I was talking to my mother today about some of my great aunts and uncles and it got me thinking about people who go by a completely different name then their given name.
My Aunt [name]Winnie[/name]'s name was not [name]Winifred[/name] like I always thought, but Philamena.
[name]Eleanore[/name] was actually [name]Dorothy[/name]. But with this one, [name]Eleanore[/name] was her middle name. She went by the name of [name]Dorothy[/name] until she was about 6 when a “dirty girl down the street” moved in with the name [name]Dorothy[/name].
[name]Rose[/name] went by [name]Billie[/name].
I know more of the older generation went by other names, but I just thought it was fun to think about and see other’s people “Other names”. Any of the younger generation that you know of that goes by completely different names?
My Aunt [name]Mindy[/name]'s given name is [name]Sheridan[/name] [name]Tracy[/name].
My dad, who has the given name of [name]Stephen[/name] [name]Randall[/name], goes by [name]Herb[/name], [name]Herbie[/name] [name]Lee[/name], and sometimes even [name]Herbert[/name] [name]Leander[/name] [name]Jones[/name] (and no, our last name isn’t [name]Jones[/name]). But some people call him [name]Steve[/name].
My cousin is named [name]Charles[/name] [name]Morris[/name] but called [name]Chad[/name]. His dad, also [name]Charles[/name] [name]Morris[/name], is called [name]Buck[/name] by the family. He hates it so changed to [name]Charlie[/name] when he grew up.
My granny has a lot of siblings that go by different names. Uncle [name]Pete[/name] is really [name]Harold[/name] [name]Frank[/name] (and he married a woman named [name]Jessie[/name] but called [name]Jackie[/name]). Aunt [name]Bay[/name] is really [name]Delano[/name] [name]Rose[/name] (named after FDR and pronounced like [name]Delayna[/name]). Aunt Cudie is [name]Mamie[/name] [name]Lou[/name] (Cudie is said like COO-dee). Aunt Duck is really [name]Matilda[/name] I think.
I once knew a woman named [name]Martha[/name] who was called Barti. And I worked with a girl named [name]Berenice[/name] but called [name]Angel[/name]. I had a student last year named [name]Richard[/name] but called [name]Chad[/name], although that was a nickname given him by his friends, and I’m sure had some bad story behind it. <G>
My great grandma [name]Rudy[/name]'s real name was [name]Alice[/name] [name]Luella[/name]. She went by [name]Alice[/name] as a young girl, til her father ran off with a woman named [name]Alice[/name]. Then she went by [name]Luella[/name] until eventually she was just [name]Rudy[/name].
I knew a woman named [name]Jaqueline[/name] who went her entire life named [name]Kelly[/name]. Apparently, it was her family’s tradition to give all of the children J names (a tradition that she actually passed down to her own children as well), but her mother’s favorite name in the whole world was [name]Kelly[/name].
I also knew a little boy whose full name was [name]Gary[/name] [name]Wayne[/name] H., III, but in his entire three years of life (he was hit by a car about two days after his third birthday), he only ever knew himself as Booboo. I never really knew the story behind that one. Also, my mom’s uncle [name]Felton[/name] went through his life known as [name]Butch[/name].
My grandmother was known to everyone as “[name]Barbara[/name]” or “[name]Barb[/name]” even though her given name was [name]Irene[/name]. Her mother’s name was also, [name]Irene[/name], and her aunt got tired of saying “[name]Little[/name] [name]Irene[/name]” and “Big [name]Irene[/name],” so she decided to start calling her [name]Barbara[/name], which supposedly she said she would have named her daughter, if she’d ever had one.
My aunt goes by her middle name, which is [name]Lucy[/name]. Her real name is [name]Bobi[/name], but she hated it so she goes by [name]Lucy[/name], and she tells everyone that her middle name is [name]Isabella[/name]. I got her to do that since my my name is [name]Isabella[/name]
My maternal grandmother, who was born in [name]Sicily[/name], is named [name]Vincenza[/name]. She goes by her MN ([name]Gina[/name]) because [name]Vincenza[/name] has no English form (it’s the Italian feminine form of [name]Vincent[/name]).
All the people I know who go by names other than their birth names are from the South…
My mom and her mom are the only two people in their family who go by nicknames of their first names–[name]Pat[/name] and [name]Sandy[/name], respectively. My grandfather is [name]Charles[/name] [name]Glenn[/name] but I didn’t even know his first name was [name]Charles[/name] until I was about 15; he is always [name]Glenn[/name], except for with his brothers and sisters, who call him [name]Chuck[/name]. My uncle is [name]Charles[/name] [name]Anthony[/name] but goes by [name]Tony[/name]. My aunt is [name]Judith[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] but goes by [name]Elaine[/name]. Another aunt is [name]Rose[/name] [name]Angela[/name] but goes by [name]Angie[/name]. Another is [name]Mary[/name] [name]Lydia[/name] and goes by [name]MaryLynn[/name]. I have great uncles [name]Buck[/name], Chap, Dodd, and [name]Pal[/name], and great aunts Mixie, [name]Bab[/name], [name]Lacy[/name], and Teeny, none of which are their given names (the only ones I know for sure are [name]Buck[/name] is actually [name]John[/name] and [name]Bab[/name] is actually [name]Martha[/name]).
All the people I went to school with who went by different names were I think using their middle names, but I can think of at least 8 off the top of my head.
A guy in my grade in school’s name is [name]William[/name] but has always gone by [name]Jupiter[/name] because his big brother said his mom’s pregnant belly was “as big as [name]Jupiter[/name].” I think it’s kinda a cool story.
I only personally know one, that I can think of right now, my grandmother. Her name is [name]Betty[/name]-[name]May[/name] but since birth she has only ever been known as [name]Jean[/name]. I know heaps of people who go by their middle names though, so I don’t think that’s so unusual.
My dad’s aunt [name]Sheila[/name] has always gone by [name]Babs[/name]. He has no idea why or how that started, it’s just been the norm for as long as he’s known her.
We have that in my family.
My Uncle, [name]Louis[/name] [name]Jr[/name], goes by “[name]Bud[/name],” and his son, [name]Louis[/name] III, goes by “[name]Chip[/name]”. There was some reason to this. My Uncle got the name [name]Bud[/name] cause he was Grandpa’s ([name]Louis[/name] Sr) buddy. [name]Louis[/name] III got his name cause the family said he was a “chip off the old [name]Bud[/name]”. Outside the family my Uncle goes by his first name and my cousin goes by his middle name. Another Uncle of mine, [name]Chuck[/name], is called [name]Randy[/name] by family, but everyone else knows him by his first name. And then I have countless family members who interchange between their first and middle names. (Uses their middle names with family but uses their first name every where else.)
My husband has a friend named [name]Randal[/name] [name]Lynn[/name], but goes by [name]Beau[/name]. He got [name]Beau[/name] cause his little sister could not say “Bro” as a toddler so she called him “[name]Beau[/name].” and it stuck.
I have a friend named [name]Andrew[/name] but goes by [name]Justin[/name]. The reason behind this one his weird… his mom started calling him [name]Justin[/name] when he was 7 cause of a dream she had where her dead brother told her to do it. shrugs.
My dad’s first name is [name]George[/name] but he’s always been [name]Peter[/name], which is his middle name, and my auntie (his sister) is called [name]Rosemary[/name] [name]Jill[/name] but goes by [name]Jill[/name] cos it used to annoy my granny when people pronounced [name]Rosemary[/name] wrong.
There’s also a guy in my music class at college whos real name is [name]Rob[/name], but he’s always been called [name]Freddy[/name] ever since primary school. The funny thing is, no-one knows why, he’s just always been [name]Freddy[/name]. [name]Even[/name] the teachers call him it.
When i was younger, I didn’t like my name, so i told all my friends to call me [name]Lizzie[/name] because my middle name is [name]Elizabeth[/name], and i liked [name]Lizzie[/name] more than [name]Alice[/name]. I was called [name]Lizzie[/name] by everyone for about 5 years until i was 11
I know a woman who goes by her MN, [name]Lauren[/name], rather than her FN, [name]Yvette[/name]. When she was born, her parents named her, but when her paternal Grandmother heard, her response was “[name]Yvette[/name] is a whores name.” and her son, the Father, said “Yeah, you’re right, it sort of is.” !
[name]Lauren[/name]'s thoughts on this: Her Dad is a mama’s boy, and her Grandpa must have had an ex-girlfriend named [name]Yvette[/name]!
While I don’t think going by your middle name counts, this may… I had two friends in high school that were thirds. [name]Laurence[/name] [name]Richard[/name] III was called [name]Trey[/name] and [name]Arthur[/name] [name]Lewis[/name] III was called Tres (pronounced trace). His dad was taking Spanish at the time he was born, and thought it would be cool. I also had two juniors with different nicks. [name]Joseph[/name] [name]Stuart[/name] was called [name]Skip[/name]. And another boy, I can’t remember his real name, but was actually called J.R. for [name]Junior[/name]
My Uncle’s full name is [name]Carl[/name] [name]Anthony[/name] but he’s been [name]Skip[/name] for his entire life. Everyone calls him [name]Skip[/name]. I’m not sure if it has anything to do with his grandfather being [name]Carlo[/name] (namesake) or also having a first cousin named [name]Carlo[/name]. [name]Skip[/name] is older than the younger [name]Carlo[/name], though.
My Dad, [name]Skip[/name]'s brother, goes by [name]Jack[/name] when he’s with his friends. He’s a mechanic and most, if not all, of his friends are from the various garages he’s worked at. There are apparently so many [name]John[/name] mechanics that each of them get a nickname, so [name]Jack[/name] he became.
My best friend has always gone by her middle name, [name]Lacey[/name], rather than her first name, [name]Elizabeth[/name]. [name]Lacey[/name] is a family surname and perhaps her parents just figured it wasn’t ‘legit’ enough to use as a formal first name?
My good friends’ family has all J’s: [name]Joseph[/name] [name]James[/name], [name]Jean[/name], [name]Jessica[/name], [name]Joseph[/name] [name]James[/name] jr… and [name]Charles[/name] [name]John[/name]. Why they didn’t name him [name]John[/name], I’m not sure. [name]Even[/name] out close family, there’s an abundance of J names. Anyway, when we were all in our Freshman year of highschool and [name]Charlie[/name] was just starting middle school, we randomly decided to call him [name]Jimmy[/name]. He never protested, never asked a question. We’ve never called him [name]Charlie[/name] and we call him [name]Jimmy[/name] to his family friends, even now 7 years later. He has always just gone along with it. It just recently dawned on him why we gave him a J name, though.
I know a baby girl named [name]Presley[/name] but she goes by CeeCee.
My Aunt goes by both [name]Lala[/name] and Yaya and her name is [name]Laura[/name]. My cousin (her stepson) couldn’t say [name]Laura[/name] and at first it was Yaya. It’s evolved into [name]Lala[/name] over the years but that’s what everyone calls her when he’s around.
My Aunt [name]Peg[/name]'s first name was [name]Elaine[/name]. When I was a kid, I wondered if [name]Peg[/name] was a nn for [name]Elaine[/name], but it came from her mn, [name]Margaret[/name].
In my parents’ generation it seemed everyone went by their mns. I thinkit was because they tended to have fns like “[name]Mary[/name],” and the creativity and individuality came out in the mn. I have an aunt [name]Marilyn[/name] who picked up the odd nn [name]Toni[/name] in her sorority. It stuck, and she legally changed her name. (Those poor Marilyns!)
I have thought of using an old family nn for me that is in no way related to my name – [name]Jane[/name]. I used to go by this so much people were confused what my real name was. I’m thinking of picking it up again because I think it works better for me.
My grandmothers name is Aaronette, she is ninety sixh and has gone by Anique, [name]Annette[/name] and aong time ago [name]Nancy[/name]. She goes by Anique now, which was her moms name.
I know a boy whose name is [name]Irving[/name] and goes by [name]Larry[/name] and another named [name]Eugene[/name] who goes by [name]Trey[/name]. They are both in their twenties. Another girl I know is named [name]Cassandra[/name] and goes by [name]Cara[/name].
My grandmother always went by [name]Jean[/name], even though her name was actually [name]Ada[/name] [name]Eugene[/name]. I also have a friend who changed her name from [name]Kelly[/name] to [name]Rhiannon[/name]. It fits her well, so I’m totally behind it. Oh, and I know a woman whose name is [name]Adele[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] and she uses her middle name. I think both are pretty!
Oh and I totally forgot my best friend’s entire family! I forgot because it seems so normal. [name]Glenn[/name]'s real name is [name]Albert[/name], [name]Randi[/name]'s real name is [name]Elizabeth[/name] and [name]Anne[/name]'s real name is [name]Elizabeth[/name]. My best friend, [name]Rebecca[/name] [name]Jane[/name], is the only one who goes by her real first name.
