My mom's name is Ethel and she is called Edith most of the time or sometimes Edna (her middle name). My Godmother - Edith is called Ethel. Go figure.

My last name could be a woman's first name. People often forget my first name and call me by my last name, thinking it is my first. I just let it go. It happens to often to keep correcting them.

I know exactly what you mean. It has been happening to me for years and like you, the same mistaken name..well, no one has ever called me Theresa, but you know what I mean. No way to explain it except on some wavelength people think I have a name not my own. Through the years, also, I have noticed what I call "Name Pooling". The same names seem to meet up in my life...hard to explain but it became so obvious to me a few years ago that I started keeping track.

Um, yea, I get Jessica all. the. time. I don't know what's up with that, other than they both (Jessica and Erika) end in c/ka thing. Really weird

Had to laugh that you "learned to answer to it in college" - my name is that ONE most popular name for 15 years running in the 80s. Since there were FIVE of us in my elementary school class, we went by different variations of the diminutive (I went with the 867-5309 variation). Problem being, I never learned to answer to my "real" name (seriously, it was like someone was calling a completely different person). I too had to learn to answer to it in college -I also don't find it worth fighting at Doctors' offices. One benefit... I know when I hear someone call me by my "real" name, they don't know me very well.

my legal name is elizabeth, as you know it can have tons of variations. without my consent, they love to give me one of those variations. the one i cant stand the most is lisa.

My sister's name is Mary Elizabeth. She has always been Beth to me. But now, as an adult, she goes by Mary much more often. Everytime someone calls her that, I want to correct them!

My name? No problems there. No way to shorten 'Erin'!

That is SO weird. I think you are perfectly memorable! Whenever I see a cartoon mom with a large smile holding a trayful of glasses I think "Hmmmm... she looks just like Theresa!"

It's better than the name students call me when they're ticked off at me. I just smile when they say it and tell them, "You're not allowed to call me by my first name."

Ummmmmm... it rhymes with 'itch'.

Buffi is from my middle name which was my grandmother's maiden name. But I get called Bethy, Bobbi, Bussi, Betty and all sorts of other mutations.

I have a pretty traditional first name and I also learned to just answer to it during college. Not worth saying, "No, I go by Buffi" Now it's just helpful in weeding out who is calling for me.

Interesting post Tanya.

I''ve often been Barbara to a lot of people. And it doesn't make any sense, except that I must just look like a Barbara. I thought I had left that behind, and someone at work made the same mistake just a couple of weeks ago. My name is Carol.

I have been called Rachel a lot for no reason. I also get Heather, which IS my middle name, but usually the people that call me that don't know it.

In college a lot of people called me Tammy, but I think I spent so much time with my roommate that they honestly didn't know who was who (like Ed and Larry).

Some amazingly beautiful women are named Theresa...just saying...

i get called monica all. the. time. i guess people don't know what to do with the q in my name. i just go with it, unless i'm feeling cranky (which i often do) then i'll correct them. over and over.

First, my first name is my mom's maiden name. So I get it as a last name and get called Erick (people shorten my last name) constantly. My wife's name is spelled Tresa and is prononunced similar to Theresa, but without the first 'e'. She still gets called Theresa all the time.

Apparently I look like a Bridget. And on more than one occasion I have been told that the people calling me by that name have a negative association with the name. I have never known what to make of that. When someone screws up my actual name, I am called Gertrude..I'd rather be Bridget under the circumstances.

I have had people actually tell me that I spelled my own name wrong! I realize that Lygia is an unusual name, but I do not how it is spelled! I have also been called Looweegee (not the spelling, the pronounciation) and Lagoona. My name is Lygia, just like Lydia, but with a G. (soft G)

Funny, I've never thought of you as a Theresa...

I answer to anything that starts with "M." Mary, Maureen, Murray, Maria... and with some Maria-callers, even after I correct them, they still call me Maria.

I think it's funny when people ask me how to spell my name, with such a plain name (both first and last, actually).

I get asked, more often than I should, how to SPELL my name. Which is Susan.

Seriously, how many spellings of SUSAN are there?

It's not so much my first name as my last-- Chasse` (pronounced: sha-say). It's French, so I reckon I should forgive folks but even after I correct them they still say it wrong. I've been called Case, Cases, Chase, Chasey, Chass. Anymore I just go along with it *chuckle*

I can totally relate with Lygia. I have a similiar way of explaining to people how to say my name, I mean really, it's not that hard! My name is Malia, like Maria but with an "l" instead of an "r". Okay? Got it? Good.

I've been called Shauna, by different people on occassion. Lately most people call me by my daughter's name, which also ends in "lia" so I can understand how they get confused. But most of the time it's just my name, mispronounced.

My name is Rachael, but I get called April a lot by accident. I guess it's because they sort of rhyme. It has happened ever since I was little.

Maybe it's cause you're such a saint...

Get it..St Theresa...

OK, it loses something if I have to explain it.

My last name is my 'erroneous' name. My last name is Whitener. 99% of the time, I am called Whittner.

Clearly, one should see that it's WHITEner, like tooth whitener.

My last name is spelled HORNE , and yet , I get called HORNY all the time

It's pronounced "boo-shay'." Need I say more? But people get the Wendy right. I just have an erroneous face. "Wow, you look exactly like (fill in the blank)." Usually somebody's sister's best friend from high school.

folks just mispronounce my name... they call me nih-vee-ah, or nay-vah. for the record, it's nee-vah (i was named after my grandmother)

i used to crack up when my mom would try to call me and/or my 2 sisters (terri and susan)... if it's me she was talkin' to, it would be "terrisusan...neva!"

actually... despite the fact that we're all grown up (and old--eek!) she *still* does the same thing, only now she throws in my niece for good measure... "terrisusanlynna...neva". (not sure why the daughter she's talkin' to is the last name she calls...not sure i want to!) : D

My father in law gets called Gus Grissom (His name is Guy Griscom) all the time...uh, folks, good old Gus is no longer among us. Gus he ain't!

My name is Melissa and all my like have been called things like 'Melinda' and 'Michelle'. I'm sure others with the same names can identify. But, I have worked at my job for over a YEAR and I have to call this certain someone at a pharmacy at least twice a week and I always say 'Hi Jim this is Melissa at so-and-so'. Then he responds in his way too chipper voice...'Hi Martha, how are you?' He then proceeds to call me Martha about 3 times during each conversation.

I am Beverlee, my sisters are Barbara and Bonnie. We've always been called all three!

People always seem to call me Kim. At least they get the "K" right.

Old women always call me Carol. It's as if Karen is just too darned complicated. Strange. And, of course, when I correct them, they can't hear the difference.

I'm with Wendy of the Boo-shay fame, I seem to have the face/personality of someone everyone knows. Either roommate/sister/friend--it's been good so far!:) Me? I've been Martha more times than I can to think about....though my real name is NOWHERE near Martha.

Funny how many of us are affected by this. There should be a support group!

I am usually called 'Cathy' and my real name is an equally boring 60's/70's one (Apologies to all the Cathy/Kathy's of the world --and you are many!) How dull is that? One boring name for another.ZZZZZ

I have one great-aunt who, apparently since I was born, has never called me by my correct name - she calls me "Deanne" and even SPELLS it that way! My parents just told me to ignore her, since everyone else in the family got it right. Of course, these were the same parents who frequently called for the wrong kid (we were all named "DeannaJonathanElizabethShelby" at one point or another), and when they threw the dog's name in there... why was I listening to them again?

If I had a dollar for every time someone has called me "Tracy" (and my name is Leslie), well you get the picture. My mother's maiden name gets butchered all. the. time. DeShazo...I've heard her called Deshazer, Deshase, DeShaz...etc. etc. It's pronounced phonetically Da Shah Zoe. Luckily my last name is an easy one, but trust me, the kids in school used to take my first name and last name and crack on me!! UGH!

All my life, I've been sometimes called "Sandra." Sandra would be my sister. People have tried to call me "Sherry", which is kinda understandable and one I get a lot is "Susan."
The lady that runs the cash register in the cafe where I work, some days I am "Sherry", other days, I am "Sheryl"...sometimes, "Susan"...and some days, I am my real name. Amazing she even gets the first letter right out of 1500 people.
I'm so used to being called something else, I don't even bother to correct people.

I've been Christine, Christina, Christian, Christy, Kirsten, Keersten...I could go on!

Love the new look, Busy Mom!

I've gotten Janie, but luckily most people get my name right. They just typically misspell it!

Are you kidding me? People constantly - constantly I say! are calling me Danielle. Dan-yell. No no no.

I don't aswer to it cause it ticks me off that they don't even bother to *read* my name. It's Danelle. Duh-nell.

And I'm with Wendy on the last name too. It's O'Shea. Does it really take a rocket scientist not to say it Oh Sheee-a? OShea, people! Like Boucher..only with an O. lol. Helloooooo!

Oh, and since you are obviously a "mom"...you should be, of course..Mother Theresa.

I get this all the time.Everyone calls me Amy.My sisters name is Beth and everyone tries to call her Elizabeth.

Does that make you "Busy Mother Theresa?"

My name is easy to pronounce, yet apparantly impossible to spell correctly. It's AnnE not Ann. You'd think a single letter at the back wouldn't be that big of a deal to remember...
You'd think wrong.

In college I was always called "Molly" but I blame that on my maiden name being "Ringwald". (Yeah she's a distant relative but I don't think I look anything like her).

I just have to say that I have a boring name, however my mom has the best. Her first and last names are the same but spelled differently. It really throws people off when they ask her last name first and then ask for her first name. They actually try to correct her. "NO ma'am, I need your last name." Then she has to explain that they are the same, just spelled different. Although in the business (sales) world it has served her well. And apparently next Wednesday she will be on David Letterman purley because of her name (in the audience -i think he will talk to her!)

I am Lisa half of the time. But that's not too far from Leslie - so I can understand their ignorance - sometimes...

I am Carol. My husband is Michel. (Yes, just like a girl's name, but it's French)
I'M usually called Michel; then people have a REALLY hard time when they realize my hubby can't be Carol!

Some people just don't look like their name to me. There's this lady I've known for years and I've always called her Debbie. Her name is Helen, but she looks exactly like a Debbie.

Don't tell me I'm the only one?

I've been called Heidi all my life. Starting with one of my sunday school teachers in grade school--and, most recently, one of the other moms at my new playgroup. My name doesn't even look like Heidi. I answer to it, though, because I've been accidentally called that for about 20 years.
Except at family reunions, when everyone calls me Susan (my mom's twin sister's name).

I so agree with lygiamc; people actually think you can't spell your own name?! I also have been called luigi, lydia, lygeria, etc. I protested as a child and my mom felt bad and let me have a normal "nickname" (lee).When people find out my real name it throws them for a loop! Several weeks ago I was on vacation in Playa del carmen, Mexico and for the first time in my middle-aged life I met someone(cocktail waitress on the beach) with the same name. I was shocked!

I have been working in my current job for 5 months and almost daily am called by the wrong name. I see the exact same dozen people a day and manage to call them by their correct name.

I used to think it was because the name I am called is my older sisters name, however that is not the case because none of these people know her!

I correct people and then the next day am called by the wrong name again. It makes you feel unimportant, like your not worthy of being remembered.

However, I have recently concluded people are just lazy and my name is less common then what they call me.

My name is MELISSA .......................... not Michele!