The potentially pretentious middle initial

One of these days, the Web weasel will herd me into a corner and snap at me repeatedly until I write the FAQ for my site. Because I've successfully evaded her teeth and claws thus far, I've left unanswered a pair of related questions I hear frequently: "What's with the 'L.' in your name on all your publications? Isn't 'Mark Van Name' long enough?"

To answer the second question first, yes, my name is long enough without the middle initial. The problem is, without that initial my name provokes a comment that is the answer to the first question, the reason I always include my middle initial:

"Did you know your name was Name [heh, heh]?"

The chuckle is almost always part of the question.

This remark used to really piss me off. Now, I've grown to find it only annoying. If I'm not in a hurry, I try to answer: "Really? I'd never noticed." If the questioner believes me, I know we're unlikely to have a lot to talk about.

You might think this interchange would be rare, but it's common enough that I don't ever plan to drop the "L." from my byline.

(Note to Web weasel: Look, I've written what could be an FAQ entry. Back off.)