'I have hugely popular name – but that doesn't stop people mispronouncing it'

An exhausted man
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images/Maskot)


Even having a common name doesn't guarantee you'll escape the need to spell it out.

Parents have been increasingly creative with their naming choices over the years, resulting in today's youngsters boasting a variety of unique names that didn't exist when their grandparents were young. Having a distinctive name can be beneficial as it helps you stand out from the crowd, but as anyone with an unconventional name will tell you - constantly spelling it out can be a real nuisance.

However, it seems it's not just those with unusual names who struggle with others mispronouncing or misspelling their moniker. One man has gone viral for revealing that he frequently encounters people who can't pronounce his name correctly - despite it being one of the most common names in many English-speaking countries.

READ MORE: 'People keep mispronouncing my daughter's name - I'm worried I made a mistake'

In a TikTok video, Stephen Rigatoni shared that every time he orders something online for in-store collection, he faces the same issue - people expect his name to be spelt Steven, causing confusion when handing over his order.

According to The Bump, Stephen is the 715th most popular name in the US, where the TikToker hails from, but the alternative spelling of Steven ranks significantly higher at 482nd. In the UK, however, Stephen is ranked 496th while Steven is much less popular at 790th, according to UK Baby Names.

In a humorous video, Stephen recreated an encounter at a store where he had to collect an online order. Upon telling the shop assistant his name, they failed to find anything for "Steven". The employee then mispronounced it as "Stefan", confusing the "ph" in his name for an "f" sound, as this is common in English.

He described such mistakes as a weekly frustration in his video's caption, pointing out people's persistent struggles with the pronunciation of his name.

The clip sparked bafflement among viewers, who noted that numerous celebrated figures share the name - like Stephen King, Stephen Hawking, Stephen Fry, and Stephen Colbert, who all use the "v" sound rather than an "f".

A few sided with the store worker, admitting they would also mistake the name for "Stefan".

One commenter conceded: "Sorry, I do read that as Stefan."

While another reflected: "This is making me realise that it makes no sense for Steven to be spelt Stephen. I'm with the service workers on this one."