It did not originally have the trema (usually called an umlaut, but the word for it in French is trema and my name is French). When teachers consistently looked at the name and thought it was the English Nowuhull, then put me in the boy's section, I got frustrated. Daddy suggested the addition of the trema over the e. Yes, I know, it's still a boy's name, but in the US, the French pronunciation is generally perceived as a female name. Generally. I am often addressed in professional emails as Mr. Figart, as my business email only uses the middle initial, so there's no cue with the feminine spelling of my middle name that I'm a woman.
My last name is pronounced with a long I. No-one ever does it and usually interprets it as FIG-art rather than FI-gart. I gave up sweating that long ago. I've no idea where it came from, but there is a Figart county Ireland, so maybe we're Irish.
However, I am CONSISTENTLY referred to as Nicole. I have no fucking idea why. People who have READ MY NAME AND ARE RESPONDING IN EMAIL will do it. That does irritate me a bit, but I've stopped correcting people every time they do it, as it tends to slow down meetings.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zvi and
no subject
Date: 2013-10-27 02:25 pm (UTC)It did not originally have the trema (usually called an umlaut, but the word for it in French is trema and my name is French). When teachers consistently looked at the name and thought it was the English Nowuhull, then put me in the boy's section, I got frustrated. Daddy suggested the addition of the trema over the e. Yes, I know, it's still a boy's name, but in the US, the French pronunciation is generally perceived as a female name. Generally. I am often addressed in professional emails as Mr. Figart, as my business email only uses the middle initial, so there's no cue with the feminine spelling of my middle name that I'm a woman.
My last name is pronounced with a long I. No-one ever does it and usually interprets it as FIG-art rather than FI-gart. I gave up sweating that long ago. I've no idea where it came from, but there is a Figart county Ireland, so maybe we're Irish.
However, I am CONSISTENTLY referred to as Nicole. I have no fucking idea why. People who have READ MY NAME AND ARE RESPONDING IN EMAIL will do it. That does irritate me a bit, but I've stopped correcting people every time they do it, as it tends to slow down meetings.