My Grandfather Misspelled My Mother's Name Causing Years of Beuracratic Mistakes So I Guess This is Traditional

I was thinking today about how I don't know how to spell my middle name.

That sounds ridiculous doesn't it? I am 28 years old. I am reasonably intelligent. I should know how to spell my own fucking name right? But I don't and neither do my parents.

My middle name is Ann, or Anne (everyone who thought my real first name is Anyabeth and just realized how cruel Anyabeth Ann(e) would be I am sorry). Growing up my mother taught me to spell it Anne, which is how my grandmother's name is spelled. That is how it was spelled on my school records and on my social security card.

Fast forward to applying for my driver's permit, and the yet unnoticed discrepancy on my birth certificate. ANN. No e.

My mother says that since my middle name is from my grandmother's name that of course it would be spelled the same way (this makes stylistic sense too, because my sister's middle name Suzanne has an e--or DOES IT? Shit, I THINK IT DOES). My dad claims that they didn't want her to think it was for her, they just like the name, so of course they didn't spell it that way.

My guess is since in the 70's in Iowa father's filled out the birth certificate, my dad spelled it his way, and when my mom applied for my social security number she spelled it her way. And they never actually talked about it.

So when I added J's last name to my name (somehow keeping all three of my prior names) I think I decided what spelling to use.

I just can't remember which one it was.

BRILLIANT