A young man has spoken out about the challenges of living with an extremely uncommon name – so uncommon, nobody ever believes him when he shares it.
While some parents may choose unusual names to make their child stand out, this individual’s experience suggests it can lead to embarrassment and difficulties.
So accustomed to people not believing his name, and to prove his name is genuine, he shared a photo of his driving licence on social media. In a Reddit forum dedicated to discussing and often mocking unusual names, the man, named Ninja Egg Salad, claims his mother, a fan of Japanese anime, chose his name.
His first name, Ninja, is inspired by the manga series Naruto, which features a young ninja named Naruto Uzumaki.
He explained: “She named me Ninja, inspired by Naruto, and made my middle name Egg to play along with our last name Salad. My brothers also have weird names, such as Ashton Greek Salad, and Honey Dew Salad. At least Honey and Ash are normal.”
The 18-year-old has faced numerous issues due to his name, including racist jokes and assumptions about his identity. He shared: “My entire life, I’ve lived with people making weirdly racist jokes about Asians and asking if I was a blue haired Fortnite streamer.
“Anytime I tell someone my name they never believe me, and I get in trouble with the law because they think I’m f***ing around with them. They’ll ask my name, I’ll say Ninja, then they’ll ask, ‘what’s your real name?’ And if I have my ID I’ll give it to them, and even then I’ve been taken into jail because they think I have a fake ID.”
School was no easier for him, describing it as a “nightmare”, and he admitted his name has made job hunting difficult. Ninja is considering a change to Spencer for better employment prospects but is unsure about adjusting after being known by his current name for so long. He asked for suggestions, adding: “So speaking of which, any name ideas?”
WARNING: Some strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.
He also posted a few photos of himself to aid in the brainstorming process. The consensus on Reddit seemed to favour “Spencer” as a fitting alternative.
Others didn’t hesitate to express their views. One user remarked: “I respect you for going by Ninja Egg Salad for so long.”
Another pointed out the broader implications: “This should be our poster child for why you don’t gEt CrEaTiVe with your child’s name. Sorry, Spencer.”
A third highlighted regulatory differences: “That’s why we have laws for that in Germany. It’s to protect people from their own f***ing stupidity. Because some people are stupid. And name their kids Ninja Egg Salad”.
Another went further and added: “I genuinely think naming your kid something like this should be classed as neglect or emotional abuse. To doom your child to a lifetime of bullying, on purpose, is pretty foul”.