<p>Why do some people have one letter first names such as R. John Doe or S. Jack Smith? What’s the purpose and how do you get one? Please explain everything.</p>
<p>Er, the dot after the one letter indicates that they have a first name that is more than one letter long. R. John Doe could stand for Richard John Doe. These people do this because they prefer to be called by their middle names.</p>
<p>JimBob is correct. Here is a true example - names changed to protect the innocent. My name is Fred (let’s say). When my son was born, I wanted to name him after me. My wife thought it burdensome to name a son after his father - people’s expectations, etc. So we came to an agreement. We named him Fred Liam Smith. And agreed to call him Liam. Everyone calles him Liam. His driver’s license says Fred Liam Smith. In school he is listed as F. Liam Smith. If he ever becomes a lawyer, the letterhead will probably say F. Liam Smith. (That’s where I frequently see these kinds of first intial names for some reason.) MY ADVICE FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN THERE. Don’t do that to your son or daughter. It just seeds confusion and the need for explanation. We have had difficulty in getting my son on more than one airline where there was a slight difference between the reservation name and the ID used at the airport.</p>
President Harry S. Truman always signed his name with a period. However, the S did not stand for anything. It was simply S.
This thread is 9 years old. Do not resurrect old threads. Closing.