Names and how you spell them...

[kristi26]

I am probably being ridiculous, but here goes. Ten years ago, I was pregnant with my second son. DH and I chose his name and how to spell it. It's a completely "normal" name with a "normal" spelling and yet, there are members of his family who continue to spell it wrong.

 

To clear it up, we named him "Lukas." We didn't name him "Lucas."

 

I don't know why it irritates me so much! Maybe it's because I know the offending party can't stand me. Maybe it's because I grew up having my own name misspelled all the time. Maybe it's because the offending party received a birth announcement at his birth with the correct spelling AND even SAW IT spelled correctly on a FB pic and STILL chose to spell it wrong!!!! :glare: This person ALSO misspells my name even though I've been in the family for 10+ years now and always sign my name the exact same way. Her brother (my DH) has a name that is spelled in a less than normal way as does she, and she manages to spell their names correctly...

 

So...am I being ridiculous? Should I just let this one go?

[freesia]

I am probably being ridiculous, but here goes. Ten years ago, I was pregnant with my second son. DH and I chose his name and how to spell it. It's a completely "normal" name with a "normal" spelling and yet, there are members of his family who continue to spell it wrong.

 

To clear it up, we named him "Lukas." We didn't name him "Lucas."

 

I don't know why it irritates me so much! Maybe it's because I know the offending party can't stand me. Maybe it's because I grew up having my own name misspelled all the time. Maybe it's because the offending party received a birth announcement at his birth with the correct spelling AND even SAW IT spelled correctly on a FB pic and STILL chose to spell it wrong!!!! :glare: This person ALSO misspells my name even though I've been in the family for 10+ years now and always sign my name the exact same way. Her brother (my DH) has a name that is spelled in a less than normal way as does she, and she manages to spell their names correctly...

 

So...am I being ridiculous? Should I just let this one go?

If you have spoken to her and she continues to do it, just let it go. It is terribly passive aggressive and you are unlikely to change her behavior. If she is trying to upset you, don't give her the satisfaction.

[Guest]

Sorry this offends you and it is possible that the offending parties do it on purpose. Having said that, I feel that if someone chooses to spell their child's name in an unconventional way, or if they choose an unusual name to begin with, they should accept that people will get it wrong forever and always. This is an annoyance you, quite frankly, invited upon yourself.

 

Honestly, it bugs me when people get mad that people spell their child's name "wrong" by spelling it right. "Lucas" is the most widely accepted spelling of your son's name. By giving him a "kre8tiv" spelling, you should be able to accept that people will forget and spell it the usual way. It is self-centered to hope that people will be able to remember the unusual spelling of your individual child's name out of all the other names in their life. If they happen to spell it "right" by spelling it "Lukas," that's just gravy.

[Unicorn.]

I don't know if she is doing it on purpose, but you can either let it go, or gently tease her about the spelling of her name every time she spells it wrong. Not in a mean way, just laugh about it until she gets it right. Fwiw, I have never seen Lukas spelled w/ a "k", so I don't think it's normal. But I have 2 girls w/ normal names, but not necessarily the "popular" spellings of those names. Dh and I have very normal names, and no one ever spells them right either. I figure if they can pronounce them correctly, we should just let the spelling go.

[AimeeM]

If someone asked me to spell your son's name off the top of my head, I would spell it "Lucas". That is the first spelling that pops into my head with that name.

But I get it. My parents spelled my name "Aimee" instead of "Amy", my sister's names starts with a K instead of a C, like is most often spelled.

 

Could your family possibly just honestly NOT REMEMBER? My grandparents on my mother's side had 8 children; 7 on my father's side. I have a TON of cousins and second cousins - add in my own siblings and their children; my husband's side and... yeah. I hope they don't expect me to remember exactly how to spell their children's names. If they do, and they get upset when I don't, it's a quick way to ensure I stop sending holiday cards. Lol. On that note, no it doesn't bother me when people misspell our names (our last name is CONSTANTLY misspelled!). Where is she misspelling your children's names - I mean, why would she need to spell them that often?

[Pamela H in Texas]

Honestly, some people just spell names wrong. For some reason, they don't "get" the spelling so do whatever comes to mind. They may even think they ARE being mindful about the spelling such as, "I know it isn't what first comes to mind;" but now the correct spelling is first to come to mind so they STILL get it wrong.

 

Can you tell I know someone like this? Honestly, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if my mom spelled my hubby's name with an A instead of an E if she emailed me right this second. It has been 20 years and my mom adores my husband.

 

Love covers a multitude of sins...

Edited October 25, 2012 by 2J5M9K

[Hunter's Moon]

I think you should let it go.

 

Either the offending party is purposely doing it, therefore wanting to upset you, or they do not mean to do it.

 

If it is the former, it hurts no one but you to get upset. If it is the latter, they will likely never change.

[Heather in Neverland]

Lukas is not the "normal" spelling. Lucas is the normal spelling.

 

My maiden name had a silent letter and was always misspelled and/or mispronounced including at my college graduation ceremony! Now my married name sounds normal but has a silent letter and is always misspelled. It's just life.

 

You chose an alternate spelling for your child and he will spend his life correcting people. It's just how it goes.

 

Now, as to your family member... It sounds like there is a much bigger issue going on than just spellings of names here. You suspect the person doesn't like you but if the only way this comes out is in her misspelling of your name and your child's name, then pointing it out will make you look petty because she can always feign innocence.

 

But if it is also coming out in other ways, then you need to address the real issue with her, whatever that is.

 

 

 

.

[AimeeM]

Honestly, some people just spell names wrong. For some reason, they don't "get" the spelling so do whatever comes to mind. They may even think they ARE being mindful about the spelling such as, "I know it isn't what first comes to mind;" but now the correct spelling is first to come to mind so they STILL get it wrong.

 

Can you tell I know someone like this?

 

Love covers a multitude of sins...

:iagree:I'm lucky my dyslexic 11 year old can spell mom and dad... she still misspells her OWN middle name.

[mrsrevmeg]

People misspell my name all the time. Even on facebook where it it there on my wall.:glare: My grandmother misspelled several of her grandchildren's names. She dearly loved all of them. She used to write Greg instead of Craig on my cousin's cards. She always called him Craig, but for some reason could never get it right in writing. It could be an honest mistake. It could be just to get on your nerves. Either way, if you try to not let it bother, you're better off.

[Carrie12345]

One of my dds gets her name spelled "wrong" frequently. On the bright side, it's a name known for multiple spellings, so I don't think for one minute that anyone does it on purpose. It just gets confusing when you know multiple Haleighs with various spellings.

 

We've also had a few people spell Sebastian "Sabastian", Connor with an E, and Jared with two Rs and/or an O. The first time a receptionist asked me to spell Morgan, I almost laughed. She's our easiest one!

 

Signed,

Carrie/Carey/Karry/Kari

[justasque]

So...am I being ridiculous? Should I just let this one go?

 

Let. It. Go. It is not important.

 

She is not out to get you.

Some people just can't spell. Others are horrible with names.

Give her grace.

Focus on the important stuff.

Give thanks that you have the ability to spell well.

Realize that there are other things you aren't so good at; and if they are few in number, give thanks again.

Edited October 25, 2012 by askPauline

[elegantlion]

I always double check on names with multiple spellings. I swear I still have to double check on some of dh's relatives and we've been married 20 years. I assure it's not malicious on my part.

 

My dh has a name people mis-pronounce all the day. There are 3 correct ways to spell his name, but I'm surprised by the number of people who can't pronounce it.

[mazakaal]

Yeah, I think you're just going to have to let it go. This same thing happens to my ds all the time, but I don't think it's intentional. His birth name is Zachary. We've always called him Zack as a nickname and always spelled it with a 'ck.' To me the 'ck' makes more sense than 'ch,' but so many people spell his name with a 'ch:' family members, friends, swim lesson teachers, Sunday school teachers. He finally, at the age of 14, has decided to spell it Zach because he's tired of people misspelling it. Fortunately, it's not something he has to change on a birth certificate since it's just his nickname.

[Kathryn]

Yes, let it go. You picked an unusual spelling. Not everyone focuses on that. And even if they try, not everyone remembers or can spell well.

[CheerioKid]

I have an Erica, and my own parents are the worst offenders. They both spell her name Erika. One would think they are observant enough to notice all the times I spell it correctly, but it just doesn't click. My dad is famous for misspelling things on purpose, so I chalk his up to that. My mom, oy. My mom is my mom. I don't say a word about it...lol!

[Farrar]

I admit that when family members spell my name Farrah, I do roll my eyes a bit. But I don't take offense. I get over it. :) Little things. They know who I am.

[In the Rain]

Lukas with a k may be a correct spelling, but it isn't the most common. I've never seen it. If it bugs your son, have him ask his aunt why she can't spell his name. Maybe she would realize that it is hurtful to him, and knock it off if she is doing it on purpose. If it is accidental, she might be shocked into remembering how to spell his name ;)

[Parrothead]

Let it go. It could be worse. She could be spelling it Bobby.

[a27mom]

Well my father loves me dearly and was involved in naming me, but still regularly misspells my name. I occasionally misspell my nephew's alternate spelling name. I adore my sil and my nephew.

 

My dh's family frequently messes up the preferred spelling of my name. We are very close, and they love me well otherwise.

 

Let it go.

 

I am sorry that you have a tumultuous relationship, but this is probably not a hill to die on since it is commonly innocent behavior.

[Amira]

Misspelled names are normal around here. Both my last name and my husband's are constantly spelled incorrectly, and my first name and two of my children's first names are too. Except for my youngest, our names are not unusual and two of us have standard spellings, but there are alternative spellings that are very common too. Some relatives always get it wrong to varying degrees, others make an effort to get it right, and some just are good at keeping track of the correct spellings. We just laugh about it and assume it's not about us personally.

 

My SMIL (step-mother-in-law) is the worst at this. She was introducing her grandchildren at a wedding a few months ago and called two of my sons the wrong names. One of her sons was mortified and immediately apologized to us, but it honestly didn't bother me because it's a typical mistake for her and she was nervous. Maybe there's more going on, but it's not worth getting mad about.

[Crimson Wife]

Lukas is the traditional Scandinavian spelling, so it is *NOT* a made-up "kre8tiv" spelling. :glare:

 

I feel your pain, OP. My oldest has the Scandinavian spelling of her name to honor MIL's heritage and it gets misspelled so frequently that I wish I had just given her the Anglicized version.

 

OTOH, I can understand why it happens. I always have to double-check on FB whether my SIL's daughter is "Kayley" and my cousin's DD is "Hailey" because I can never remember which has the -ay and which has the -ai in the first syllable.

[Kathryn]

Let it go. It could be worse. She could be spelling it Bobby.

 

:lol: and I agree!

[*********]

Sorry this offends you and it is possible that the offending parties do it on purpose. Having said that, I feel that if someone chooses to spell their child's name in an unconventional way, or if they choose an unusual name to begin with, they should accept that people will get it wrong forever and always. This is an annoyance you, quite frankly, invited upon yourself.

 

Honestly, it bugs me when people get mad that people spell their child's name "wrong" by spelling it right. "Lucas" is the most widely accepted spelling of your son's name. By giving him a "kre8tiv" spelling, you should be able to accept that people will forget and spell it the usual way. It is self-centered to hope that people will be able to remember the unusual spelling of your individual child's name out of all the other names in their life. If they happen to spell it "right" by spelling it "Lukas," that's just gravy.

 

:iagree:

 

Look, I don't know your SIL, so maybe she *is* spelling it wrong on purpose just to get to you. In which case, she's won, hasn't she. :D

 

But I think it's more likely that, since "Lucas" really is the common spelling, she just forgets that it's a "k", not a "c".

 

Meh. My father in law's dad (dh's stepdad's dad), who is 90 years old, thinks my 9yo son's name is Noel. It's not. He's close; the first two letters are right, but the last two letters are wrong. But the man is 90; he's not doing it on purpose. He just doesn't like to wear his hearing aids, so he doesn't pick up on all the 'details'; you know, little things like what his great grandkid's names actually are. :tongue_smilie: We say nothing.

 

You gotta let it go. For your own sanity. :001_smile:

[Dmmetler]

I feel your pain- My DD goes by Alli, as a shortened form of Allison, and constantly gets "Allie" (or Aly) as a written spelling. There are certain people who, no matter how often they see it, don't make that connection. And, in fairness, Allie is the most common spelling for the name, and Aly Teasdale meant that any moms with little girls who watched Disney Channel saw that spelling a lot, so Alli was unusual.

 

I will say it's most frustrating when your child is learning their name and people are still mostly writing it for them-especially if you have a literal-minded kid, as I do/did, who would look at the table at Sunday School when told to find her name, and burst into tears because "My name's not there"-because she hadn't yet made the connection that if you're the only person named Alli/Allie/Aly in the room, ANY of those spellings are YOU! She was absolutely THRILLED when she saw a contestant on "Broadway or Bust" named Alli-and even happier when she met a girl who introduced herself as "I'm Abi! It's short for Abigail, so there's NO Y!"

[Dmmetler]

Yeah, I think you're just going to have to let it go. This same thing happens to my ds all the time, but I don't think it's intentional. His birth name is Zachary. We've always called him Zack as a nickname and always spelled it with a 'ck.' To me the 'ck' makes more sense than 'ch,' but so many people spell his name with a 'ch:' family members, friends, swim lesson teachers, Sunday school teachers. He finally, at the age of 14, has decided to spell it Zach because he's tired of people misspelling it. Fortunately, it's not something he has to change on a birth certificate since it's just his nickname.

 

 

My brother is a Zachary, too, and some of my older relatives persisted in calling him "Scott" (his middle name) until HE was old enough to insist that his name was ZACK because "it's so unusual-I don't know how to say it!"

 

The funny thing was that we lived in an area where Zachariah and Zaccheus were both common boy's names-so there were several years in school where his class had "Zack-K", "Zach-H"," Zac-C" and "Zak-no C", and everyone just called them by the spelling reminder!

[deacongirl]

Sorry this offends you and it is possible that the offending parties do it on purpose. Having said that, I feel that if someone chooses to spell their child's name in an unconventional way, or if they choose an unusual name to begin with, they should accept that people will get it wrong forever and always. This is an annoyance you, quite frankly, invited upon yourself.

 

Honestly, it bugs me when people get mad that people spell their child's name "wrong" by spelling it right. "Lucas" is the most widely accepted spelling of your son's name. By giving him a "kre8tiv" spelling, you should be able to accept that people will forget and spell it the usual way. It is self-centered to hope that people will be able to remember the unusual spelling of your individual child's name out of all the other names in their life. If they happen to spell it "right" by spelling it "Lukas," that's just gravy.

 

I get what you are saying, but "Lukas" does not fit in the category of a "kre8tiv" spelling. My husband is from Germany, our son's name is spelled Lukas because that is how it is tradtionally spelled there. It is not the same thing as invented spellings of some words, or phonetic spellings of Irish names (Shon for Sean). No one in my family has had trouble remembering that it is a "k' instead of a "c". To the OP, yes, it would bug me, but I would also try to choose to let it go.

[MomtoCandJ]

DD's name is often misspelled (we spell it Cali, while others are Callie or some variation there of) My first name Melissa surpisingly is misspelled often, and our last name is ALWAYS misspelled (Mathews, not Matthews).

[Impish]

Let it go. It could be worse. She could be spelling it Bobby.

:iagree::lol:

[AimeeM]

Lukas is the traditional Scandinavian spelling, so it is *NOT* a made-up "kre8tiv" spelling. :glare:

 

I feel your pain, OP. My oldest has the Scandinavian spelling of her name to honor MIL's heritage and it gets misspelled so frequently that I wish I had just given her the Anglicized version.

 

OTOH, I can understand why it happens. I always have to double-check on FB whether my SIL's daughter is "Kayley" and my cousin's DD is "Hailey" because I can never remember which has the -ay and which has the -ai in the first syllable.

Our last name is easy to pronounce in English, but it is spelled decidedly Italian and is ALWAYS misspelled. No big. Since we aren't in Italy, I can't expect others to spell it correctly without constant reminder.

[Guest]

Lukas is the traditional Scandinavian spelling, so it is *NOT* a made-up "kre8tiv" spelling. :glare:

 

 

Okay. My bad. But unless the OP lives in Sweden, people in English-speaking countries will most likely not default to "Lukas."

 

The boy's name I had chosen for my firstborn (who was a girl) was Reece. I was planning to write the anglicized spelling, because I know practically nobody in America is going to understand "Rhys" - the original Welsh spelling. They would not know how to pronounce it and they would not know how to spell it. If I had chosen to go with Rhys, to me I would be accepting this fact for the future - nobody will know how to pronounce it when written and nobody will know how to spell it if they try.

 

As it is, I named her Kyla, with at least a dim awareness that it would probably be confused with the far-more-common "Kayla." This is exactly the case. Even close friends have called her Kayla or Kylie or Kayley. I have taught her to take these mistakes in stride because it's just what happens.

 

That is all I'm saying to the OP and anybody else who chooses to spell their child's name in a way that is uncommon for where they live. You might as well accept that people will constantly get it wrong forever and ever. Mispelling or mispronouncing names is as common as a runny nose, even if one has a typical name that is completely unambiguous. My MIL still writes my name "Dannielle" 18 years into this and my grandmother called me "Don-elle" till the day she died. It's just how it is. People do this even without meaning anything by it.

[mazakaal]

My brother is a Zachary, too, and some of my older relatives persisted in calling him "Scott" (his middle name) until HE was old enough to insist that his name was ZACK because "it's so unusual-I don't know how to say it!"

 

The funny thing was that we lived in an area where Zachariah and Zaccheus were both common boy's names-so there were several years in school where his class had "Zack-K", "Zach-H"," Zac-C" and "Zak-no C", and everyone just called them by the spelling reminder!

 

That's crazy that they each spelled it a different way.

 

I had suggested to ds several years ago that he just spell it Zac (take off the 'hary'), but that was when Zac Efron was becoming popular and he didn't want to be associated with him. :tongue_smilie:

[kitten18]

Let. It. Go. It is not important.

 

She is not out to get you.

Some people just can't spell. Others are horrible with names.

Give her grace.

Focus on the important stuff.

Give thanks that you have the ability to spell well.

Realize that there are other things you aren't so good at; and if they are few in number, give thanks again.

I agree.

You could make a big stink about it...but then you've just made a big stink and she'll probably still spell it wrong.

 

 

Let it go. It could be worse. She could be spelling it Bobby.

:lol: Made me LOL.

 

 

 

I agree that Lukas is a traditional spelling but it's not the most common.

[Guest inoubliable]

I can understand how that annoys you and probably makes you wonder about some people. I have members of my own family who like to "forget" part of my name.

 

Ya gotta let it go. Or you'll just drive yourself nuts over it.

[kaylk in tx]

My name is very easy, only three letters. For 48 years now, my aunt, the sweetest, most generous woman in the world, puts an e on the end. (Kaye instead of Kay) it's just a family joke now, as is the fact that if the birthday cards are on time instead of a week late, it's a miracle. For years I only got belated birthday cards with my name spelled wrong!

 

And my grandmother would spell my brother's name wrong. Brain instead of Brian. But he's a CPA so it turned out to be pretty accurate!

 

In other words, it is totally possible for really nice well-meaning people to spell names incorrectly, over and over and over and over.

[MomtoCandJ]

my Aunt Kate spelled my name wrong for years, I think she might have it now, either that or my cousin Jackie sits next her every time there is a card sent :) Oh and some people just have horrible spelling, like said aunt and my mom.

[Rose in BC]

People misspell my name all the time. Even on facebook where it it there on my wall.:glare: My grandmother misspelled several of her grandchildren's names. She dearly loved all of them. She used to write Greg instead of Craig on my cousin's cards. She always called him Craig, but for some reason could never get it right in writing. It could be an honest mistake. It could be just to get on your nerves. Either way, if you try to not let it bother, you're better off.

 

Heehee is your grandma German . . . My relatives including my mom, call my dh Gerry (rather than Gary). Close but no cigar.

[daffodil]

I would let it go. People are always misspelling my daughter's name, even though it's a traditional name and we used the most common spelling.

[Mom in High Heels]

Let it go. I would spell Lucas with a 'c' and not think twice about. I wouldn't do it to upset you, it's just how I'd automatically write it, even if in my mind I knew it was with a 'k.'

And I can honestly say that I have been there, done that, and own the d@mn t-shirt shop. Not only do I have an unusual name (not kre8tive, just unusual), it also has an accent in it and is not spelled the way it sounds like it should be spelled. There is a long 'o' sound in my name, but no other vowel to make it long. Argh. It is just weird, and there are days when I want to smack my parents soundly. In my life I have met 3 other people with my name (one was a boy) and there was a character in a very famous movie with my name, but they all have a "normal" spelling. There are 2 variations on what could be considered "normal," and while it's still unusual, people know how to pronounce it when they see it written. Europeans have no trouble with my name as it's spelled, because they understand accent marks, but it completely throws Americans off.

It used to drive me crazy when people misspelled my name or couldn't pronounce it, but now...whatever. My baby book, where my family wrote little comments about how freaking adorable I was (totally true, BTW) or hopes for my future, has my name spelled wrong in almost every one. All the cards my parents received (my mom kept the all) have my name misspelled. People just don't know how to spell it and I can't get mad at them. Even if they were doing it on purpose, I wouldn't get mad because that would just being playing into their petty games. Not that I have this problem, I'm just saying.

BTW, I go by my middle name and always have (my parent's choice). I tried going by my first name, which is totally normal and has a totally normal spelling, though people STILL get it wrong, but I never realized people were talking to me, because I was used to my middle name. When I go to the doctor, they always call my by my first and last name. If they didn't call my last name, I probably wouldn't recognize that they're calling me. Both my boys have uncommon names (not unusual, just uncommon), but I made sure it was their FIRST name so they wouldn't feel dumb like I do when someone says their names. ;)

[kristi26]

If you have spoken to her and she continues to do it, just let it go. It is terribly passive aggressive and you are unlikely to change her behavior. If she is trying to upset you, don't give her the satisfaction.

 

I've actually never brought it up to her. At all. That's why I'm asking if I should just let it go and judging from the many responses on this odd topic, I'd say the common consensus is to let it go! :tongue_smilie:

[kristi26]

People misspell my name all the time. Even on facebook where it it there on my wall.:glare: My grandmother misspelled several of her grandchildren's names. She dearly loved all of them. She used to write Greg instead of Craig on my cousin's cards. She always called him Craig, but for some reason could never get it right in writing. It could be an honest mistake. It could be just to get on your nerves. Either way, if you try to not let it bother, you're better off.

 

It's mostly on Facebook where I'm seeing her misspell his name and it's right there on the picture label. I'm glad I'm not the only one then! :001_smile:

[kristi26]

Yes, let it go. You picked an unusual spelling. Not everyone focuses on that. And even if they try, not everyone remembers or can spell well.

 

This seems to be something a lot of people are saying but I didn't think it was unusual at all. :001_huh: Honestly, I thought there were two ways to spell it and so, we picked the one that a) looked better with our last name and b) would make sense when shortened to a nickname (Lukas to Luke). Not trying to be snarky here...just confused by the whole "unusual spelling" thing.

[kristi26]

Let it go. It could be worse. She could be spelling it Bobby.

 

:lol: :lol: That is one FUNNY silver lining! Thanks!

[justLisa]

Well I only saw you mention that she SAW the name spelled. Sometimes you need to hear it out loud.

 

You know why we need spelling? Well not everyone but most kids at some point. Because reading does not always equal knowing how to spell.

 

Just tell her out loud next time it comes up. I wouldn't automatically assume the worse. My name is Lisa and I've been asked how to spell it.

[kristi26]

Lukas is the traditional Scandinavian spelling, so it is *NOT* a made-up "kre8tiv" spelling. :glare:

 

I feel your pain, OP. My oldest has the Scandinavian spelling of her name to honor MIL's heritage and it gets misspelled so frequently that I wish I had just given her the Anglicized version.

 

OTOH, I can understand why it happens. I always have to double-check on FB whether my SIL's daughter is "Kayley" and my cousin's DD is "Hailey" because I can never remember which has the -ay and which has the -ai in the first syllable.

 

Thank you!!! :001_smile:

 

I actually had been letting it go the last 9 years because I figured that "Lucas" is more common and we only saw her misspell it on Christmas cards and birthday cards. I figured she just forgot over the years and it wasn't a big deal. I know she loves HIM so I wasn't worried about it. But she recently joined Facebook. And the other day, I posted a pic of Lukas (note the K, :lol:) holding the tiniest pencil you have ever seen and labeled it saying, "Lukas worked quite hard on this tiny pencil" or something along those lines. She commented and spelled his name wrong again. :confused: It just got me wondering if she's been doing it like that on purpose all along...

 

Or maybe she looked at MY spelling and thought, "Why can't his own mother spell his name right??" :lol: :lol: Seriously kidding...

[kristi26]

I feel your pain- My DD goes by Alli, as a shortened form of Allison, and constantly gets "Allie" (or Aly) as a written spelling. There are certain people who, no matter how often they see it, don't make that connection. And, in fairness, Allie is the most common spelling for the name, and Aly Teasdale meant that any moms with little girls who watched Disney Channel saw that spelling a lot, so Alli was unusual.

 

I will say it's most frustrating when your child is learning their name and people are still mostly writing it for them-especially if you have a literal-minded kid, as I do/did, who would look at the table at Sunday School when told to find her name, and burst into tears because "My name's not there"-because she hadn't yet made the connection that if you're the only person named Alli/Allie/Aly in the room, ANY of those spellings are YOU! She was absolutely THRILLED when she saw a contestant on "Broadway or Bust" named Alli-and even happier when she met a girl who introduced herself as "I'm Abi! It's short for Abigail, so there's NO Y!"

 

And of course, Lukas is my most LITERAL child too! :D

[Jeannie in NJ]

I sometimes spell both my dh and ds names wrong. They have two of the very oldest names in the Bible but their nicknames are much more common so my excuse is that I only have to write their real name on official documents and for dh the problem is is it "eal " or ael that I get confused on and with ds is it "iel" or "ial". I often have to get a piece of scrap paper to see which one looks correct before I write it on any documents.

[kristi26]

I sometimes spell both my dh and ds names wrong. They have two of the very oldest names in the Bible but their nicknames are much more common so my excuse is that I only have to write their real name on official documents and for dh the problem is is it "eal " or ael that I get confused on and with ds is it "iel" or "ial". I often have to get a piece of scrap paper to see which one looks correct before I write it on any documents.

 

Okay, this could totally be a "family issue" then. My DH can't spell his own middle name. :lol: He still asks me to spell it for him. Shh! I didn't tell you that!!!

[Caitilin]

Well, as the proud owner of a very unusual name, I know that people, even long time friends who wish me well, often can't remember the spelling of my name, or, often, the pronunciation. :lol: I have come to respond to nearly any conceivable variant!

 

Signed,

 

Caitilin, not Caitlin, or Katelyn, or Caitlyn:D

[Seasider]

I always double check on names with multiple spellings. I swear I still have to double check on some of dh's relatives and we've been married 20 years. I assure it's not malicious on my part.

My dh has a name people mis-pronounce all the day. There are 3 correct ways to spell his name, but I'm surprised by the number of people who can't pronounce it.

 

At least you bother to double-check it!

 

I have a dd with a European spelling of an easy English name. I am not surprised when folks in general get it wrong. But when close family members repeatedly misspell it, it leaves me shaking my head a bit. I know they know the right way, they just alternate between right and wrong. It is nice of you to stop and be sure!

 

I have been married for 22 years and my mom still misspells my married surname. And she really likes my husband! She just doesn't take the time to make sure she gets it right.