It can be quite embarrassing and frustrating when someone calls you the wrong name. When it is done repeatedly, it eventually becomes infuriating.
The truth is that we are only humans, so it might be that the person innocently forgot the right name to address you with. On the other hand, the person might have done it on purpose to humiliate you.
Whatever the case is, the best responses to give the person are ones that will make the person realise his or her lack of etiquette.
You don’t have to castigate the person for calling you a different name, but you can turn it around by making a polite but memorable correction.
If you do this, especially with humor, you’d make them see their silly mistake and also prevent an awkward situation
In the rest of this post, we will explore 30 different things to say to someone when they call you the wrong name – whether mistakenly, intentionally, or repeatedly.
1. Are you doing that to annoy me or because you think it’s funny?
When someone addresses you with the wrong name, and this is done repeatedly to the extent that it begins to infuriate you, you choose to be direct and ask them this question.
It shows that you are furious about it and instantly sends the impression that you won’t tolerate such if it happens again.
2. I can see you have a short memory
One of the natural reasons why people would call others by the wrong name is because they may have a short memory that makes them unable to recollect people’s actual names.
So, even if the person had called you the wrong name intentionally, you can use this as a comeback to them.
3. It’s Janet, like Jackson
Another way you can intelligently reply to someone who keeps calling you the wrong name is to make a memorable correction.
That is, if your first or last name resonates with any popular public figure or monumental personality, then use it as a reference as seen in the example above.
4. Pretty sure you aren’t referring to me
Even though it is apparent that the person was referring to you when he or she called you the wrong name, you can still choose to act like they were not calling you by that name.
It sends the impression that you won’t respond to them until they call you by your actual name.
5. I never said that was my name
You can be direct about the correction but say this with an exclamatory tone so that the person knows you are offended by being called the wrong name. With this response, you shut the door to any room for repeated occurrence.
6. What did you just call me?
When people say things that are not appropriate to you, and you ask them this question, it is like a quick check on them to rethink what they had just said to you.
When you say this, it makes you sound like you are ready to pounce on them for making such an annoying mistake, they would be forced to confess that perhaps they are getting your name wrong, and then you correct them.
7. Get back to me when you get the right name
Instead of going back and forth and making them feel victorious for getting under your skin, you can ignore the person until he or she gets your name correctly.
This is best effective if the person had been calling you the wrong name on purpose. When you say this, it means you won’t be giving them attention until they are ready to address you appropriately.
8. You have a terrible memory (Insert name)
Sometimes, it is best to just make jest of their inability to recollect names. If you had occasionally corrected the person of your real name in the past and the person keeps making the error of calling you the wrong name, then telling them they have a terrible memory can put an end to the entire charade.
9. That is not my name
The next time someone calls you the wrong name, you can simply tell them that it is not your name, and then it should follow a correction.
That way, the person would not have any other assumptions as to why you feel uneasy whenever they use a wrong name to address you. It saves time and stress of trying to correct them.
10. The next time you call me that, I’ll show you who (insert the wrong name) is
You can dramatize the whole thing by threatening to do the unknown if they call you with the wrong name again.
Suppose they call you another name that you don’t know of, and you reply with the above response, it would instill fear in them and they dare not call you a wrong name again.
11. You forget things so quickly
If they are persistent in calling you a wrong name, whether intentionally or otherwise, you can rub it on their face that they forget things so quickly.
Saying this to them, immediately makes them guilty and regret making such a silly mistake. It should follow the correction of your actual name so that they don’t get it wrong again.
12. Does my real name scare you to death?
This is a sarcastic and hilarious response to give to someone who keeps calling you the wrong name.
Even though it is the first time the person would be addressing you wrongly, this response never gets old and it is the smart way to let them know of their mistake which you don’t like.
13. Addressing people with wrong names will land you in trouble one day
The next time someone calls you a wrong name, you can remind them that it is a lack of etiquette in addressing people on their part.
This will make them reckon with their faults, probably apologize, and then ask for your real name. for someone who is doing it intentionally, this response also serves them right.
14. Thank you, Mr/Mrs (call them the wrong name as well)
This is a smart tit-for-tat response. When someone calls you with a wrong name, you can respond and add the person’s name at the end of your sentence.
But the name you are going to add would be wrong. so when they try to correct you, it creates an opportunity for them to have a taste of their own medicine.
15. Seems you spent your night with (insert the wrong name)
I have read in a book that we tend to call someone the name of another person who will spend the most time with.
So if someone calls you a wrong name, you can make fun of them by insinuating that they must have spent the last time with the person who bears the wrong name you are calling.
16. I’m not surprised you can’t say my real name
When you give this response, it gets the person to start wondering why you are not surprised that they call you the wrong name.
Even though there is no explanation as to why from your end if the person asks “why aren’t you surprised?” it is best to ignore them. It is a snappy comeback when a person keeps calling you the wrong name.
17. Do I look like (insert the wrong name) to you?
No matter what the wrong name is, you can ask the person outright if you look like the supposed person to them. This will indirectly make them realize that they have been addressing you inappropriately and they would likely apologize.
It is a better and smarter way of letting them know that they are making a mistake in the way they address you.
18. I bet you have a thing with whoever (insert the wrong name) is
True or not, when you say this, the person would want to stop addressing you with that wrong name.
19. I wonder how you became (insert the person’s job) with such a short memory
Imagine the person is a sales manager, a secretary, or any other professional that you know who gets involved with knowing new people, you can intimidate them by questioning their efficiency as a result of their inability to address people by their real name.
20. I’ll pardon you one last time for calling me the wrong name
Sometimes, all you need to do when you want to stick it to someone who keeps calling you the wrong name is to let them know that you have had it up to the neck level and will not tolerate being called the wrong name next time.
21. How long will you keep calling me the wrong name?
This is another indirect way to let the person know that they have been addressing you with the wrong name. if it was done unknowingly, you will see that the person would apologize and ask for your actual name.
22. How do you manage to do (insert the person’s skill) if you can’t remember people’s actual names?
You can question the person’s proficiency in the skill that they are believed to be good at as a result of not knowing how to address people with their actual names.
By giving this response, you are making it look like a serious problem for them that they don’t know how to address people.
23. Is this how you mistake your firstborn name for the second?
This is another sarcastic way of letting the person know that they are calling you by the wrong name and you are not cool with it.
Even though the person does not appear to have children, it is sarcasm and would work just fine for any person who falls into the question.
24. You’re getting old, (insert the person’s name)
As people get old, they have the license to forget things in bits. So if someone calls you the wrong name, especially intentionally to humiliate you, you can tell them that they are getting old which justifies why they have forgotten your name.
25. When will you ever get my name right?
By asking this simple question, it sends the message to the person that you are not happy being called another name. It is a good way to put them on the spot and acknowledge their silly mistakes or faults.
26. You forget a lot of things lately
True or not, telling someone who calls you the wrong name that they are forgetting a lot of things lately will force them to want to prove otherwise, and thus, would want to call you by your name.
27. Even you can’t rely on your memory
Again, this is another way to make jest of their capacity to recollect the names of people they know. When the person calls you the wrong name, you can say this as a snappy comeback to ridicule them.
28. You call me the wrong name, only God knows what else you get wrongly
This is another interesting response to give that will make the person who had called you the wrong name feel like they have bigger problems to deal with.
29. Is this how you call others with wrong names?
Whenever we are addressed with the wrong names, it can make us feel unimportant. But that moment is the best time to make the correction and make the person aware of their silly mistake. The above response is one of the best ways to go about that.
30. Next time, make your research before calling my name
Instead of insulting the person, make them feel like they don’t do their homework before addressing people. This response has the power to burden them with the responsibility of addressing the problem of addressing people wrongly – a problem they are dealing with.
There have been some times in our lives when we call people the wrong names. So it is natural for someone to make such a human mistake.
However, giving the above-listed comebacks as a response when someone calls you the wrong name depends on the context within which it happened.
If it was intentionally done to humiliate you, then you should not hesitate to stick it to the person and regret their action. Meanwhile, even when the person addresses you with the wrong name innocently, it makes you feel unimportant.
So, whatever the case is, you should say something instead of letting it go. Of course, you won’t want to agree to answer the name because he or she has made an error. Set the record straight while you can.
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