A Tale Sad But True ..

The following story will give you some idea of the forethought needed before casually giving a name to a new baby!

I was given the same first name as my father "Kevin."
Soon after, to avoid confusion when speaking about "Kevin (the baby), everyone referred to me by my middle name "John".  I grew up assuming my name was John Flynn.

Later in life I had problems because my birth certificate showed my name as: "Kevin John Flynn".

For instance in my first school days I was considered "slow" during the role call because when they called out "Kevin Flynn" I thought they were referring to someone else and did not answer immediately. I was too timid to let them know of the mix up but it was finally resolved in front of my class mates and much to my embarassment.

In hospital for an appendectomy at age 15, I was awoken by a Nun asking "and how are you today Kevin?" I looked around to see if anyone else was in the room, thinking maybe they had operated on the wrong person. 

I always had to explain why I preferred  to be called "John Flynn" although it happened to be the name of a famous Australian who was not related. This in itself was an embarrassment - always having to admit that I was not related to the famous respected man when I wished I was - just to make life easier.!

My original name was not a good choice according to some of the rules already mentioned, but my present name was an even worse choice due to it's single syllable sounds.

When officials ask me to state my name, they often have to ask me twice because I tend to mumble anyway and my name comes out as the indecipherable Chinese "OnFin" or similar. Particularly when pronounced over the telephone. The number of times I have been recorded as "John Slynn" could make my blood boil as well.
That's why I often use the "K" of my middle name to break the first and second syllables apart.

Eventually I had the name changed by Deed Poll to read:
"John Kevin Flynn" and an entry was made on my birth certificate to that effect.  I thought I would be safe then.

That didn't stop the foreigners though - In Switzerland the tax office still calls me Kevin J. Flynn.  They didn't read the fine print on my birth certificate .. ..and I didn't even get out of paying my taxes!   :-)

John K. Flynn
CEO Xerostar Holdings

See one more page on the art of baby naming!