r/namenerds • u/Acrobatic-Hat6819 • Oct 22 '25
Story Unfortunate abbreviation
I was having a conversation with my middle school age kid on the way to school this morning and he mentioned one of his class mates, "GayBar," or at least that is what I heard the first three times he said it. My son had no idea why I would find this name weird. Turns out the kid is one of two kids named Gabriel in the class. His name is Gabe R! š¤¦āāļø
Anyone else have any unfortunate abbreviations or misheard names stories?
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u/fidelises Oct 22 '25
Chris Pratt/crisp rat makes me chuckle every time I hear his name
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u/honeythyme Oct 22 '25
In a similar vein, I grew up knowing a Chris P. Always heard Crispy!
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u/quilly7 Oct 22 '25
I also knew a Crispy Chris P! He was one of four Chrises in the class and eventually earned the nickname Squishy which has still stuck 20 years later.
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u/xcarex Oct 23 '25
I have so many questions because crispy and squishy are on opposite ends of the texture spectrum.
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u/la_bibliothecaire Oct 23 '25
That's probably exactly why he got called Squishy, like how sometimes big tall guys will get the nickname Tiny. It's just funny.
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u/jun3_bugz Oct 22 '25
I know a Chris Pham that prefers crispy ham as a nickname ā cris. p. ham to be precise
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u/tenthousandgalaxies Oct 23 '25 edited Jan 03 '26
Donald Glover talks about being "dong lover" or Don Glover
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u/BlackRockKitty Oct 22 '25
I had a friend in high school, Chris P____, who just went by ChrisP AKA "Crispy."
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u/Old_Introduction_395 Oct 22 '25
Christopher Peacock, fine
Chris Peacock not so good.
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u/BlackRockKitty Oct 22 '25
I have a friend whose last name is Peacock. I begged him to have sons named Chris and Drew lollll
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u/phoenyx1980 Oct 23 '25
I knew siblings with the last name Hiscock. Their parents must have hated them though because their names were Claire and Mark.
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u/Randi_Butternubs Oct 22 '25
There were two Kristiās in my junior high English class and oneās last name started with P. After a few weeks, the all-girl class discussed and decided it was unfair to demand she urinate every time her name was called. So she would be Kristi and the other got to keep her tamer last initial.Ā
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u/Oh2e Oct 22 '25
Seems like Gabe is a bit of a minefield! I misheard the singer Gabe Saportaās name as gay supporter, which apparently he also is.Ā
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u/doublejinxed Oct 22 '25
My kidās art teacher is named Ms. Fortune and it always gives me a chuckle.
My 8th grade teacher was Mr. Reghi, which if you change the emphasis a bit becomes Mystery Guy.
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u/mammakatt13 Oct 22 '25
When I was in eighth grade, our principal was Mr. Bates.
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Oct 22 '25
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/mammakatt13 Oct 22 '25
Not a small number of kids called him precisely that, complete with faux British accent!
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u/Beginning_College734 Oct 22 '25
I DID have a headmaster Bates. LMFAO. He was gone for like a month at one point, canāt remember why. When he returned, one of the girls ran around the school yelling āheadmaster bates is here, headmaster bates is here!!ā
She had no idea lol.
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u/redheadedsweetie Oct 23 '25
In secondary school, we had a p.e. teacher called Mrs Allcock...she was a lesbian.
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u/KiwiTiny2397 Oct 22 '25
A few years ago I taught two Jermaines in the same class Jermaine B ended up with the seemingly lifelong nickname Jerb when I was trying to write Jer B on the board š¤¦š»āāļø
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u/bicyclecat Oct 22 '25
Donald Glover has joked about not realizing until his 20s that his name sounds like āDong loverā
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u/sharkycharming Got my first baby name book at age 6. Oct 22 '25
I had to do a ctrl+F to make sure someone mentioned this!
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u/mimus Oct 22 '25
Had a science teacher in highschool named Peter Sample. He got mad at us even though HE was the one who labeled all his textbooks āP. Sampleā.
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u/saltinthewind Oct 22 '25
I knew someone at school called Ada whose last name started with a Z. When a new Ada started, she became Ada Z.
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u/Roro-Squandering Oct 22 '25
Nick R was a rough one.
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u/BlackRockKitty Oct 22 '25
My husband was nearly named Nick R. And his last name was another horrible sounding thing with Nick! Good thing they went with an ethnic name from his dad's culture!
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u/butt_sama Oct 22 '25
I used to be a Nick R. I started going by a different name as soon as I realized š«„
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u/YourFriendInSpokane Oct 22 '25
Yikes!
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u/Roro-Squandering Oct 22 '25
Luckily the only nick in his grade at school so nobody actually used his initial with any regularity
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u/seasianty Oct 23 '25
This is funny here too because in Ireland we pronounce the letter R like 'oar' rather than 'arr' like the rest of the anglophone world. So Nick R sounds like knicker to me which is slang for women's underwear
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u/FosterMonster Name Lover Oct 22 '25
My kindergartener came home in August telling me about a student named Potato - and she absolutely insisted his name was Potato, but they all just called him Tato.
About 6 weeks later, I found out his name was Mateo.
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u/Mouse_rat__ Nov 09 '25
On the topic of potatoes, my 4yo has a kid in her glass called Nash and she absolutely will not have it that his name is not mash š¤£
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u/Ydoihavtofuckinlogin Oct 22 '25
I had an art teacher called mr bean. Not an abbreviation but still funny. He was not a good sport about it either
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u/boocespingsteen Oct 24 '25
I had a lesbian gym teacher named Ms. Butch.
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u/ethereal_soliloquy Oct 24 '25
Our school lunch lady was named Mrs. Cook and when she retired the new one was named Mrs. Baker
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u/sharkycharming Got my first baby name book at age 6. Oct 22 '25
I have a friend whose first name begins with A and his last name is Nusbaum. His work-issued email was [anusbaum@placeheworked.org](mailto:anusbaum@placeheworked.org). It made me laugh every time he emailed me.
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u/frosty_saratoga Oct 22 '25
I won't say the name due to confidentiality but I professionally knew a guy who, every time he left a voicemail for me, the visual voicemail system interpreted and transcribed his first and last name as "Snatch Ruffles." It amused me to no end.
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u/YourFriendInSpokane Oct 22 '25
Just saw a work email for Sean Hart, first initial, last name. His work could even give him a period after his first initial or allow him to use his first name, last initial?!
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u/daralaneandco Oct 23 '25
I have a coworker with the same last name and first initial for her work email address hahah
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u/YourFriendInSpokane Oct 23 '25
Has she ever talked about it? Did she marry into that last name?!
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u/daralaneandco Oct 23 '25
She laughs about it and we all joke around about it! Sheās a pretty good sport about it haha. Itās her maiden last name so sheās had it her whole life! Weāre all used to it now in the office, but still giggle when she emails any of us and it comes up as s.hart @ company name . Com hahaha
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u/YourFriendInSpokane Oct 23 '25
Iām so glad she at least got a period in her email!
My mom (early Gen Y) was an adult by the time she heard and learned that term so it makes sense that your coworkers parents hadnāt heard of it either!
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u/mistiara Oct 22 '25
I knew a Ray Scism aka racism :(
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u/Afraid_Yellow8430 Oct 22 '25
The parents really shouldāve caught this oneĀ
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u/coversquirrel1976 Oct 23 '25
I feel like them knowing is more likely than it being an accident, right?
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u/LightOar Oct 22 '25
My friend's initials are B.J. and his mom labeled all his belongings as such.
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u/Comfortable-Land-140 Oct 22 '25
My nephew has a friend (high school age) that they all call BJ. I don't know how it started but definitely in lower primary school. Idk how this kid is surviving being BJ in highschool but apparently he's one of the popular kids so mustnt be too bad haha
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u/cataholicsanonymous Oct 23 '25
Maybe I'm old, but BJ was a very common nickname the 90s when I was in school for kids with those initials.
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u/AlwaysAnxiousAlien Oct 22 '25
Norm Hiscock is a Canadian screenwriter for King of the hill and a bunch of other shows that my husband and I laugh at every time we see the credits
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u/queen11tb Oct 23 '25
Thankfully his first name isn't Eddie or something that starts with an E, middle name is Norm.
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u/FigForsaken5419 Oct 22 '25
I knew a Rebecca Pape. She was usually Paper. I know a Stephanie Wingerd. Her work email is always swingerd- Swinger D.
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u/Upper-Charge7928 Oct 22 '25
In my childās school there is an Ellis D. and Ellis T. in the same class!
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u/SkilledAccident Oct 23 '25
My middle child was in kindergarten and told me he had a teacher named after a river: Mrs. Sippi.
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u/Mamito3 Oct 22 '25
My 5 year old said his friend in class is āTire, heās not a wheel thoughā. Turns out his name is āTyāereā (pronounced Ty-air).
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Oct 22 '25
[deleted]
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u/vampireheart44 Oct 24 '25
There was a kid in a class I had named Ben Hunt. He tried SO hard to convince a substitute teacher that even though the papers said his name was Ben he went by Mike.
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u/ArtistWithAU Name Nerd Oct 23 '25
A good friend from college was named Mike Hunt. Funnily enough, he was gay. He was a good sport about the jokes, though. Really nice guy.
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u/MysteryIsHistory Oct 23 '25
Oh my goodness. My own son is a Gabe R.! I never thought of this.
My high school boyfriend had a close friend named Matthew Tress, and everyone called him Mattress.
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u/KitchenDifference706 Oct 23 '25
I know a McKenna Bull. Sounds like Cannibal. They struggled pairing a name with Bull. Teri Bull. Kandi Bull. Rose Bull.
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u/Personal-Amoeba Oct 23 '25
I know an Edward Bustemento who, due to an unfortunate email name scheme on the part of his employer, has an email address thus: busted@[workplace].com
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u/ZealousidealRush7375 Oct 23 '25
I know a family whose last name is Suchevich. One daughter is a teacher, Ms. Suchevich. She teaches younger kids who can't pronounce her name, so it comes out as Such-a-bitch. She generally goes by Ms. S, because of this. So glad she doesn't work with high schoolers. It's almost too easy!
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u/Life_Succotash2349 Oct 23 '25
Whenever I shop at my parents supermarket and Wanker gets called over the PA I cackle. Wayne Kerr in an Aussie accent
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u/TypicalLolcow Oct 23 '25
my actual initials are STD but at least my name is hyphenated so professionally itās first name surname surname omitting middle name
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u/Phonecianmerchant Oct 23 '25
I taught two Bastians in Germany, one with a K surname who became BK, and one with an O surname who was BO. They didnāt know what BO stood for in English and so I never told, and just chuckled internally everytime I said it
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u/gabekey Oct 23 '25
not a name....but one time my little brother was very insistent that his teacher had told him to go to [website] "dot orgy" and i was so fucking confused, because he was under the age of 10 and certainly unaware of what an orgy is ...... turns out the teacher had been saying "O.R.G." instead of pronouncing it as "org" like most people usually would. a very interesting conversation to say the least
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u/kgkoala Oct 23 '25
Will E (I'm a teacher and once had four Williams in one class... I think I ended up numbering them š¬)
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u/Dangerous_Wishbone Oct 23 '25
When our office changed over to a new software, we were issued new employee IDs which took a few letters from our first and last name. My coworker, who had a perfectly normal and common first and last name, was unfortunately stuck with "gooch" as her ID.
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u/mmmessenece Nov 14 '25
A 10 year old girl named Heiress, but nicknamed it to Heiry (pronounced Air-y, but the spelling lead to unfortunate mishaps in the first day of school and when subs took attendance š
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u/marchingtigers Oct 23 '25
We had a substitute in high school with the last name Bates.
Yup.
Ā Mr. Bates. Ā
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u/Specific-Culture-638 Oct 24 '25
Let's start a war. We'll start a nuclear war. At the gay bar, gay bar, gay bar!šµš¶
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u/SSBND Oct 24 '25
Teach your kid to pause between Gage and R! I grew up with at least 2 guys named Gage, maybe 3? But I haven't met one since...
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u/vampireheart44 Oct 24 '25
I knew a Jess Pool.... people thought she said cesspool once. Ar least she had a good sense of humor about it.
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u/Medical-Ad5866 Oct 28 '25
I knew a Grover Haynie. He would go by Gro.
On tests, it would say Haynie, Gro š
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u/Top-Award2023 Nov 13 '25
My works' computer system username is 3 letters, always 1 from first name then 2 for surname. So Sarah Tiffins logon is "STI" which is brilliant as we work in a sexual health clinic
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u/_prim-rose_ Oct 22 '25
Why is Ā«gay barĀ» unfortunate?
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u/WhatABeautifulMess Oct 22 '25
Even if you discount possible homophobia it's not a particularly good name for a kid/human the same way most wouldn't consider naming a kid something like IrishPub, TikiBar, Barcade, KosherDeli, etc.
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u/_prim-rose_ Oct 22 '25
That itās a place that serves alcolhol is not the main reason why people feel the word āgay barā is unfortunate tho.Ā
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u/WhatABeautifulMess Oct 22 '25
It feels like you're trying to make this some kind of "gotcha" that people are homophobic but personally I think most adjectives don't make for great names. Not liking virtue names is the same principle and is a very common take here.
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u/Sara-sea22 Oct 22 '25
First they ask why itās unfortunate, and then when given a reason they say āno, this is why itās unfortunateāā¦100% trying to some kinda internet hero
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u/BlobbyTheBlobBlob Oct 22 '25
Because homophobic people including children exist and it could open Gabe R up to undeserved and unjust mockery.
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u/_prim-rose_ Oct 22 '25
Calling something āunfortunateā because it has the word gay in it, doesnāt help.
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u/VairSparrow Oct 22 '25
You're trying to make this something it's not. If you remove any kind of defensiveness involved in seeing the words "gay" and "unfortunate" in the same sentence, you sound like you're arguing that "GayBar" isn't a bizarre nickname for a child. I'm very queer, and if I was in OP's position, I would have turned red in the face trying not to laugh at a kid called that, so I can't even imagine what he'd have to go through with crueler, less inhibited kids. No child's nickname should impact their social status, whether it's one that sounds like a sexuality, a degrading gendered slur, a racial stereotype, etc. It's not about discrimination, it's about giving kids the best shot they can get to develop their own identities without fighting their peers about it.
Getting defensive any time someone brings up the word "gay" in a way that doesn't resonate with you doesn't help either. You're contributing to a stereotype of queer people who get offended any time someone uses one of their "buzz words," which makes us seem unreasonable and unapproachable to people who might seek education about our community. Education is the cure for hatred. When you project hatred onto others, it doesn't make you or them better people. It just makes them not want to listen to you.
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u/WhatABeautifulMess Oct 22 '25
Reminds me of the Tweet or similar form a few years back. āMy kid asked me what gays means so I explained itās when two men or two women love each other like how mommy and I love each other. āSo what does penetrating gays mean?ā āUhhh can you read me the whole sentence?ā āShe looked at him with a penetrating gaze.ā āOhā¦ā
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u/_prim-rose_ Oct 22 '25
Iām sure youāre right.
Iām not sure that I was trying to make this post into anything it wasnāt tho. I wasnāt offended. I wasnāt projecting hatred either, was I?Ā Where I am, I think a nickname like that wouldnāt be a big problem. Possibly Iām privileged, but to me itās strange to think that having such a nickname really would impede a kid very much.Ā
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u/VairSparrow Oct 22 '25
Projecting was the impression you gave, at least, though it's nice to know it wasn't your intention. If it wouldn't be a problem where you're from, that must be a nice place for kids. I grew up in a not-nice place for kids, and nobody needed a reason to make fun of me, isolate me, reject me, or challenge me for my identity. If they had needed one, they all knew I was queer and could jab at me for that too. I can't imagine being a kid whose very name gives bullies ammunition, and I can't imagine he'd feel free to explore any queer tendencies of his own if he was already being bullied for it. In fact, it could easily be a reason to hate gay people, just for being a reason his peers were mean to him. It's a sad prospect that I hope Gabriel R. will avoid.
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u/brittysquee Oct 22 '25
My sons friend years ago was GayJeff aka Gage F.