’ve only noticed since living in Wales, but lots of Welsh tend to use their middle name as their forename. e.g Susan Jane Williams would be called Jane.

Welsh family – both my Dad and I use our middle names. Neither are funny or embarrassing, but it’s a pain when booking flights with work. Not my choice, just always been called my middle name.

Ross is my middle name. I’m not Scottish. Or Welsh.

I spent a bit of time in a South Wales village a while back due to a then-girlfriend. People were commonly known by a memorable feature in place of a surname. Eg, Dave Taxi (drives a minicab), Steve Keys (has a lot of keys). Some were legacies going back decades; a clean-shaven bloke could still be known as Huw Beard because he grew a beard once in 1985.

Most of the people I spoke to had known each other most of their lives and often had no concept of what their neighbours’ actual names were.

When we were young, a girl used to babysit for me and my sister, she was called Tass.
Her real name was Catherine but her younger brother couldn’t say that as a baby, the nearest he could get to it was Tass-in. So the name of Tass just sort of stuck right into her adult life.

I’ve got a mate called Ted for the same reason.. His younger brother couldn’t say Nicholas, just Ted, so it stuck.

I spent a bit of time in a South Wales village a while back due to a then-girlfriend. People were commonly known by a memorable feature in place of a surname. Eg, Dave Taxi (drives a minicab), Steve Keys (has a lot of keys). Some were legacies going back decades; a clean-shaven bloke could still be known as Huw Beard because he grew a beard once in 1985.

Seems eminently sensible and I guesss it is probably how most surnames came about. I’ve known similar in Wales but often a little variation being the use of the surname with the descriptor; Jones (inevitably) the Post for example.

Confusingly I have 2 completely different names.
Work name and Married name, not just the surname but the Christian names too. Got used to it now and will answer to both.

It was only earlier today, at work, that we were discussing the same sort of topic. I knew – for three years – a ‘Scotty’ at uni, and always assumed that either his first or surname was Scott. It was actually Stuart, but his friends in his hometown of Brighton called him Scotty because he was born in Carlisle. Which isn’t even in Scotland… Bloody southerners 😉

in liverpool if your surname is Hughes you get called Yosser, no idea why

I am still called ziggy by a few members of the family, it was a nickname from when I was very small (like 1yr old) and talked gobbledigook, someone said it sounded polish and called me ziggy

Explanation of Yosser Hughes

APF

My old man is called James.

Many know him as Peem. He calls folk up and tells them it’s ‘peem’

I still don’t get it all.

I managed to call the apprentice Harold when he turned up about 15 yrs ago. He is still referred to as Harold by those who know him from back in the day. This stemmed from the turd firm we worked for that couldn’t be bothered introducing new members of staff. We even had a smelly Len for a while 😆
Where I work now everyone is called Dave except the manager who is called Jeff and the cat that’s called Trevor even though she’s female 😯
That’s the motor trade for ya

When I was at school I told a nurdy teacher my name was Ivor Nestegg after a character on TV advertising Post Office savings. It was a bit obvious but he continued to call me this name for several weeks – to our huge amusement & not getting it!

I work in a school now & the odd kid thinks ‘Ben Dover’ is new….. I’ve heard most of them now. Paul McSkinback?

my proper name is funny and foreign sounding, so I get called Matt at work

Had to replace a mate’s BB spanner some years ago.
Imagine the Postmans reaction when faced with delivering a CRC parcel to Gaylord Micronob Jones. (Surname changed to protect the guilty).
I have lots of work colleagues in China, pretty much all have adopted Western first names. Peter Pan always causes a stir when the conference call voice thing announces he has joined. He’s a really nice chap.

Peter Pan always causes a stir when the conference call voice thing announces he has joined.

When my old company first outsourced to India, a lot of the Indians were given nicknames along these lines chosen pretty much at random. Burt Lancaster, Clint Eastwood, Charlie Sheen. The indians loved it, made them feel part of the team.

It is also very common in the Navy to be given a completely diferent forname, and consequently for people who have left the Navy and are so used to their ‘given’ name. If your surname is Armstrong, expect to be called Louie whatever your first name really is.

Isn’t that a bit dated? Surely Neil, or, er… Lance (IGMC) would be more appropriate?

People were commonly known by a memorable feature in place of a surname.

Traditionally there weren’t many surnames, and being a pious lot not that many forenames either.

That’s why you end up with Jones the Bread, Jones the Steam, Jones the Post etc.

It’s actually only in the last few years that several of my friends’ parents have stopped calling me by my childhood nickname, which is taken from my surname. I’m nearly 36.