Summary

The author shares the unique and often humorous experiences of having the one-letter last name "O" due to a priest's translation of their Chinese last name, which has led to various misunderstandings and challenges across different cultures and countries.

Abstract

The narrative begins with the author's paternal grandfather emigrating from Shantou, China, to Hong Kong, where he adopted "O" as his last name after a priest's translation. The author's father, born in Hong Kong, and his children, including the author, inherited this concise surname. This has led to a lifetime of curious glances and bureaucratic hurdles in Hong Kong, the UK, Japan, and the US. The author humorously recounts anecdotes such as being mistaken for having an apostrophe as a last name, application mix-ups in the UK, and issues with airline ticketing and credit card printing in the US. Despite the occasional inconvenience, the author appreciates the simplicity of their last name and acknowledges that others with short surnames likely share similar experiences.

Opinions

The author seems to have a lighthearted and positive attitude towards the unique nature of their last name, often finding humor in the confusion it causes.
There is a sense of pride in the simplicity of the last name "O," as the author enjoys explaining its origin and meaning.
The author expresses some frustration with bureaucratic systems that are not designed to handle such uncommon last names, particularly when dealing with application processes and credit card issuance.
The author empathizes with others who have short or unusual last names, suggesting a sense of camaraderie with those facing similar challenges.
Despite the occasional inconvenience, the author seems to appreciate the distinctiveness of their last name and the interesting interactions it prompts.

Hello, Mr. “Zero”!

Lightheartedness on short last names (round the world experiences)

Photo credit to Bruno Abatti on Unsplash

My paternal grandfather came from Shantou city in the southern part of China. He came to Hong Kong to look for a better living.

Hong Kong is an international city where both Cantonese and English are spoken. My grandfather needed to translate into English his Chinese last name which sounds like “OR” in Cantonese.

I was told a priest did the translation for him and gave him “O”. Yes, his last name became “O” — just one letter!

I am sure you know where this story is going.

My father, who arrived in Hong Kong when he was ten years old to live with my grandfather, ended up studying in an English-speaking school. He naturally took up “O” as his last name in English.

And so did his children.

The fun began.

In Hong Kong

When I was young, people glanced at my last name and cast a disbelief look.

Just one letter? They always checked.

Yes. I always replied. I like my surname very much, actually.

I guess Hong Kong people are pretty trusting and usually they do not make a big deal out of my short last name.

When I landed my first job in a large U.S. bank after graduation, I remember meeting my big, big boss at a workplace party.

He was friendly and said to me, your last name was not the shortest.

Oh? I said.

In an African tribe, people use an “apostrophe” for their last names.

I have never verified that, but I like to repeat that line when I introduce myself sometimes.

In the U.K.

In my teens, I studied in the U.K. at a girl boarding school. The young girls must have thought my last name was funny but they were polite about it.

The trouble happened when I applied to British Universities. They sent me back my application thinking that I have missed something on my last name.

I almost did not make the application deadline!!

In Japan

My brother had other experiences. When he was studying at an International School in Tokyo, a roster was called. The teacher, I believe his Maths teacher, called out, “Mr. Raymond Zero?”

My brother must have stood up a bit embarrassed and corrected him that his last name was O, thank you.

In the U.S.

Other annoyances keep occurring. When I buy a plane ticket, sometimes the airline company requires a minimum of two letters for the last name.

What do I do?

I put “Oo” in the box.

What else can I do? “O?”

That means, the airline staff have to triple-check I am the same person before they can issue the boarding pass.

These days, we all have credit cards. To one U.S. bank, I clearly told them my last name contained one letter “O”, but they printed on my credit card “O’Short!”

You wonder what the h***?

Well, I figure that someone commented on my application that my last name was too short and then something got lost in translation. I became Miss O’Short.

My credit reports are a little messed up not due to any bad credit history but the wrong last name spelling!

You know sometimes when you fill in an online registration form, you have to show your full real name and not Jane O. (with a period). I have a hard time explaining my name online.

Later, I learned that some Koreans also have their English-translated last name as “O” as explained in a Quora post:

Some Koreans have the family name O, which is one letter in the Latin alphabet (but two in Korean 오, because the “empty consonant” ᄋ at the beginning of the syllable is one letter as well).

Then, there are E’s, A’s, and U’s. I am sure they must have similar stories as mine to tell except no one will mistake their last name as a number!

I am grateful that my last name is short and not as long as one of my Thai friends Chanpongsang. Life is slightly easier for me than for my friend Margaretha who has only one name (no last name).

For sure, I know that I will never misspell my last name wrong in English, won’t I?

If you have amusing last names stories, please let me know!

Thank you for reading my story about my last name!