True story from a few days ago in my wife's classroom.
The SRO (school resource officer = sheriff's deputy) was in her room?ÿ He was attempting to get to know the students on a one-to one basis by approaching them individually and asking them a few simple questions to start a dialogue.?ÿ He came to the Seventh Grade boy directly in front of her desk and said tell me your first name.?ÿ The boy said, "Landon".?ÿ Then he asked, "And, what is your middle name?"?ÿ My wife knew the boy had received his grandfather's name, James, for a middle name.?ÿ She said, "They gave him his grandfather's name for a middle name."?ÿ The boy whipped around to look at her and said quite emphatically, "You're wrong!?ÿ My middle name isn't Pawpaw!"
He looked very serious, so she asked him, "When you are with Pawpaw and you are around other adults, what do they call him?"?ÿ He meekly said, "Jim".?ÿ But, my name is James."?ÿ He then learned that Jim was generally the same person as James, like Rick, Dick or Rich is Richard.
My youngest is Tommy most of the time but when being scolded for various reasons gets to hear his given name of Thomas.?ÿ He flips out...stop calling me "Thomas", that's not my name.?ÿ Explain to him that it is his name and its more of his name than his nick name of Tommy.?ÿ I need to video it and save it for him later on...
Neighbor kid was I was a lad was Joe.?ÿ He was not Joseph.?ÿ His legal first and middle names were Joe Richard.?ÿ More than once when I was doing work for his father I had occasion to learn that fact.?ÿ One day I overheard a ruckus in their old farm house and suddenly Joe comes running out the back screen door yelling and two seconds later his mom appears running after him screaming his full name and "COME BACK HERE".?ÿ He had no interest in being anywhere near her.?ÿ She was a bit faster and finally caught him.?ÿ His posterior gained warmth in a hurry.?ÿ I made sure his mom didn't see my smirk.
Speaking of the name Tommy.?ÿ I've known a fellow for a bit over 42 years whose first name is Tommey.?ÿ His mother's maiden name was Tommey.?ÿ I'm certain he has received many mailed and emailed messages addressed to Tom or Tommy or Thomas.?ÿ We have not worked together in 35 years but he still knows me when our paths cross.?ÿ He was one of the top six employees out of 1400.?ÿ I must have made quite an impression to stand out among the many thousands he worked with over a span of 30 years.
Adults may prefer a degree of anonymity. Kids seem to take their unique identity rather seriously.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9HMxM0yVrvU
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And for the record, my middle name is also my grandfathers. James, like the boy in the OP.
my middle name is also my grandfathers
So is mine; Douglas James (on my Mothers side) My first name is my dads middle name.
When I was in grade school, probably 2nd or 3rd grade, the teacher asked if anyone had a twin. I emphatically raised my hand. The teacher called on me, probably thinking the other one didn't make it; I said YEP! Me and my Dad! I think it made her feel a little better, but explained; just because you take after your Dad, doesn't make you twins...
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I knew a man who was named William Lee.?ÿ We called him Bill but his family members called him Billy Lee.?ÿ He had a son and named him Billy Lee.?ÿ As the son grew into his own he became tired of people thinking his name was actually William he actually asked people he met to call him William Lee.
So now there is an older William Lee that goes by Billy Lee...and his son Billy Lee that goes by William Lee.?ÿ Go figure.
My middle name is my grandfather's name on my mother's side.
My older brother's middle name is our father's middle name, Leon.
My father's first name is my grandfather's middle name, father's side, Melvin.
My oldest son has the same initials as his mother. My youngest son has the same initials as I. (it's what parents were doing in the 90s)
My brother and I have similar first names so it never failed that when one of us were in trouble, the other got their name called during the process. It happened more than once. Also, through school I had a lot of the same teachers my brother had (he's 5 years older) so I was called his name more than once as well.
Also, I worked with a guy a few years ago who's first name was "Jimmy", not Jim, not James. He said he quit counting the times he took his driver's license out to prove it. This reminds me, I also worked with a guy who's first name was "J.P." and no, those initials were not short for anything. His name was exactly that, JP.
@norman-oklahoma Maybe don't dress them alike, that might help! I'm so glad my twins weren't identical.
My legal name is Louis David, but in third grade I decided I didn't like it that way so I reversed the two.?ÿ I never legally changed it.
Now I'm amazed at the audacity of an eight year-old telling his parents, friends, and relatives of his name change.
(Only my life insurance policies are in my legal name.)
I was middle named after my Canadian Uncle whose first name was Allison. It was hell in grade school being called Alice. ?????ÿ
My legal name is Louis David, but in third grade I decided I didn't like it that way so I reversed the two.?ÿ I never legally changed it.
Those damn 3rd grade arrest warrants will cause all kinds problems, changing yer name whichever way you can always helps. ?????ÿ
My legal name is Louis David, but in third grade I decided I didn't like it that way so I reversed the two.?ÿ I never legally changed it.
Those damn 3rd grade arrest warrants will cause all kinds problems, changing yer name whichever way you can always helps. ?????ÿ
I had to be put in the Witless Protection Plan.
I had to be put in the Witless Protection Plan
That was you?
All I know is that when my mother called me by yelling both my first and middle names, I'd better be thinking up excuses.
Like several others here (and I know who you are) I thought my name was Jesus Christ until I was about four or five years old. Apparently my ol' man had a limited vocabulary.
And when the street lights came on you better be at home or close thereto. ?????ÿ
"And when the street lights came on you better be at home or close thereto."
Not around my house.?ÿ That would have been a 2.5 mile run from THE street light in town.
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Names are wondrous things stuck on newborns or soon-to-be newborns.?ÿ Had a friend in college whose parents apparently were prepared to go either way when the baby arrived.?ÿ All but the last child were given names that would immediately, or with a little twist, fit whatever plumbing the baby came with.?ÿ Max (Maxine), Lynn, Gail, Donna (Donald) and Ann (Andrew).?ÿ I know Donna's middle name was Dale (as in Dale Evans, wife of Roy Rogers)
When I was working in Michigan my Mississippi-born top boss was Jimmy Lee Surname.?ÿ I hired a fellow to work for us whose name was Jim, but short for Jimmy, as he had been born in Arkansas.?ÿ His younger brother came along after the family moved to Michigan.?ÿ His name was James.
About 10 percent of those in my high school graduating class went by their middle names.?ÿ Had someone come along and asked to have Geneva pointed out we wouldn't have had a clue.?ÿ That was Lou Ann.?ÿ Same thing if someone wanted Lester.?ÿ That was Frank.
My grandson born last year is known by his middle name.?ÿ His first name is the same as mine.?ÿ Just imagine if his surname was Schmitt.
Had a coworker named Danny.
My middle name is my paternal Grandfather??s first name.
My brother got my Maternal Grandfather??s middle name. I guess my mother didn??t like the name Winthrop.
My Grandfather was a maternal twin (the first to be born). His name was Winthrop Hamilton Swett. His brother, Uncle Hal, was Winfield Harold Swett. The trouble with that was before WWII men commonly only used initials. W.H. Swett, so they would have the same initials. So their parents changed no. 2 to Harold Malcom Swett. But he used all three names so in the 60s he legally changed it to W.H.M. Swett. They were called Win and Hal. The New Hampshire vital records actually issued a new birth certificate due to order of the San Diego Superior Court.
Grandson is Jameson. We always called him Jameson (despite the brain damaged Irish Catholic priest asking me why we named him after the whiskey, we didn??t name him you numskull, too much communion wine I think). His parents called him Jamie until one day he announced stop calling me Jamie, my name is Jameson LOL.
All this brings to mind the myth (?) that Indians named their newborns after something significant concerning them.
One day a young brave asked his father if this was true, and the father replied, "Of course!" "Your sister, Brook, was actually conceived down by the brook.?ÿ Why do you ask Broken Rubber?"
My chemistry teacher in highschool refused to call me Robert. I am Robert not Bob. This continued for the first week of school. I was then called to the office for two reasons: 1 I would not respond to the teacher when he called me bob, 2 I called my chemistry teacher by his first name. The teacher didn't care for either of those. My guidance counselor told me that if I called him by his first name, again, I would be in trouble. If he called me Bob again, I was told to walk down to the office and I wouldn't have to worry about that teacher again.
The first part of the story got around school. (my graduating class was 90 people) They didn't know that I did not get in trouble. So, people decided it would be fun to tease and pick on me by changing Robert to Bobby, Bob, and other names. I proceeded to call them whatever curse word popped into my mind first (no F bombs). The teacher (not my chem teacher) knew what happened and told me to stop disrupting class and for the others to be nice. I was called Robert from then on.?ÿ
Former supervisor was Ralph at work and Gene at home.?ÿ His first day in First Grade the teacher was calling off names and didn't get any response when she called for Ralph.?ÿ She went on calling off names until she discovered by the process of elimination that he had to be Ralph.?ÿ She walked over to him, looked down and asked, "Is your name Ralph?"?ÿ He answered yes, so thereafter he was Ralph in school and Gene at home.?ÿ The Marines insisted on Ralph.?ÿ So, he has spent his last 72 years known by both names, depending on the circumstances.
My university advisor my last two years was Dr. Chung.?ÿ His wife also happened to be Dr. Chung.?ÿ If you called his house and one of his kids answered you had to make a point to say something like:?ÿ Is Dr. Chung home??ÿ I need to speak with HIM.
His wife was a great gal and I was student help in the same department where she worked, so I got to know both quite well.
