Sometimes life gives you a name that’s perfectly normal — until your workplace email system turns it into a punchline.
That’s what happened to Samantha Hart, a 28-year-old from the U.S., whose company used a standard formula for employee emails: first initial plus last name. The result? “shart.” “I’ve had two jobs, and both times my work email was ‘shart,’” she laughed awkwardly in her viral TikTok. “It’s not exactly how you want to introduce yourself.”
When she started a new corporate job last year, the dread returned. “Every time, it’s the same conversation with HR,” she explained. “They always realize… and it’s always uncomfortable.”
Her story sparked a flood of replies from others with equally unfortunate email combos — from “Clittmann” to “Swallo.” One commenter joked, “At least yours is funny; mine got flagged by IT!”
Now, Samantha says she’s had enough. “When I get married, I’m changing my last name,” she shared. “No more ‘shart’ emails ever again. What a lovely feeling that will be.”
Sometimes, it’s not heartbreak or loss that drives a name change — just the relief of finally escaping an email address you could never say with a straight face.
