Uncommon Name Struggles: Ensuring Correct Spelling in Emails

In my early years, the first day of school was always a source of anxiety. My heart would pound as I waited for the teacher to mispronounce my name on the attendance list.

Each time, a teacher would preface my name with a nervous laugh and an apology: "I'm not great with names, so forgive me if I mess this up. J-j-jayce-Lee?" This would unfailingly prompt the class to laugh, leaving me blushing in my seat.

The correct pronunciation is juh-sehl-lee, but these awkward instances didn’t stop after school—they followed me into my professional life.

When someone misspells my name in an email, the phantom giggles of my classmates echo in my mind. I see misspellings like Jasley, Jaselyn, Joselyn, or even Jaselley, which are loud and incorrect.

Feeling Slighted

In business communications, meticulous attention is emphasized as essential. Always advised to comb through my emails for errors, I regard a misstep in spelling someone's name as a lapse in courtesy and respect.

I ensure every detail in my correspondence is accurate, yet I still receive replies filled with variations of my name that aren’t right.

Despite my name being prominently displayed in my email, signature, LinkedIn, and elsewhere, this ongoing struggle is mentally exhausting.

Some may perceive my insistence on the correct spelling of my name as excessive, but it matters deeply to me. Many individuals with rare names share this sentiment.

It's more than just a name; it's a significant part of my identity.

An Heir to a Legacy

My name was created from the names of two incredible women—my mother and grandmother. It merges Jacqueline and Celina into something unique.

This naming tradition reflects my Dominican heritage, where mothers often invent names that stitch together parts of their loved ones' names.

My name is a reflection of how I strive to live—boldly and with assurance, taking after the women who came before me. I take immense pride in its singular spelling and sound.

This is significant to me, as I endeavor to honor others' names that celebrate their cultural and ancestral roots in the same way.

Actor Uzo Aduba’s words regarding her own name resonate with me: "My mom advised against changing my name for those unwilling to learn it. If people can pronounce Tchaikovsky or Dostoyevsky, they can manage Uzoamaka."

As a younger student, I didn’t comprehend the full power of that message and often avoided correcting teachers. It was embarrassing back then.

Taking a Stand in the Workplace

These days, when emails begin with 'Hey, Jasley!', I gently correct the sender with: 'Just to point out, my name is spelled Jasely.' Simple, yet effective.

No one has responded negatively to these corrections; most are grateful for the guidance and promptly adapt the spelling.

While my name may not match the notoriety of figures like Dostoyevsky or Freud, its personal significance is equally profound. My name embodies my history.

My name is in every email—let's see it treated with the respect it deserves.