Do you have a friend who has the same name as yours?
By Aoi Hana
@swirlz (3136)
Philippines
August 31, 2008 7:01am CST
Do you have a friend in your circle of friends that has the same name as yours? Or do you have friends who have same names? How do you handle it? It would be confusing to call them by the same name.
I have a friend within my circle of friends who has the same name as mine. She was a newcomer at our school, so when she started getting close to us, I refused that my friends would call me by my second name. It was like a different identity altogether, and it sounded weird to me. So, to solve the confusion, they added -s to her name, and -sie to mine. But still there were some confusion. We were always together, and even if just one of us was called, both of us would turn to look. So in the end, I succumbed to being called by my second name (which now I'm using more than my first name), since she doesn't have a second name. But I don't call her by our name, sounds like talking to myself.
Instead, I call her by her family name.
Anyway, it's her birthday today. Happy birthday dels!
I have a friend within my circle of friends who has the same name as mine. She was a newcomer at our school, so when she started getting close to us, I refused that my friends would call me by my second name. It was like a different identity altogether, and it sounded weird to me. So, to solve the confusion, they added -s to her name, and -sie to mine. But still there were some confusion. We were always together, and even if just one of us was called, both of us would turn to look. So in the end, I succumbed to being called by my second name (which now I'm using more than my first name), since she doesn't have a second name. But I don't call her by our name, sounds like talking to myself. Instead, I call her by her family name.
Anyway, it's her birthday today. Happy birthday dels!15 people like this
68 responses
@corngrass (727)
• Malaysia
31 Aug 08
I got a friend whose name is Jasmine and a friend whose name is Jasper and fro me myself, my friend usually call me Jess. So, when we are in the class and someone calls "JES/JAS" three of us will turn together. We are in the same class for three years and yes, we turn our head together for three years too. It's confusing at that time,but it's a sweet memory now.
4 people like this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
31 Aug 08
I have had friends in the past and classmates as well that share the same name yes. "James" isn't exactly unique in my country! Australia tends to use a lot of nicknames for people so it wasn't too much of a big deal as one or both of us would end up with some funny or strange nickname anyway!
4 people like this
@zer0charly (5614)
• Philippines
2 Sep 08
oh yeah, way back high school. I do have a friend with the same name just like mine. so our teachers often call us with our last name. but my classmates and other friends use to call the other one as "carlola" (by the way, our name is carlota). instead of calling her carlota, they change the last two letters into "la" lola in our country means grandma. she looks old and lots of gray hairs that is why.
my classmates used to call me by my last name or by my name.
3 people like this
@zer0charly (5614)
• Philippines
3 Sep 08
oh yeah!there are lots of bullies in our school, and you can't stop them from teasing a person base on what they look.(even though they are not good looking also). I don't know, maybe they are fond of insulting people.
2 people like this
@swirlz (3136)
• Philippines
2 Sep 08
When I was young I wanted the name Carlota. hehehe. I don't know why I wanted it, I just read it my diary, that I'll use that name as my pen name or screen name.
We also have a "Lola" in school. She does look like a grandmother, you know, incorrect posture, thick glasses, curly hair always in a bun... Even though her name is commonly used too, she still responds to Lola. Because that was what we first called her when we first got to know her. And she doesn't complain.
Isn't it crazy how people give nicknames based on a person's appearance right?
We also have a "Lola" in school. She does look like a grandmother, you know, incorrect posture, thick glasses, curly hair always in a bun... Even though her name is commonly used too, she still responds to Lola. Because that was what we first called her when we first got to know her. And she doesn't complain.
Isn't it crazy how people give nicknames based on a person's appearance right?2 people like this
@alori61 (344)
• United States
1 Sep 08
I can go one better then a friend with the same name, I have a step sister with the same name. When we were growing up, and she would come to see her father (my step-father) every one would call me Lori Ann and Her Lori Lee.
I also have a dear freind that I used to do everything with. We had a ball with the fact we were both Lori's, we looked alike and we both had 5 kids. We still laugh about it today.
In our family we don't have boys so it has become a tradition for every generation to have a Katherine in it. My Great grandmother, grandmother, Aunt, Sister and daughter are all Kathereines.
Where I work there are 4 Jim's and 4 Bills. They all go by their last name.
3 people like this
@klaudine (3650)
• Indonesia
1 Sep 08
I used to have 2 classmates with the same name with me. It was really annoying because people just made fun of it and made some nicknames to distinguish us. And well... I used to hate my name because I thought it was too common, but then I realized I'd rather have a common name than a weird names that no one can ever spell it right...
@swirlz (3136)
• Philippines
1 Sep 08
LOL True. Worse, no one can even pronounce. hehehe.
I used to complain about my name too. It's very common. My siblings' name are common too, but mine is the most. But my mind changed when I started meeting people with weird names. They have a problem every introduction... No one can spell it, no one can pronounce it, and worst no one can remember what it exactly is...
3 people like this
@Annie521 (12)
• China
1 Sep 08
I'm a Chinese girl. I don't have a friend in my cirlce of friends that the same name as mine, but there is online. I have friends who have same names in high school, and they are in the same class. In order to distinguish them the teacher and the classmates call them by adding 'big' and 'small' before their names. Do you think it's funy?
@swirlz (3136)
• Philippines
1 Sep 08
Yes, it is funny. We experienced that too. I'm the small one, so I always have a pained look on my face whenever they refer to me as "small". It sounds like an insult, doesn't it? But they enjoyed teasing me. Good thing it didn't stick and they moved on to other nicknames.
We experienced that too. I'm the small one, so I always have a pained look on my face whenever they refer to me as "small". It sounds like an insult, doesn't it? But they enjoyed teasing me. Good thing it didn't stick and they moved on to other nicknames.2 people like this
@chaime (1152)
• Philippines
31 Aug 08
Unfortunately (for them) no. Hahahar...
Cause I have always believed that I have a beautiful name.
Although I had classmates that had the same name as me but we really didn't get close. I don't know why, maybe because we feel awkward calling someone else by our own names (I guess)
But it would have to be weird to have someone close to me who would be called same as me. ^_^
@swirlz (3136)
• Philippines
31 Aug 08
Awww, too bad for them right? What could your name possibly be? hehehe.
I do agree that calling someone who has the same name as yours is quite awkward. It's like talking to yourself. hehe. That's why I call my friend by her surname instead of her name.
I know it's weird to be close with someone with the same name. But she has this great personality that I was just drawn to her. Guess we just have to find a way with the names so that it won't be too awkward. 
I know it's weird to be close with someone with the same name. But she has this great personality that I was just drawn to her. Guess we just have to find a way with the names so that it won't be too awkward. 2 people like this
@swirlz (3136)
• Philippines
1 Sep 08
Hi Unik! Actually it's very easy for me to meet someone with the same name because my name is very very common. Swirlz isn't my real name, Swirlz is just my online nick.
Anyway, my friends did gave us nicknames. The first syllable of our names, they added -s to my friend's name and -sie to mine. Still it was confusing so I later agreed to go by my second name, which is still common, but no one in our batch has the same name.
You are lucky because your name is so unique. Hey, could it be possible that your name was derived from unique?
1 person likes this
@hindichinese (748)
• Philippines
1 Sep 08
I haven't Encounter a person who has a same name like mine. Through all those years in my life Only myself I think Has my name.
how bout you guys, do know a person named "NEMREY"?
please send me a Pm if you have met one. I will be glad to meet him too.
Thanks
3 people like this
@kellyjeanne (1576)
• United States
2 Sep 08
No, I never had that. Although, I did have a job once where someone had the same name as me. Everyone called me by my last name (which can be a first name too) and when she left it took awhile for everyone to call me by my first name.
Purrs,
Catwoman=^..^= & Mija (my furangel)
3 people like this
@kipluck (143)
• United States
2 Sep 08
I used to have a friend with the same name as mine when I was a kid, but she just went by Beth, where I went by BethAnn. Stil, it was annoying. However, now my best friend is StephAnn. Yes, we RHYME. We get "BethAnn and StephAnn? Are you serious?!" a LOT. They also get us confused, or think we are sisters.
Though the best question I have got is "did you guys plan that?"
I wanted to answer "Yeah. I was just searching all over for a best friend who would rhyme with my name. Thank goodness I found her, huh?"
@likaes (496)
• Singapore
2 Sep 08
Yeah, calling people by their last/family names is the most convenient. It might seem rude, and formal, especially in the context of friends, but what can you do? Sometimes, we make it into a joke, so it's not so bad. We don't have nicknames so we just call each other by our family names.
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
1 Sep 08
LOL. I personally believe such coincidences are plenty. It is not my friend who has the same name as me. It is my colleague. I too have a client with the same name as me. At times, it is rather awkward to leave a message for the client. The receptionist is always stunned the first time!
3 people like this
@angel_of_charm (4134)
• Philippines
1 Sep 08
my name is some kind of a unique one...my parents named me Diselle so i never heard any name that is the same as mine...as per friends i have some friends who have common names...somehow they confused their selves whenever we( our friends ) call one of them..so we came up with just asking their nicknames...a kind of name they are used of people calling them just not to confused their selves...like the nickname they are called at home..
3 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
1 Sep 08
no, i don't. u don't here too many martha jo's. i can see why it would be very confusing. glad y'all worked it out.
@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
1 Sep 08
Years ago when I was playing softball on the church team, I pitched. The girls who played shortstop and second base had the same name as I. It was very confusing when there was a pop-up in the infield and the coach would call out our name. We'd all say, "Which one."
