Do "strangely" spelled names bother you?

[Parrothead]

A lot of times they don't bother me, but one is just a peeve for me to see. Do names that are spelled differently from the common spelling bother you? Something like Ralff instead of Ralph. No, I haven't actually seen Ralff. I don't want to say the one that sets me off because it is a fairly common name nowadays. Someone might get offended.

[tibbyl]

No, not at all.

[Parrothead]

Yeah, I know this is coming from a woman who spells Chuckie without the "e."

[Tutor]

My oldest boy has what others consider an "odd" spelling of his name... we simply see it as a variation and have taught him to kindly correct people when they misspell it. Not a big deal. I have a very common name and am amazed at how often it is misspelled or I am asked how to spell it.

[Melinda in VT]

Oh dear Lord, yes.

 

Sometimes I think the French have it right--baby names must be picked from an approved list.

[Alphabetika]

I'm a name fanatic and I like it when people have creatively-spelled names. I do think parents should take into account when they name their kids that if they spell their names TOO creatively, their kids may have to endure lifetimes of mispronunciation.

 

Although, I have to say, even what seems like an obvious spelling can be mispronounced by someone who isn't familiar with the name. My name is Erika and I can't even tell you how many teachers on my various first days of school called me "Eureka.":tongue_smilie:

[Word Nerd]

Variations on names are fine, but kre8tiv or cutesy spellings make me :001_rolleyes: and cause me to question the parents' intelligence. (Not saying that's a reasonable reaction on my part, but if someone names their kid Jawknee instead of Johnny, for example, I think it's to be expected.)

Edited October 18, 2008 by WordGirl

[Alenee]

Yes.

 

I get parents wanting to be "different," I suppose, but I can't help think of the poor child who will forever be correcting people on the proper spelling of his or her name.

 

It's not the most important thing, I know . . . still. Does it bug me? Yes.

 

My thoughts exactly! It goes along with my pet peeve of seeing advertising schemes with misspelled words like Daze instead of Days or Toyz instead of Toys. When you've got early readers and you're trying to instell proper spelling and phonics and they begin to read every sign around, this irks me!

[Tap]

It doesn't bother me but sometimes names look ugly to me when spelled weird.

 

Sometimes names seem like they sound different too. The name Jacob has a soft sound to me, Jakub has a harder sound, with more emphasis on the 'ub' part.

 

 

ETA Jakob or Jakub aren't ugly, just a different example of how the spelling affects me.

Edited October 19, 2008 by Tap, tap, tap

[Elaine]

Variations on names are fine, but kre8tiv or cutesy spellings make me :001_rolleyes: and cause me to question the parents' intelligence. (Not saying that's a reasonable reaction on my part, but if someone names their kid Jawknee instead of Johnny, for example, I think it's to be expected.)

 

I could not agree more. I truly do not understand the whole exotic/strange spelling phenomemon anymore than I understand the last names as first names thing.

[Crissy]

Only if the strangely named person gets irritated if I don't automatically spell her name correctly.

[Parrothead]

I could not agree more. I truly do not understand the whole exotic/strange spelling phenomemon anymore than I understand the last names as first names thing.

The last names for first names I understand a lot more.

 

I've looked up the name that bothers me on a couple baby name sites. One site had the name the way I would spell it and 7 variations. The other didn't even have the "correct" spelling.

 

I'm going to have to learn not to let it bother me because it looks like the old spelling is becoming extinct. Maybe in 20 years the older spelling will come back in fashion as a "new" unique spelling.

[swellmomma]

nope, of course my own Ceilidh has a strangely spelled name

[lynn]

Yes, I like things simple. However, it does annoy me with last names. My maiden name was Gagnon and no one could get it right even though it is spelled exactly like it is pronounced. Same with my last name name it's spelled exactly as pronounced but people can not, CAN NOT, get it right the first time and even mess up when it's spelled out to them:001_huh::glare:

[Anne]

nope, of course my own Ceilidh has a strangely spelled name

 

Doesn't seem strange to me - how else WOULD you spell "Ceilidh"???

 

Anne

[swellmomma]

Doesn't seem strange to me - how else WOULD you spell "Ceilidh"???

 

Anne

 

 

that's what I say! Funny story, when she went to kindy in ps there was 3 of them with the same name, none of them spelled the same. There was Kaylee, CayLeigh and then my Ceilidh. WHen they would tells subs their names, they would say Kaylee with a K, Kaylee with a C and mine would pipe up I am Kaylee with 2 i's. SHe would never even mention the dh just emphasize the 2 i's goofy girl.

[Crissy]

nope, of course my own Ceilidh has a strangely spelled name

 

 

I don't have a single clue how to pronounce your child's name. Nor whether it's a girl or a boy.

 

:001_huh:

[swellmomma]

I don't have a single clue how to pronounce your child's name. Nor whether it's a girl or a boy.

 

:001_huh:

 

 

lol it is my dd's name and is pronounced Kaylee, just with the Gaelic spelling

[Melinda in VT]

I don't have a single clue how to pronounce your child's name. Nor whether it's a girl or a boy.

 

:001_huh:

 

Me either (but she explains it in a later post).

[keptwoman]

Oh dear Lord, yes.

 

Sometimes I think the French have it right--baby names must be picked from an approved list.

 

I totally agree!!

 

My personal peeve is random y's where i's should be.

[SW in IL]

I've learned that you have to spell out everything no matter how common the spelling is. Our last name is Wilson. I've been asked so many times whether it's with one or two Ls that now I automatically spell it out. My oldest is Catherine "with a C". And some people can't understand why my youngest daughter's name is spelled Debra instead of Deborah. And my maiden name... well, you get the idea.

 

In light of all the different ways to spell even common names (Jaymes instead of James?), I don't even flinch when I hear of someone spelling out their names in a different manner from what I'm used to. It's some of the unual names themselves that get me shaking my head and asking why.

 

Sue (common spelling, as least as far as I know)

[Sparkle]

Yes, it bothers me. I think people mistakenly think they're being "original", when it usually just ends up looking like they don't know how to spell.

[Melinda in VT]

When we went for preschool orientation, the teacher asked my twins if they could pick out their name on the bulletin board. My son could. My daughter couldn't. The teacher said it was probably due to the way the I was written (just a straight line).

 

I said no, it's probably because that's not how we spell her name. (Isabel/Isabelle)

 

There is a child we know whose name is a common noun--but not spelled the way you find it in the dictionary.

[Crissy]

lol it is my dd's name and is pronounced Kaylee, just with the Gaelic spelling

 

Ahhh. Thanks for explaining.

 

As I said in my earlier post, unique spellings don't bother me.

I wonder, though, if you worried at all about folks not being able to pronounce, or even recognize Gaelic when you were deciding on her name.

 

Does it bother her at all?

[Saille]

Occasionally...the many, many variations on Brianna bug me, for no good reason. The toughest one I saw was Brieannah.

 

OTOH, my youngest is named Graeme. We've gone with very traditional English names for all three children (first names, anyway), but we liked the older spelling better than Graham. I've heard people complain about spellings that were unusual, but very very old, (like Ceilidh), and in those cases, I just felt that the squeaky wheel was poorly informed.

 

Overall, though, I am fascinated by names of all sorts, although I do agree with Ariel Gore that it is not nice to name your child Cappuccino.

[Paz]

Yes, what bothers me is when I can't figure out what the name is and I am good at phonics. :lol: I know one day at work my brother and I spent an hour trying to figure out how to pronouce a customer's name. When I called to leave a message on her machine she said her name and it was something really common. Neither of us had any idea that was her name because of the way it was spelled.

[Angel]

Nope. I'm one of those parents.:D I have a large extended family and really didn't want to duplicate a name. I also like unique spellings. Therefore, I have a Skyeler and a Alyxandra. It's all about the "y." I don't get upset if people can't spell their names. I made them different so I expect people to mess up. I'm ok with that. My older dd loves her name, different name, different spelling and all. Youngest dd is going through a phase where she doesn't like her name...she wants to be called Lily.:001_rolleyes: It has nothing to do with being spelled different, though. I have cousins named Smokey and Rocky, though, so my view may be a little different:lol:

[Lizzie in Ma]

It does bother me. I am a bad person.:001_unsure:

[Zelda]

They do bother me.

 

My real name is one that is one that is impossible to intuit the spelling from the pronunciation or the pronunciation from the spelling for speakers of any language other than Vietnamese. But, if you are from one region of Vietnam you will pronounce it profoundly differently than if you are from the region where my mother was born. Of course I now live in an area of California where the large population of Vietnamese immigrants are from the other region so my name gets mispronounced by English and Vietnamese speakers pretty much anytime I leave the house.

 

To "simplify" things, my parents gave me an "American" first name when I was born figuring they would switch to that name once my father (an American soldier) got us over here. That one gets misspelled and mispronounced almost as frequently as my Vietnamese name even though it is not at all unusual. Its a common name similar to "Joanne". But this gets to me. No one ever looks at "Joanne" and says, "Joan". But and this gets to me, they do that to my name all of the time! Just ignore the "-ne" at the end completely.

 

So, I'm in favor of very, very clear names. Ann. No extraneous -e to throw people off.

 

If you need your kid to be different, I beg you, give them a funny haircut instead of a name with a quirky spelling.

[Word Nerd]

I do know someone named Joan, but it's pronounced like JoAnn.

[WTMCassandra]

Yes, MINE. My mother said "Everyone was naming their daughters Cheryl. I wanted yours to be different."

 

Yah, mom, you succeeded. I've only met two other S-H-E-R-R-I-L-L's in my entire life. I've had people in my life where it took them 8-10 years to learn how to spell the blasted thing.

 

I tried to choose names for my children that weren't soooo common like John or Mary, but each one is spelled completely like you would expect. No spelling surprises for this next generation.

 

P.S. It doesn't bother me when people mess it up. I expect it. Just thought I would clarify. I just have a mad moment in my mom's direction each time.

Edited October 19, 2008 by WTMCassandra

[Zelda]

I do know someone named Joan, but it's pronounced like JoAnn.

 

:crying:

[Daisy]

The only time it bothers me is when beads of sweat pop out on my forehead because after the 400th time, I still cannot remember how to pronounce it correctly.

 

By the way, my name is Daphyne, so I probably don't have the right to complain. :)

[WTMCassandra]

Oh, I have a funny to tell on my SIL on this one. She is not talented with the written word (although she has many other talents that I highly respect).

 

She meant to name her daughter Rebekah (from the Bible) but got it wrong on the birth certificate: Rebekkah.

 

After some people gently pointed out that she had made a mistake, she decided to leave it anyway. Those 'K's seem a bit much to me, but it's her daughter, not mine, so, oh well!

[Parrothead]

Yes, it bothers me. I think people mistakenly think they're being "original", when it usually just ends up looking like they don't know how to spell.

I think that may be how the name that bothers me ended up being spelled the way it is now most common.

 

I've seen Joann spelled Joan.

[Caroline]

My younger sister decided she wanted to be Kathi instead of Kathy. My mom then started writing mommy as mommi.

[Zelda]

My younger sister decided she wanted to be Kathi instead of Kathy. My mom then started writing mommy as mommi.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[coffeefreak]

The cool thing about having a unique or different spelling to your name (or a unique name altogether, like me:D) is, when you get junk mail that's incorrect, you know who sold your name. Not only that, when telemarketers call and I accidentally pick up the phone, I can ALWAYS, HONESTLY say, "there's no one here by that name." My dd's have what are considered "alternative spellings" to their names. But I didn't consider them alternative. Those were the spellings I liked and picked out.

[Rhonda in TX]

Yes, it does. I know it shouldn't, but it does.

[Ria]

Goodness, no. I see lots of interesting names working in the pharmacy! I can't imagine why it would bother me the way someone spells his/her name.

 

The only names I feel anything about are the twin names - and probably because I'm a mom of twins. The rhyming names bother me. On their own the names are fine, so once the kids are grown it won't matter. Cutesy names bother me, too... honestly, when my twins were younger, I knew a mom who named her boy/girl twins Jack and Jill. :confused:

 

Ria

[Ellie]

Yes. They make me crazy. I've seen the results of common names spelled differently, everything from trying to look up a name in the telephone book (for those who actually remember telephone books, lol) to banking mistakes and more.

[Kanga]

I feel sympathy for the recipient and annoyance with the parents. I have a very unusual first name, which my mother would not let me shorten when I was a minor. I have two different nicknames that I go by now and my dc have normal names with traditional spelling!

[Zelda]

I feel sympathy for the recipient and annoyance with the parents. I have a very unusual first name, which my mother would not let me shorten when I was a minor. I have two different nicknames that I go by now and my dc have normal names with traditional spelling!

 

Sooooo...not the names in your sig line? Because I don't consider that the traditional spelling of Kangatwo. ;)

[beansprouts]

A lot of times they don't bother me, but one is just a peeve for me to see. Do names that are spelled differently from the common spelling bother you? Something like Ralff instead of Ralph. No, I haven't actually seen Ralff. I don't want to say the one that sets me off because it is a fairly common name nowadays. Someone might get offended.

 

If there is a specific etymology, alternate spellings don't bother me. For example it does not matter to me whether people use the Hebrew spelling of "Rebekah" or the modern variant "Rebecca". However, when people just make up spellings for no reason other than to be different, it does bug me.

[camibami]

It doesn't bother me, but I wouldn't do it. That said, I have an older DD with the English spelling of a name- we *DID NOT* make it up, but everyone thinks its kre8tively spelled. Its in the dictionary, just that way,for pete's sake! We didn't make it up!

 

And my youngest has a botanical name (think daisy or rose, but not those, LOL) and no one ever gets that its a tree. A celeb named her DD the same name, but spelled different, so now we get the "oh its spelled differently!" when in fact my DD's is spelled just exactly like the tree. The tree no one has ever heard of.:confused:

 

So my take on it, when people think I made up the spellings, is that they must not read. Because they really aren't that "out there" in the name department, honest. Not common, but certainly not parent-created. Not that there is naything wrong with names that *are*, IMO. You pop the kid out (or go through the hassle of adoption)=you get to pick the name, and not the general public!

[beansprouts]

lol it is my dd's name and is pronounced Kaylee, just with the Gaelic spelling

 

that's neat

 

i do like interesting name origins

[beansprouts]

Youngest dd is going through a phase where she doesn't like her name...she wants to be called Lily.:001_rolleyes:

 

My dd wanted to be "Lily" too!

[fiddledeedee]

My maiden name was a very common last name, and my married name is even more common. My husband has a common first name, and anytime someone has to look him up, we spend minutes trying to narrow it down. I have a less common first name, and there's always a few with the same name, but nowhere near like my DH.

 

That said, we named our eldest daughter Cady. We liked the name, and also that it gives a little bit of distinction considering our last name. It's pronounced just like Katie, is the middle name of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, yet nobody can figure it out. She's called Cody or Caddie all the time. I can't figure out how people know to say 'lady', but not translate that over to her name. It never occurred to me it would have as many problems as it does.

 

That said, I still love her name, and I'm not sorry we named her Cady!

[beansprouts]

Sooooo...not the names in your sig line? Because I don't consider that the traditional spelling of Kangatwo. ;)

:lol:

[SonshineLearner]

When I looked up "Caley" it said that the Gaelic meaning was "slender" and that it was a male name. I never even saw that there was a "more authentic" way to spell it. I used it because I had only heard one person (girl) named Caley. She learned to spell her name because it irritated her that people thought she was saying "Katie." She was 3 and wow...after you heard her spell it...(loudly) you knew her name!

Carrie:-)