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| Courtesy of the author |
Growing up with an uncommon name meant that the first day of school always came with a mix of anticipation and dread. I never looked forward to hearing my name called out in front of a classroom full of curious sometimes snickering peers. Without fail, my teachers would pause awkwardly at my name, their uncertainty filling the silence.
“I’m really bad with names, and I know I’m going to mess this up. I-i-is it Jayce-Lee?” they’d stammer, followed by a chuckle meant to soften the blow. And then came the giggles from the class. But it wasn’t funny to me. My name is pronounced juh-SEHL-lee.
I thought once I graduated and entered the workforce, things would be different that adults in professional environments would take more care and show more respect. But unfortunately, the same missteps followed me into the corporate world. The only difference is that instead of mispronunciations at roll call, I now receive emails addressed to Jasley, Jaselyn, Joselyn, Jas, or even Jaselley. All loud and wrong. And each time, I still hear echoes of those childhood chuckles in the back of my mind.
Getting My Name Wrong Feels Like Disrespect
In professional settings, we’re expected to be precise. We’re trained to double- and triple-check our emails for grammar, tone, and accuracy. It’s an unspoken rule: if you care about your message, you take time to make sure it’s correct. And that includes getting someone’s name right.
So when I see my name misspelled in emails despite being right there in my signature, in the “From” field, on my website, LinkedIn profile, and bylines it’s more than a typo. It feels like carelessness. And to me, carelessness reads as a lack of respect.
Some may think correcting someone over a misspelled name is making a big deal out of nothing. But the truth is, names matter. To many of us especially those from diverse cultural backgrounds our names hold history, legacy, and love. It’s not just a name. It’s my name.
My Name Is a Tribute to Two Generations of Women
My name isn’t random. It’s a tribute. It’s a carefully crafted blend of two powerful names: Jacqueline, my mother, and Celina, my grandmother. Together, their names formed mine Jasely a symbol of strength, heritage, and womanhood. It’s common in Dominican culture, where unique names are often created by blending names of loved ones. My mother gave me a name that represented continuity, creativity, and culture a name that carried the essence of two women I admire deeply.
In many ways, my name shaped my identity. Just like the women I was named after, I’ve learned to move through life with courage, determination, and authenticity. That’s why I wear my name with pride not just in pronunciation, but in spelling too.
So yes, getting my name right is a big deal. Because the history, meaning, and people behind it are a big deal.
The Power of Reclaiming and Correcting
For a long time, I didn’t fully embrace this. As a child, I would shrink when teachers said my name wrong. I wouldn’t correct them. I just wanted to avoid attention, to blend in, to not make a fuss. But adulthood has taught me differently. It’s shown me that reclaiming the beauty of your identity even in small ways is a form of empowerment.
These days, when someone misspells my name in a work email, I gently correct them. A quick reply like, “Just a heads-up my name is spelled Jasely” or “I noticed a small typo; it’s actually spelled this way” usually does the trick. The response is almost always positive people thank me, apologize, and make sure to spell it correctly going forward.
No one has ever been offended by my correction. And honestly, if someone were to take issue with being politely corrected, that would say more about them than about me.
Names Deserve Care No Matter How Unfamiliar
I often think about the now-famous quote from actor Uzo Aduba, who once shared the advice her mother gave her about her name: “If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky, Dostoyevsky, and Michelangelo, they can learn to say Uzoamaka.” That quote resonates deeply with me.
It’s not about expecting perfection from the start it’s about effort. If you can type out complex words or master corporate jargon, then learning to spell and pronounce a colleague’s name isn’t asking too much.
Names are part of who we are. They are often our first introduction to others and the first point of recognition. When someone gets your name wrong especially repeatedly or carelessly it can feel like they’re choosing not to see you.
So no, I may not be a Dostoyevsky or a Schwarzenegger, but my name still matters. It carries my story, my ancestry, and my pride.
Your name might be easy to spell or universally recognized, but mine isn’t. And that's okay different doesn’t mean difficult. It just means unfamiliar. And unfamiliar is not an excuse for disregard.
So yes, I will keep correcting people. Not because I want to be difficult, but because my name like every person’s name deserves care. It deserves accuracy. It deserves respect.
My name is in the email. Please, put some respect on it.
