Woman who has same unique name as US city forced to show people her ID to prove it’s not fake
Bec Oakes
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
A north London woman with a rather unique name says she's spent her whole life trying to convince people that it's real, and has faced further set backs thanks to a little-known law change shortly after she was born.
The 36-year-old's mother came up with the unusual moniker by combining the initials of surnames from both sides of her family, but it's caused a few hiccups down the line.
Now, the singer and social media creator spends her time correcting people's pronunciation of it and admits she even has to show them her ID to prove the name she shares with a US city isn't fake.
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L.A. Cartier is a singer-songwriter from north London.
She's convinced that she's the only person with her unusual name and shared the difficulties she's faced because of it on TikTok.
L.A. said: "People think I don’t want to give them my real name.
"Or that it’s a fake name or that I’m trying to withhold my real name — so sometimes I have to show my driver’s license to prove it.
"People ask how I spell it and think it’s Ellay I say 'no, it’s just L dot A dot.'"
She continued: "It’s just having to explain every time, and the conversation that has to happen before they understand.
"Whenever I write my name online I have to type it as an L and a small a as it wont go into the system.
"Anything I sign up for online, I don’t put the dots in as none of the systems will accept it.
"People call me and say is this 'La' and I correct them and they still don’t know what it is.
"Some call me Cartier and think L.A. is a mistake."
But L.A.'s problems go beyond awkward introductions.
Her already unique name was made even more unusual by the added full stops after each letter. However, shortly after she was born, full stops in names became forbidden by law.
Now, she's struggling to obtain a copy of her birth certificate because of it.
After requesting a copy of the certificate, she was first sent one with her name spelt 'La' despite the original saying L.A.
The General Register Office (GRO) now refuses to correct the spelling error unless she changes her name, something she is unable to do because of the change in law since she was born.
L.A. explained: "When they gave me the [birth certificate] copy, they put it as 'La' and I went back and told them this is not how it’s spelt.
"They said it was correct, and I told them it can’t be. They need to go by my original birth certificate.
"They’re telling me I need to go to deed poll to change it to L.A. but I can’t change it as the law states you’re no longer allowed full stops now.
"So it’s just been left at that for now."