Non-motoring > Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: zippy Replies: 11
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New Mon 22 May 17 17:10 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - zippy
I am dealing with a Canadian person who has a prefix to his name which is N.A. If it is any help he is a Phd in Philosophy and wondered if it had anything to do with that?

I have left it too long to ask what the N. A. stands for and wondered if anyone here could fathom a guess?

His name would read...

Dr N. A. John Smith

I have Googled it but with no luck.

Could it be something to do with church?

Thanks,


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New Mon 22 May 17 17:17 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - Runfer D'Hills
Or, he just prefers to be known by his third forename. As in he might be Norbert Aleric John Smith or something. And let's face it, if he was, he would wouldn't he?

;-)
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New Mon 22 May 17 17:47 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - Bromptonaut
Same line of thought as Runfer. In earlier times he'd have been Dr N.A.J. Smith, you'd call him Dr Smith until he invited you to use his forename.

Now, where we all tend to go pretty quickly to 'first name terms' he's letting it be known that he prefers John. Listing himself as Dr J Smith would also confusion if, for example, you needed to check hos professional history.
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New Mon 22 May 17 17:54 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - smokie
FWIW I think Runfer is on the money.
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New Mon 22 May 17 18:04 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - No FM2R
Me too. It is actually reasonably common amongst doctors and lawyers in North America.
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New Mon 22 May 17 18:16 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - zippy
Thanks all!
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New Mon 22 May 17 18:28 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - Hard Cheese
My GP does a similar thing with his name.
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New Mon 22 May 17 20:41 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - Bromptonaut
>> My GP does a similar thing with his name.

If I think about it a fair few folks the Quango's conferences used their second forenames.

Friend/former boss of Mum's was Arthur Smith. Formally he was Robert Arthur but while Arthur was his parent's preference naming him Arthur Robert Smith would have given him an unfortunate set of initials (ARS).
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New Mon 22 May 17 23:06 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - R.P.
In north west Wales I came across an odd thing with GPs. They are referred to in certain areas as Doctor John, or Doctor Elin for example. Prefix and Forename no surname...never came across it until I moved there.
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New Tue 23 May 17 08:17 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - Cliff Pope
It's a title denoting a lesser member of the Thai royal family.
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New Tue 23 May 17 08:41 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - Duncan
>> In north west Wales I came across an odd thing with GPs. They are referred
>> to in certain areas as Doctor John, or Doctor Elin for example. Prefix and Forename
>> no surname...never came across it until I moved there.

Welsh. Say no more.
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New Tue 23 May 17 19:53 
 Strange prefix to a name...meaning please? - Harleyman
>> In north west Wales I came across an odd thing with GPs. They are referred
>> to in certain areas as Doctor John, or Doctor Elin for example. Prefix and Forename
>> no surname...never came across it until I moved there.
>>

Is it because they only have one surname between them? ;-)

By the same token, round this way there are a lot of farmers who share about four surnames between the lot of them and are therefore referred to by both their suppliers and their peers, by their surname followed by the name of the farm.

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