The (Same) Name Game

Within my first week of starting at Duke in August 2017, I searched the Duke directory to see if another Jonathan Black works here. 

I like to think curiosity drove me to look, but in all reality, it was vanity. I wanted to be the only Jonathan Black in a workforce of nearly 39,000 people. Alas, one other Jonathan Black existed. 

He works as a population health specialist for the Duke Population Health Management Office. Every six months or so, an email drops in my inbox meant for him. I swiftly reply to the sender to let them know they meant the other Jonathan Black. 

Misaddressed emails happen more frequently to the other Jonathan Black. He’s sent me messages mistakenly sent to him about story ideas, meetings and parking passes. Our similar names have also created a little confusion among his coworkers. They see my name on a Working@Duke and Duke Today stories and compliment him.

“My coworkers would come up and congratulate me on the article,” the other Jonathan Black says. “Usually my response was ‘Thank you, but not me.’” 

We’re just two employees who share the same name across Duke University and Health System. Here are a few stories of how they handle name mix-ups.

Claire Smith

Claire M. Smith had more emails than expected when she signed into her Duke account for the first time in July of 2017. 

She thought it peculiar, since as coordinator for member services for Duke Recreation and Physical Education, she had seven messages about clinical rotations for Duke’s Internal Medicine Residency. Among the messages in her inbox was one from a Claire E.P. Smith.

“The message said something like ‘Who are you? Do you exist,’” Claire M. Smith said.

The other Claire – Claire E.P. Smith – an internal medicine resident for the Department of Medicine, has worked at Duke for seven years. The most common problem she encounters with her last name is the occasional TSA agent teasing her about the name Smith.

“People think it’s too common to be real,” she said. 

Claire M. Smith uses her middle initial on her email signature to help differentiate between the two Claires and forwards any erroneous messages. 

“For me, having two middle names helps distinguish us a little a more,” Claire E.P. Smith said.  

Michelle Jones

Like the Seven Dwarfs in “Snow White,” the four Michelle Jones at Duke needed quick nicknames for each other. They go with their office as the distinguishing factor. 

There’s HR Michelle, Student Michelle, Lab Michelle Jones, and L&OD Michelle Jones.

“You get used to being around people with the same name when you have a pretty generic name,”  said Michelle L. Jones, aka Student Michelle, who is a first-year student in the Duke Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program.  

All of the Michelles try to keep themselves sorted by having their middle initial on email signatures, but mix-ups still occur. 

Lab Michelle Jones, an analytics specialist for Duke Outpatient Labs, received an invitation to a lecture and luncheon meant for HR Michelle Jones, assistant director of recruitment for Duke. L&OD Michelle Jones forwarded a question from a graduate student meant for Student Michelle Jones.  

HR Michelle Jones doesn’t mind the confusion. Her maiden name is “Hilgers,” so she enjoys “Jones” because it’s easy for people to spell and pronounce. 

“We email each other often enough that we’ve discussed having breakfast,” said HR Michelle Jones. “We should probably avoid going somewhere where they need to know our name to serve us.” 

Do you have a “same name” story? Share it with Working@Duke.