Woman who has same unique

L.A. Cartier, a 36-year-old singer-songwriter from North London, has spent her life trying to convince people her name is real. Her mother created the unique name by combining family surname initials, but the full stops in “L.A.” have led to constant confusion. People often mispronounce her name as “La” or assume she’s hiding her identity, forcing her to show ID to prove it’s legitimate. Online forms also reject the punctuation, so she often has to adapt her name to fit digital systems.

L.A.’s name troubles go beyond everyday inconveniences. Due to a little-known law change that banned full stops in names shortly after her birth, she’s now struggling to obtain a correct copy of her birth certificate. When she requested one, it arrived with her name misspelled as “La,” and officials refused to correct it unless she legally changed her name via deed poll. However, the law now prohibits including full stops in official names, leaving her in a bureaucratic loophole with no clear resolution.