Coworker continually mispronounces coworker Xavier's name, refuses to learn the correct pronounciation

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
May 23, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

Purposefully mispronouncing someone's name is a huge form of disrespect.

Your name is a huge part of you. It's the first thing that someone associates with you. It honors your family, your traditions, and your journey. When people don't want to learn it, that's a huge issue. It shows that they don't care about you or getting to know you. It's not difficult to get someone's name right. All it takes is a few tries. If people around you are correcting you, you should take it to heart. That's not what the person in this story did, even though they probably should have. It's hard to sit back and watch someone disrespect someone else. You do your best to step in and try to fix the situation, but there is only so much you can do. People have to start taking accountability for themselves sooner or later. 

In this story, a coworker was trying to stop something that was in motion but perhaps shouldn't have been. There are only so many times you can correct someone before you throw up your hands and wonder what to do. If people are unwilling to learn, that's their problem. They need to take some advice, internalize it, and use it to better themselves. If they don't want to do that, then it's not on you. You just have to put boundaries up and let them know where they stand in your life. That's what this coworker was having to do in a pretty sticky situation at work. You want to make sure you're treating your coworkers with respect, and calling someone by their correct name is a huge part of that. It's kind of the bare minimum when you think about it. But this person couldn't even get that right. Keep scrolling to read what happened in this story and then let us know what you think about it in the comments. 

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  • Two coworkers discuss something over a laptop
    via Mushvig Niftaliyev

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Coworker keeps mispronouncing name...

    I have a co worker named Calvin and we are in engineering services. We also have a co worker named Xavier. Xavier is his legal name and is the name he prefers to go by however Calvin continues to call him Javier by mistake. I don't think this is done as a joke either because Calvin
    via besttavern25
  • has called him Javier on conference calls. This has caused confusion among other team members as they often ask "who's Javier?" And no we don't have an actual Javier that works with us.
    via besttavern25
  • I work directly with Calvin and remind him constantly that his name is Xavier and not Javier. Although they sound similar, he should try to call him by his correct name. It's gotten to the point where Calvin sometimes asks if "Javier" has quit because he can't find his contact when typing his name into Microsoft Team. I then explain that he needs to type in Xavier.
    via besttavern25
  • I don't even think this is a fun nickname he's given Xavier but a genuine inability to not remember his name. Not a huge issue but still kind of surprised how he hasn't caught on yet.
    via besttavern25
  • Has anyone else ever had similar or a funny experience with co workers names being mispronounced or misnamed?
    via besttavern25
  • Two coworkers work along side each other
    via TheStandingDesk

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Commenters agreed that there was something more going on here.

    Powerful_Two2832 He should start calling Calvin "Kevin"
    via Powerful_Two2832
  • ConsequenceUpset8875 I worked with Tress one time. The boss completely changed her name to Trish. Trish was on her name tag. It was Trish on the written schedule. It was 3 months before I realized her name was Tress. So frickin weird.
    via ConsequenceUpset8875
  • Old-Dog-4313 In an odd twist, I work with someone named Xavier, and only found out on a recent call that he pronounces it like Javier. I still have to actively tell my brain to say it the way he wants. Unique coincidence aside, it sounds like Calvin is doing it on purpose.
    via Old-Dog-4313
  • BananaJelloXlii Show him X-Men and be like "See? THIS is how you pronounce Xavier"
    via BananaJelloXlii
  • Comfortable-Elk-850 He most likely thinks that's the correct pronunciation and has gotten it stuck in the memory banks like that. If he's Spanish it may be correct to him too. Havier / Javier is the Spanish pronunciation. Zay vier or X Zavier English I've heard it. pronounced like an S also as Savier.
    via Comfortable-Elk-850
  • Playful-Doughnut7552 I have a colleague called Jitendra, and another one is Jitendar. Some of us onshore have not realised yet those are two different people.
    via Playful-Doughnut7552
  • Ok-Nature-5440 I've been called mame by callers, although I'm not sounding anything like a female. I myself confuse genders while communicating with people on the telephone. Look, I'll
    via Ok-Nature-5440
  • will answer to any name that any of my colleagues want to call me. A lot call me || boss" when I'm not their supervisor/ superior. It's not sarcasm, it's my leadership skills. If it isn't bothering your
    via Ok-Nature-5440
  • colleague, let this go. If it is, it is your colleague's responsibility to tell your coworker "My name is Xavier, please refer to me this way."
    via Ok-Nature-5440
  • Laxit00 My name is said 3 different ways and I answer to them all. I know who's calling my name by how they say it lol
    via Laxit00
  • LavenderMarsh I worked with a girl that added an r to my name. My name ends in "tha." She ended it in "thra." I asked her repeatedly to stop adding the r. She eventually told me she was going to keep adding it because she, "liked it better."
    via LavenderMarsh
  • Her name was Jody. I immediately started calling her Judy. She immediately stopped adding the r. On a related note. I had a coworker at a different location add an r to my name. She apologized and explained that her aunt has
    via LavenderMarsh
  • my name with an r so she assumed I did as well. She always try to to get it right but occasionally still added the r. She was forgiven. Judy was not.
    via LavenderMarsh
  • daneato Honestly, schedule a call with him, correct him, have him write it phonetically on a sticky note to stick to his computer screen. I had a coworker that I misspelled their name all the time... my brain just couldn't get it until I made it. It took intentionality.
    via daneato

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antiwork toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working toxic-boss names name
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