Kieran Healy

As any fule kno

In an aside to a post, John Quiggin asks,

I know the spelling of my name is not obvious from its pronunciation, and I always take care to spell it out when I’m talking to someone. But how can people get it so consistently wrong when they’re taking it from a printed source?

Believe me, I sympathize. At least they don’t get your last and your first name wrong, John. Nor are they likely to think you are a woman. And if your wife’s name is also gender-ambiguous to some audiences, the likelihood of farce increases even further. The dialog practically writes itself.

Tell me about it.

Well, I have to admit, I did think you were female when I first came across your blog, Ms. Healy. I mean Mr. Healy. I mean Kieran.

I had a friend in high school whose parents’ names were Tracy and Leslie. I don’t remember which is which. I think Leslie was his mother.

At least it offers a good way to weed out the telemarketers!

At least your name isn’t mispelled on your birth certificate. According to the state of Ohio, my first name is Stenter. But all my other ID —passport, license, SS card, etc.—all have it right. I guess when your name is unusual, people don’t scrutinize the spelling too closely when looking at your documents, because nobody has ever given me a hard time about the discrepancy.

And I wonder why “Stenton” sounds so much more plausible as than “Stentor” that I get repeatedly mis-addressed (in print) by that name.

And I wonder why “Stenton” sounds so much more plausible as than “Stentor” that I get repeatedly mis-addressed (in print) by that name.

To American ears, Kiernan is vastly more plausible than Kieran. I get that about 40-50% of the time, even when I introduce myself to someone directly and say my name. I’m sure there’s a linguistic reason for this.

Wimps allaya. Kare is actually a vast improvment over my maiden name (although nobody ever spells it right and many mispronounce it). My maiden name was Flechs, pronounced flex. You don’t want to know what people do with the spelling and pronunciation. And you really don’t want to know what junior high kids can do with it.

MKK

Being blessed with two good names that are interchangeable in America first to last and last first, I find that few people can ever remember which one is to be used formally and which informally. However, I am not cursed by mispronunciation.

As for gender ambiguity, my aunt Lanier was drafted.

I think Martial is on to something. I am not sure how ‘good’ my names are, but about half the people I know address me as ‘John’ or ‘Cole’ interchangeably.

I also am guilty of initially assuming you were female.