Clarification on usage of first/middle/last names in the DR

InsanelyOne

Bronze
Oct 21, 2008
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28
I've been noticing inconsistent usage of my name since I've been here in the DR. When I got my electricity account setup at CEPM they used my full name: FIRST MIDDLE LAST. And later when I went to inquire about my account they couldn't find my account by looking for my last name. I happened to by looking at the screen that the rep was looking at and I could see my name right in from of her.... turns out she was only looking at the FIRST MIDDLE part of the names on the screen and I had given her my LAST name. At the real estate office, several of the Dominican staffers refer to me strictly by my LAST name even though I always introduce myself with my first name and sign all my emails the same way (with just my first name). And no, my LAST name could never be confused as a FIRST name. I've had other experiences as well where Dominicans are inclined to include my MIDDLE name.

My experience in the States is that we rarely use our MIDDLE name for anything except the occasional form we are filling out.

Are names used differently here or am I just over-analyzing?
 
Sep 22, 2009
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I've been noticing inconsistent usage of my name since I've been here in the DR. When I got my electricity account setup at CEPM they used my full name: FIRST MIDDLE LAST. And later when I went to inquire about my account they couldn't find my account by looking for my last name. I happened to by looking at the screen that the rep was looking at and I could see my name right in from of her.... turns out she was only looking at the FIRST MIDDLE part of the names on the screen and I had given her my LAST name. At the real estate office, several of the Dominican staffers refer to me strictly by my LAST name even though I always introduce myself with my first name and sign all my emails the same way (with just my first name). And no, my LAST name could never be confused as a FIRST name. I've had other experiences as well where Dominicans are inclined to include my MIDDLE name.

My experience in the States is that we rarely use our MIDDLE name for anything except the occasional form we are filling out.

Are names used differently here or am I just over-analyzing?

Many systems are set up to take 2 given and 2 family names: i.e. Pedro Julio Fernandez Jimenez (only an example name), where Jimenez is the mother's maiden name, Fernandez is from the father and Perdo Julio is the traditional given names (much like first, middle).
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
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Santiago
They are mistaking your middle name for your first last name. If you give them only three names they will do this every time. It happens to me too of course.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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yes, names are used differently here. Jose Francisco Mendez Cedeno may be called Jose, Joselo, Francisco, Franco, Mr. Mendez. Mr. Mendez Cedeno, it's up to the person to "use" the name he/she prefers, so in this case this person may use only Francisco simply because he likes "that" portion of his name more, and never use "Jose".

And don't forget Apodos/nicknames - those are not only "descriptive" e.g. gordo, flaco, moreno, "el gato", but also a completely different set of names.

So this Jose Francisco Mendez Cedeno may be known and called by his friends and other people as "Rodolfo" - simply because he does not like neither Jose nor Francisco so he "elected" to be called "Rodolfo" - or other people during his life simply started to call him that way.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
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My middle name - Julia - is also a surname in the DR so it's happened to me once or twice.

Come to think of it my middle name and mother's surname are both well-known in Spanish unlike my first name and father's surname. It would probably save me a lot of confusion and spelling out if I decided to use those.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i have no middle name but it does not stop dominicans from f***ing up my paperwork anyway. say, my full name is JANINA (name) KOWALSKA (last name). i have a hard time explaining it is JANINA KOWALSKA and not JANINA KOW ALSKA or JANINA KOWAL SKA and so on. :ermm:
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
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429
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Santiago
i have no middle name but it does not stop dominicans from f***ing up my paperwork anyway. say, my full name is JANINA (name) KOWALSKA (last name). i have a hard time explaining it is JANINA KOWALSKA and not JANINA KOW ALSKA or JANINA KOWAL SKA and so on. :ermm:

Is Janina Polish? It sounds latin, very pretty nonetheless.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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btw, janina kowalska is not my real name, it is a polish equivalent of john smith - name used as an example on government application forms etc.
:)
 

LaTeacher

Bronze
May 2, 2008
852
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we didn?t give our kids middle names because both of our last names are looooooooong and ev nthough my husband?s last name is very obviously NOT al given name, people assume it to be just because i?m a gringa, and therefore my kids obviously must have {american{ last names. i?ve given up on my battle and, unless it?s something really important or legal, let them use mymiddle name as my last.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
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ha ha ha
there was a story about a polish guy wanted in ireland for multiple driving offences.
they could never catch him because they were taking his name as PRAWO JAZDY - in polish it means "driving license" :)