The perils of having several names
As of November 5, 2007, drivebyshooter.net will no longer be updated. For posts on photography, you can now go to LightChasers Photography. For the author's personal site, head over to the Dark Corner.
Going by more than one name is tricky - I should know. Some of you know me as Luis - that’s my real name. The thing is, most of you reading this probably know me as Elber. Don’t worry - that really is my name too. It’s my nickname, yes, but it’s still a name I go by.
Still some of you know me only by my handles: drivebyshooter, and for older followers of my blog (if there are any), driver ng bayan - so the names Luis and Elber don’t really mean anything to you. Also, handles don’t really count, right?
At this point, most of you are probably wondering what I’m trying to get at. Honestly, I’m not really sure either. So if it would please you, indulge me for a few moments.
I want to drop one of my names - at least while blogging. Why? I feel like it. As you read this, I’m sure it will be obvious which name I’m keeping.
It all started when I was a young boy and I was given the name Luis Bernardo Cruz and given the nickname Elber. If you’re wondering where my nickname came from, take a close look at my name again. It’s a mashup of the L from Luis and the first syllable of Bernardo. Where did the E come from? I’ll be damned if I know.
I went by Elber through my childhood - through nursery, prep, and grade school. When I hit high school though, I started introducing myself as Luis. It seemed futile though. Friends old and new were bound to mix - and the sheer number of people who called me by my nickname won over those who knew me as Luis.
Some preferred Luis while others switched over. In some cases, some switched over the other way, choosing Luis over my nick. It continued that way for quite a while - and actually still continues today. Most people get to know both my names immediately - I just ask them to pick which one they’re more comfortable with.
This, of course, poses some problems.
Official Documents
One problem is with legal documents. Elber is too different from my legal name for me to use on any official documents - I can’t whip out a card saying that Elber is my nickname, can I? I remember, a few months back, when somebody bought me a plane ticket in the name Elber Cruz. I was worried they would stop me at the gate and I wouldn’t have an identification with that name. It’s a good thing they didn’t even check.
Branding and Copyright
Another problem comes up with copyrights. I’ve chosen to watermark some of my images with the name Luis Cruz, but some people know me as Elber Cruz. Yes, they know my real name, but how in the world will other people know that?
As a photographer and a writer, I have to maintain one identity - or in other words, one brand. I can’t go around claiming work by both Luis Cruz and Elber Cruz.
Branding and SEO
Even while blogging, people link to me in different ways. Having two names isn’t good for SEO purposes. I’m on top of the Google heap for “Elber Cruz,” but I’m not even in the top five for “Luis Cruz.” Since Luis Cruz is my real name, I’d much rather be on top of that list.
General Confusion
Yet another problem arises with friends. Several years ago, I had a friend who wanted to introduce me to a FOAF that she thought I would get along with. She said the guy’s name was Elber. My friend knew me as Luis. We laughed about it, or rather, I laughed about it. Granted, it doesn’t pose any real problems, at least none that I can think of right now, but it still causes confusion.
Even now, I have friends who, despite being in the same circle of friends, choose to call me by different names. Rico, for example, calls me Elber, while Sasha calls me Luis. What would happen if and when I come up in one of their conversations
Yup, I guess you’ve figured it out by now - I will be stricter about using Luis Cruz from now on - especially when it involves creative work. Yes, that includes blogging, and it definitely includes photography.
To help my cause, I’ve recently used the Search and Replace Wordpress Plugin to replace all instances of Elber in the Comment author field to Luis. Why did I do something so drastic? I felt like it. It was also one of the ways I could test the plugin without doing major damage. Heck, I’m pretty sure nobody else has left a comment here under the name Elber. That is a safe assumption, right?
So, what do you think? Did I do something smart, or something stupid.
Tags: Luis Cruz, Elber Cruz, drivebyshooter, driver ng bayan, names, branding, copyright, SEO
DBS posted this entry at 7:40 AM on Tuesday, the 10th of April 2007. He may have also posted related entries in the following categories: ramblings; polls; blogging.
April 10th, 2007 at 11:33 am
My brother did his name changing thing, from Kristian (high school) to Noel (college) and back to Kristian and there seems to be nothing wrong with what he did. Maybe it’s because his full name is Kristian Noel, so it could be easily deduced that Kristian and Noel are one when it comes to him.
Why share that? Haha, ewan.
But for the sake of uniformity and formality, I think going back to Luis is okay. Although there are more Luis’s than Elber’s out there, I think. Then again, you could do what I do: the people who really know me use Tina (or Tins, when we’ve reached that certain level of closeness) but for official and formal stuff (i.e. job interviews, resumes, etc), I go back to Kristina Ana.
Last na! I will help contribute to your name change by calling you Luis from now on. Hello Luis!
April 10th, 2007 at 11:48 am
If you really know me as Elber, or if you prefer Elber to Luis, then so be it. The thing is, what I post online is visible to anyone and everyone - including people who otherwise would have no idea who I am. That’s why I’m sticking to Luis from now on.
Those who know me can pick one name or the other as they please. I don’t have any problems with that.
Hello Tina!
April 10th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Had I known that it would cause so much headaches, I would have sticked with using Sharon online instead of Sasha. Most, if not all, your reasons for choosing to stick with a name are valid and I agree with you. I reckon Luis is easier to market and brand plus if money comes into the picture, any amount sent to that name is easier to claim since that name reflects on official documents (like you said).
Sorry if I seemingly pushed to calling you Luis online but (I think) I call you Elber offline.
I hope it works out for you!
April 10th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
i had the same problem with my best friend. haha. I called her Fatima when everyone was calling her Timmy. Then when everyone started calling her Fatima I started calling her Timmy. O.O And she would get mad at others for calling her what ever I was calling her at the moment. I was the only one allowed to call her that daw.
After a while it got confusing. XD
So…which ever name you prefer is fine with me.
April 11th, 2007 at 6:51 am
[…] I’m plugging myself again, but this is important. Since last week, I’ve been using my real name when blogging. You can still call me (and link to me as) Elber if you want, but I’m using Luis for […]
April 11th, 2007 at 7:22 am
Sasha: I remember our talk about this. Don’t worry - you didn’t push me to change my name. I actually prefer Luis, but it’s hard to keep introducing myself as Luis when so many of my friends introduce me as Elber. At least online, I introduce myself and I can use any name I want.
Alexis: Like I told Tina, whatever name you’re used to or you prefer, use that. Yes, it can get confusing, but at least the people who already know me aren’t likely to get confused.
April 12th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
*stumbled*
I remember forcing people to call me Jeff instead of Toto (my mum is from Iloilo where all boys are Toto). I’d refuse to look back unless someone uses my real name. It was a painful year before everyone settled in with the new name
April 12th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
PS i SO dig your header. it irks me why i don’t have the gift for design
April 12th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
I think people will always call me by nickname, but just for the sake of uniformity, I’m still going to keep introducing myself as Luis. The nice thing about Elber though is that it’s a fairly unique name.
As for the header, thanks! It took me ages to finally decide on the final look - I’m glad somebody likes it.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Hi Luis!
You were introduced to me as Elber but when i found out your full name i decided i like Luis better. Yes Elber is more unique than Luis but to me you will always be Luis. I’ve got other nicknames for you but that is not for public knowledge. 
You know what those other names are. But it really doesn’t matter to me what your name is. What matters to me more is what kind of a person you are. Our names have something in common which is also not for public knowledge and i really like that. 
You know what that is too. You know i think i will just call you…just thought id give this blog comment a try since you mentioned it to me before. By the way, until i met you i didn’t give the name Luis much thought but since i met you i really like Luis… 
April 13th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
I LOVE LUIS!
April 13th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
April 14th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Hi Luis!
I know exactly how you feel as I seem to be in the same boat as you are.
My given name is “Fernando” but most of the people I know call me using my nickname “Mark” even though most of them know my given name.
It really poses a problem on my end since people usually introduce me as Mark then when calling card exchanges occur they ask me why I have a different name in my calling card.
At least on your part Elber was derived from your given name…
Like you also use my given name when placing watermarks in copyrightable materials. Although a name change isn’t really needed on my end as I’ve used my given name on my sites
Good luck to us
April 14th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
hi boyfriend! i knw i dnt say ur name much coz of our nicknames 4 each other but i love the name LUIS because of u. more important than ur name is that I LOVE YOU! Mwahh!
April 14th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
forgot to say i miss you Luis! mwahh!
i love u! (”more 2day than yesterday but not as much as tomorrow”) hehe! 
u might now begin to wish that u didnt ask me 2 write comments on ur blog…haha! im doing this 4 u coz u said u could not get me to do it. just proving u wrong baby! 
April 14th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
@ Shutter Box PHilippines
I’m wondering where in the world Mark came from. As for the card exchanges - yeah, that does get a bit confusing.
April 14th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Hey bear!
You’re going to get people more interested in you than in what I have to say on my own site. News can travel pretty fast in the blogosphere - you do know that, right?
In any case, it’s ok if people are more interested in you - as long as I still get the AdSense dollars. Besides, you’re cuter than I am anyway.
I love you!
April 17th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Hey boyfriend! Glad to know that you are aware and that you admit that I am cuter, way cuter than you!
Hehe! Love ya! 
April 18th, 2007 at 10:57 am
hey… how come we’ve never met “bear aka girlfriend”?? ehehehe! just kidding elb! erm, luis!
hehe 
elder? hehe, just kidding! 
May 3rd, 2007 at 2:42 am
[…] of you, I’m sure, are wondering who a certain “bear” is - you’ve already asked. Some others, I bet, are […]
May 8th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
[…] freelance photographer Luis Cruz laments the perils of having seven names: Even now, I have friends who, despite being in the same circle of friends, choose to call me by […]