What life is like when you have an unfortunate surname

What life is like when you have an unfortunate surname5 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAndy MycockSimon BuckleySurnames: they're a key part of our identities.They're how we remember other people and how they remember us. But for those of us born with, well, unfortunate surnames, life can bring unique challenges.My name is Andy Mycock. Go on: now's your time to laugh.I'm an academic (yes, I'm Dr Mycock) and much of my adult life has been shaped by my surname - covering up name tags, mumbling my name and trying to beat people to the inevitable joke. But I've had enough, and it's time for a change. I'm beginning a journey 58 years in the making.I'm going to learn to love Mycock.Simon BuckleyFor the first 18 years of my life, I had no idea my surname was funny. I grew up in Buxton, a market town in Derbyshire, where Mycock is a popular name. There are more than 2,000 in the UK, give or take.We're all said to have descended from Solomon Mycock, a 19th Century farmer and publican in Buxton - there's even a temple in his name at the top of the hill in the town. So growing up as Andy Mycock, I definitely didn't stand out.My life changed profoundly when I moved to Salford to go to university. On my first day, I quickly noticed that people laughed at my name when I was enrolling for my course, collecting my Students' Union card, and opening a student bank account.For the first time in my life, I shrank with embarrassment. I realised my new life in the city would see me become the butt of many people's jokes.Peter Thompson/Heritage Images/Getty ImagesSolomon's Temple, officially known as the Grinlow Tower, was built in 1834 by Solomon Mycock in order to provide work for the unemployed of BuxtonOn a daily basis, when phoning my bank or mobile phone provider, or going to a shop to pick up a parcel, I know someone is either going to laugh openly in my face or pull that wonderful face where t...