• RBWells@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    42
    ·
    8 months ago

    I was doing payroll recently for my work, and came across Harsh Harsh. I had to ask our HR lady, really? His last name was Harsh and his parents named him Harsh?

    Well, no. She said his name was simply Harsh but our system required a last name so she repeated it.

    Still, pretty harsh I think.

    • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      7 months ago

      My grandfather in law only had one name. When they immigrated, they made his first name “XXX”.

      One time someone asked him “like the movie?”

      • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        7 months ago

        I met a soldier who’s last name was too long to fit on a nametape. They asked if he could shorten it and he chose X instead. iirc he was Indonesian or Thai…

        • Jumbie@lemmy.zip
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          7 months ago

          That’s actually against regs in the US military. The correct way is to keep spelling until the name tape runs out of space.

          However, who’s going to correct the man about his own name? In his case, X literally pronounces as KingFaldTheBeeswaxBeeblebrox and I’ll be damned if you think it’s anything else, you silly gate guard!

          What happened? I blacked out.

        • RBWells@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          7 months ago

          I worked with a lady whose married name was Xu, she’d kept it when she divorced him. She was Laotian. (Really cool lady, grew up in refugee camp, married high roller Chinese guy, got t educated, when they divorced she moved to the US and was successful on her own). One day i forwarded her an email from a vendor, his name long and unpronounceable, and she looked at it and said, oh! That is the same as my maiden name! I could see why she kept the last name of the Chinese husband :)

          • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            7 months ago

            heh, easy decision to cut a lot of time signing shit out of her life.

            I feel bad for the kid in first grade who’s like “I’m Bobby, Bobby Laxwhanxijontongsilvalessbronchongamonson”

    • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      7 months ago

      Woulda made them set my first name as “Just” so it’d be “Just Harsh” and it should make for some who’s on first fun.

    • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      Sounds like some refugees coming from the african/middle east.
      I have one colleague with an “official” and an actual birthdate.
      I believe some also don’t have the given/sur name system.