I’ve finally admitted that I loathe being called Boa. I chose the name Boadicea as my pseudonym because the ‘original’ is one of my ‘heroines”. Somehow the abbreviation ‘Boa’ doesn’t do her credit – and I can’t quite identify with a snake or a glorified feather frippery…
I haven’t made a huge song and dance about it – and no one needs to build a shelter – or suddenly change what they write. It is a bit of a pain to type and I do know that I’m probably a little odd about names.
At six years of age I went to a new school, where there were another five children who had the same Christian name as me in my class. I was not impressed – and promptly changed my name. I’m still struggling to get some of my family to call me by my ‘new’ name. I was also ‘blessed’ with a Northumbrian surname – which is not pronounced the way it is spelt. I had problems with it in London – and have, almost, given up here. It is one of the joys of visiting Northumberland that everyone there knows exactly how it should be pronounced. And in case anyone hasn’t worked it out, I still use my maiden name.
One of my daughters has changed her first name (and God help anyone who uses the one I gave her!), my brother gets annoyed if people don’t shorten his name, and my other daughter gets short with people who do – she’s also reverted to her maiden name.
Tricky things, names – how do you feel?
Boadicea's Chariot 
I changed my first name for the second when I left home. There after, the only people who called me by my first name were my parents. Even during my time spent in the forces my ID card was second name first, first name second. I never had a problem with this arrangement until a couple of years ago when, having booked on line for a flight I produced my passport on checkin which of course has my first name in its rightful place. They let me through that time with a warning. Since then I have had all my bank cards reissued with the correct sequence of my names so they along with passport and driving license all match up. You lot can still call me Toc though. 🙂
Mrs ‘dicea, 🙂
My given name is Geoffrey, but only my mum calls me by it. I much prefer Geoff. No4 Daughter calls me ‘Jeff Jeff’ because she knows it winds me up.
Toc,
There were 5 Howes on my entry at Halton. We were designated Howe D, Howe G, Howe L, Howe R and Howe T. 4 of us signed up at the same CIO in Sunderland. Howe D&T were twins.
Howe’s that! Did you all play cricket?
Wash your mouth out Zen. 😀
May I call you Boudicca, or Bou, then? 🙂
Yikes FEEG,
I believe you have the time it takes for Boadicea to wake up to build yourself a decent shelter. I’d let you share mine but I’m saving a bunk for Natashia Kaplinski. I’ve sent her loads of letters so she should be along any day now. 😀
Boadicea: My sympathy. This is the perennial problem of naming. It seems no name however well constructed or thought out is immune from abbreviation or modification. I am Michael in the real world but only my late mother called me that and only when it foretold big trouble. I prefer Mike but get Mick, Mikey and Micky.
The temptation to abbreviate names here is a real one, especially for us left handed typists and certainly in my case is not intended as a slight. I am happy with any of LW, L Dubya (Ferret) or Low as appellations and usually grateful for any response however addressed.
I’ve never had that problem. My first name is Anthony, but I’ve been Tony for, well, many, many years, like others here, the only time I got Anthony was when my ex Mother used my full name…time to duck.
In passing, my son insisted on Chris for many years, but has now resorted to the full version – though, when in Cyprus, he answers to his Greek middle name, Dimitrios.
Hmmm, names. Hate both of my given names, love the surname. Changed to a Z ending abbreviation of my first given name at Uni, now wished I hadn’t. Only my mother and grandfather call me my full name now. I have many nicknames in the family, all of which I like but they would sound a little odd in the real world!
My work name is easy as it’s an abbreviation of my job description. If I have a choice I would do it all again with the name I had at Prep school – an ‘O’ ending abbreviation of my surname!
Any variation of cupric theme suits me here! Alternatively…Oi usually works!
Boadicea it is then!
I had a pupil called Boadicea once and it soon got shortened to Bod by her friends. But I’ll stick to the long version. I had to use it for reports so got used to writing it.
I’m sorry, I have been using an abbreviation… will revert to full name. 🙂
I am Pseudonym in cyber space after my ‘SarahJB’ caused problems on the old MyT site. This was abbreviated to Pseud, which I hated, then Nym or Pseu which are both fine by me… to the extent I registered as Pseu over here. You may notice one or two still call me Nym.
Nym,
That would be me then.
Sheona,
Bod? Oh dear, I feel I may need to reinforce my shelter. I like Bod. Our generous host is going to come gunning for me I feel.
And Ara and Bilby…
Sorry but you’ll have to stay as Bo! My typing is crap.
I never answer to my real name, ie Christina, never hits my radar so to speak. I have been Tina all my life. If you don’t answer they soon get the drift.
As I changed my surname more often than a burkha is cleaned I frequently forget who I am on which occasion! I have had 7 surnames. Bit of a bugger signing the wrong name on the wrong document.
I still use 2/3 of them. At least my lawyer knows who is who and who owns what!
Poor old Harold if I fall off the twig first sorting that lot out.
The boy was the 5th Rex in the family when 3 were alive, all too too complicated for words. We called him Roo, his initials, needless to say they called him Kanga at school!
When in bad odour, it was always Rue-ing the day!
Neither of us ever really cared too much and certainly never got bent out of shape over it all, worse troubles at sea etc etc.
Well you will always be Mrs Osborne to me.
I value my danglers too much. 😀
I couldn’t care less.
Nor should you.
Names are merely tags, an identification symbol, speak to any in the military J14, CT01, thats all it is an identifier.
Mine was given as a joke (Where’s Cuppy) I can live with that, it’s not who you are, or where you’re from on here but what you say I’ve learnt to live with that
Yes. I’ve always been irritated when people lopped the final syllables off my name. It’s not “Chris” — that irritates me, though I’ve come to accept it as inevitability the same as bad weather, taxes, and smelly vagrants on buses.
Oi ferret CO will do!
Is this an attempt to get increments for a fourth golden toad?
CO has a certain dignity it’s true.
My cup runneth over in the Golden Toad stakes Mrs Osborne. How could a lowly mustelid even dream of being a quadruple recipient. 🙂
Blimey.
Not guilty, I don’t think I have ever called you Boa!
Thanks for the comments!
As I made clear at the beginning, I don’t expect anyone to change the way they address me – I should have chosen a shorter name!
I was just curious to know how other people felt about their names.