Will Ferrell was embarrassed by his name. Expert says it can hit self-esteem.

The first day of school can be nerve-wracking for any child, and for actor Will Ferrell, it came with an added layer of embarrassment. Known professionally as Will Ferrell, the comedian’s real name is John William Ferrell. Recalling his school days on the MeSsy podcast with Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Ferrell shared how hearing the name “John” roll-call made his schooldays awkward.

“On the first day of school, the teacher would be like, ‘John Ferrell,’ and it was so embarrassing to me to have to say, ‘Here. But I go by Will; I don’t go by John,’” Ferrell explained. It often took teachers approximately a week to adapt to calling him Will. He described the experience as “excruciating” and mentioned how it made the beginning of each school year dreadful.

Ferrell was candid about his feelings, admitting he didn’t understand why the name “John” bothered him so much. “It wasn’t by choice. My parents named me John but called me Will,” he noted. “People are probably going to be listening to this going, ‘That is the lamest thing ever,’” he joked. Applegate humorously added they probably lost any listeners named John.

Reflecting further, Ferrell spoke about how his humor played a key role during his school years. “Being funny was an easy way to make friends, not to feel like being an outsider, and it was a way to ingratiate yourself into a group,” he said.

Names hold significant emotional weight for many people, as they are closely tied to our identities. Dr. Annabelle Chow, a clinical psychologist and director at Annabelle Kids, explained that insecurities about one’s name can affect self-esteem and confidence. According to Dr. Chow, a child who feels insecure about their name might struggle with social interactions and forming friendships.

“Used to his loved ones calling him ‘Will,’ he could have formed an emotional connection to this name. His self-concept was built around the ‘Will’ identity, and that was who he had known himself to be,” Dr. Chow elaborated.

It’s not uncommon for celebrities to use different names. For instance, fashion designer Ralph Lauren changed his last name from Lifshitz to Lauren at 16 after being bullied. Similarly, Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, was originally named Ma Yun but adopted the name “Jack” to make it more accessible to a global audience.

A representative for Ferrell did not immediately respond to a request for comment made outside regular business hours.

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