Friend just had a baby and named her.....

[Guest]

I hate weird name spellings. Don't mind uncommon names at all but please spell them normally.

[IfIOnly]

I like and prefer the names that have a y in them traditionally. There are are few misspelled names that I don't mind, but I'm a whatever-floats-your-boat kind of person as long as it's not really harmful. I do wonder if these parents are thinking through the possible negatives and what they're going to possible put there kids through like constantly being asked how to pronounce their name, having a faddish, cutsey spellling, etc.

 

I was on a baby board ages ago, and this topic came up. I felt like I needed to inform a mom that the spelling she chose for one of her kids was actually not grammatically correct. Every syllable did not have a vowel. She took it as well and had no idea. It was on this subjects, so bringing it up wasn't out of place.

 

I also like more masculine sounding names. I really, really wanted to name our dd Bronwyn. Like so bad! But it was too masculine for dh even though it's a traditionally feminine Welsh name. How Green is My Valley, anyone? So we settled on another Welsh name (DH is 1/4 Welsh and 1/4 English) with a y (very Welsh) in the middle, -wyn name that was more feminine (not too much though-do no like frilly names). We call her Wynnie (not made up!) but mostly Wyn, which when used alone is a traditionally make name in those parts of the world.

 

Anyways, a y in the middle of the name and masculine sounding name liker here. :p

Edited December 12, 2016 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[kentuckymom]

I haven't read this whole thread, but I feel the need to chime in to say that, while I love uncommon names (my daughter is named for a character in a Swedish children's book most people in the U.S. have never heard of), I'm not a fan of uncommon spellings of common names. My son was in ballet for a few years with a girl named Kassydi..... I heard her name for at least a year before I saw it spelled out on something, and then I thought, "Why in the world did her parents do that to her?"  Kassidy I could have understood, but why, oh why, did they decide to have the y and the i change places?

[Julie Smith]

I find onomastics to be fascinating.  The fads that come and go...20 years ago it was all about giving girls traditionally boy names (beginning with Mac/Mc, ending with a form of 'son').  Boys tended to end in an 'n' more: Brendon, Jaden, Hayden..

 

Then names devolved as the internet age broke forth, with it becoming popular to choose spellings like it was a personal email address.  Must be original, with no other spelling like it.  'Y' was thrown in willy-nilly, replacing vowels (Mckynzy), names were spelled backward (Nevaeh), children were named after hobbies/parental likes (Dakota, Espn, Apple). Etymology was thrown out the window.

 

Studies were put out showing teachers and employers use names as a first impression, and misspellings give off the impression of being illiterate, but I don't think that will be a study that has lasting effects as the children from the past 20 years grow up.  Royal/old names are back in fashion, simple things like Cora, Grace, Jack - the class divide between names is slowly disappearing again.

 

I do feel sorry for some children (two here have names pronounced like 'colon', which I wish their parents had thought about before they left the hospital), but it'll be interesting to see how they all end up and if their name is a burden.

 

I think some of the "y"s came in earlier. I have known a Myk (Mike) for almost 20 years, and he was Myk before I meet him. He did it to my unusual.  

[LMD]

When I was sitting through an awards ceremony at college, there was a young woman named Michael. Not Michaeline or Michelle - Michael. In just that half hour or so, I heard many confused mutterings amongst people sitting near me - "did they say 'Michael'? Is that a mistake?...they just said it again! Is it really a girl named Michael?!"

 

As the wife of a man named Kelly, I can tell you that crossing gender associations is problematic, but I grant MIL leeway because Kelly was once a perfectly acceptable male surname-name. She didn't know Charlie's Angels would make Kelly a female-majority name. But naming one's daughter an extremely masculine-dominant name, masculine since Biblical times, does seem to me a really bad idea.

And then the new charlie's angels made Dylan an acceptable girls name! Not to mention Drew!

 

I actually really like boys names on girls...

I adore the name Hazel, without the y. Are they maybe trying to honour someone named hayden? Hayley?

[Guest]

I like and prefer the names that have a y in them traditionally. There are are few misspelled names that I don't mind, but I'm a whatever-floats-your-boat kind of person as long as it's not really harmful. I do wonder if these parents are thinking through the possible negatives and what they're going to possible put there kids through like constantly being asked how to pronounce their name, having a faddish, cutsey spellling, etc.

 

I was on a baby board ages ago, and this topic came up. I felt like I needed to inform a mom that the spelling she chose for one of her kids was actually not grammatically correct. Every syllable did not have a vowel. She took it as well and had no idea. It was on this subjects, so bringing it up wasn't out of place.

 

I also like more masculine sounding names. I really, really wanted to name our dd Bronwyn. Like so bad! But it was too masculine for dh even though it's a traditionally feminine Welsh name. How Green is My Valley, anyone? So we settled on another Welsh name (DH is 1/4 Welsh and 1/4 English) with a y (very Welsh) in the middle, -wyn name that was more feminine (not too much though-do no like frilly names). We call her Wynnie (not made up!) but mostly Wyn, which when used alone is a traditionally make name in those parts of the world.

 

Anyways, a y in the middle of the name and masculine sounding name liker here. :p

I like that a lot. I can totally see calling a girl Wyn.

[Seasider]

When I was sitting through an awards ceremony at college, there was a young woman named Michael. Not Michaeline or Michelle - Michael. In just that half hour or so, I heard many confused mutterings amongst people sitting near me - "did they say 'Michael'? Is that a mistake?...they just said it again! Is it really a girl named Michael?!"

 

As the wife of a man named Kelly, I can tell you that crossing gender associations is problematic, but I grant MIL leeway because Kelly was once a perfectly acceptable male surname-name. She didn't know Charlie's Angels would make Kelly a female-majority name. But naming one's daughter an extremely masculine-dominant name, masculine since Biblical times, does seem to me a really bad idea.

Michael for a woman was in the bible - actually spelled Michal - King David's first wife.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michal

[Farrar]

I've seen Michael as a female name many times. I think of it as being a little weird, but not so weird... not weirder than Dylan as a woman's name.

 

In general, I don't have a problem with genderbending names. I think they're interesting. Obviously they were a trend for naming girls for awhile. My guess is that it'll go the other way and names like Kelly will get a bit reclaimed as people move away from thinking that a name used by girls might taint their son.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Michael for a woman was in the bible - actually spelled Michal - King David's first wife.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michal

 

I was going to say this.  :)  Don't the Bates have a daughter named Micheal?

[IfIOnly]

I like that a lot. I can totally see calling a girl Wyn.

Thank you!

[Guest]

 

C'mon Quill, everyone *knows* the Jellos were boys. Sheesh.

Just in case everybody doesn't already know:

 

https://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/lemonjelo-is-a-real-name/

[Outdoorsy Type]

I wonder if they pronounce the e in Hayzel. When I say Hazel it blends with the l. I think it would be cute as a middle name.

[heartlikealion]

I've seen Michael as a female name many times. I think of it as being a little weird, but not so weird... not weirder than Dylan as a woman's name.

 

In general, I don't have a problem with genderbending names. I think they're interesting. Obviously they were a trend for naming girls for awhile. My guess is that it'll go the other way and names like Kelly will get a bit reclaimed as people move away from thinking that a name used by girls might taint their son.

 

I have a relative that goes by a nickname because they have a name that is seen as mostly for girls. I know it annoys them when they get phone calls looking for some woman. At least that usually means it's a phone call they can ignore lol (like a solicitor).

[ktgrok]

Similarly, I knew a TommiLynn. Now I can't actually remember how the Tommy part was spelled. But she told me her father wanted a boy and declared he was naming his next kid Tommy no matter.

 

My grandma was desperate for a girl. She had a set of male twins, then a singleton male, then another set of male twins. at that point she gave up and named those boys Kim and Kerry. (at least she used the more male spelling of Kerry...but Kim is actually Kimberly I believe...they definitely called him Kimberly a lot). 

[Seasider]

Michael for a woman was in the bible - actually spelled Michal - King David's first wife.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michal

Quoting myself - I should have read to the end before replying with this as it had already been pointed out. But maybe the Michael-for-girls fad started in the 70's because someone filling out the birth certificate didn't realize that the biblical Michal didn't have an "e" in her name.

 

And Quill - my college heartthrob was a Kelly!

Edited December 12, 2016 by Seasider

[Storygirl]

That one actually makes some sense, if she wants a specific pronunciation.

 

I've met Evelyns that pronounce it Eva-lyn, Ev-lyn, and Eve-lyn.

 

It's pronounced in the standard way, like the old fashioned name.

 

But I think everyone who sees the name in its written form will think the first syllable is meant to be pronounced Eva (it's not).

[rose]

I know a woman named Michael. She goes by Michael Ann though Ann is her middle name, not part of her first name. She says she does it because it's less confusing for others.

 

Last name Gello, right?

[Plink]

There are some really weird naming trends out there.  Recently an acquaintance named their baby an Edwardian title (think Baroness or Viscount, not Duke or Earl).  It is so quirky that it has grown on me, but I don't know that I'd choose it for my own child.

[Mimm]

I am always surprised to see people can't even get the simplest of names.  My daughter uses the name "Anna" and even that gets butchered.

 

 

This is true. My sister has an uncommon but certainly not unheard of one syllable name that people mishear and mispronounce all the time. I told her she needs a fake name for things like Starbucks cups and restaurant reservations. :)

[Laura Corin]

My grandma was desperate for a girl. She had a set of male twins, then a singleton male, then another set of male twins. at that point she gave up and named those boys Kim and Kerry. (at least she used the more male spelling of Kerry...but Kim is actually Kimberly I believe...they definitely called him Kimberly a lot). 

 

Kim used to be a male name (cf Kipling); British boys were also often named Kimberley after the battle during the Boer war.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley,_Northern_Cape#Second_Boer_War

 

There's a politician in Britain (male) named Hilary - posh family, normal male name in those circles at that time:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_Benn

[luuknam]

She may change her name as soon as she can legally do so. Unbelievable. Cruel too. If the parents wanted it pronounced the way you indicated, why not select a different spelling. :huh:

 

Because they didn't like kre8tyv spellings?

 

I was on a baby board ages ago, and this topic came up. I felt like I needed to inform a mom that the spelling she chose for one of her kids was actually not grammatically correct. Every syllable did not have a vowel. She took it as well and had no idea. It was on this subjects, so bringing it up wasn't out of place.

 

I've got a kid missing a vowel in one syllable. I tried to get my wife to go with Dimitri, and I lost, so the kid's name starts with Dm. In my defense, if that hadn't been a commonly accepted spelling as well, I would've fought harder. Depending on how you say it it's sort of a half syllable anyway.

[GoodGrief]

My youngest has a simple, and trendy-ish name, Ava. I had no idea how many people would want to pronounce it in the Spanish way (Ah-vah). Or when I say her name, they often want to spell it "Eva". We are not in a part of the country where Spanish is a common second language, so it's been surprising.

[maize]

Because they didn't like kre8tyv spellings?

 

 

I've got a kid missing a vowel in one syllable. I tried to get my wife to go with Dimitri, and I lost, so the kid's name starts with Dm. In my defense, if that hadn't been a commonly accepted spelling as well, I would've fought harder. Depending on how you say it it's sort of a half syllable anyway.

The Dmitri's I have known all have the Dm spelling. I like the Russian nickname of Dima.

[luuknam]

The Dmitri's I have known all have the Dm spelling. I like the Russian nickname of Dima.

 

He goes by his middle name, but yes, Dm is a common form in English. In Dutch it's always Dim though.

[Guest]

My grandma was desperate for a girl. She had a set of male twins, then a singleton male, then another set of male twins. at that point she gave up and named those boys Kim and Kerry. (at least she used the more male spelling of Kerry...but Kim is actually Kimberly I believe...they definitely called him Kimberly a lot).

There is a Kim (male) and a Cary (male) in DH's family. All of these names were originally male names, along with a large number of names we now think of as female names in the US: Ashley, Beverly, Leslie, Kelsey, Shannon and a bunch of other ones.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Unusual naming is nothing new though. My grandfather's given first name was Orange. I think they misheard or spelled Orrin. He had a sister named Rethal. My maternal grandmother was Hazel but her middle name was Pomeroy. I do like vowels though. My dd attended pre-school with Hrmny.

[lauraw4321]

My youngest has a simple, and trendy-ish name, Ava. I had no idea how many people would want to pronounce it in the Spanish way (Ah-vah). Or when I say her name, they often want to spell it "Eva". We are not in a part of the country where Spanish is a common second language, so it's been surprising.

 

How do you pronounce it?

[kewb]

For my kids I would not use a creative spelling. I think it looks weird. I used to be quite judgey in my head about people who got creative.

 

As I have gotten older I have realized who am I to judge. It is really none of my business. It is not my kid and my opinion on how someone chose the name or the spelling is not relevant. I still judge in my head, I am only human, but I try not to gossip about other people's name choices. Just because they are not my choices doesn't make it wrong. It just makes it different. Enough people have gotten creative over the decades to make the creative spelling normal. When gender bending names first started happening their was an uproar from the older community. Now the Y all over the place has become normal. Even with all the spellings I don't like I am glad I live somewhere that allows me to use any name I choose. Some countries are not as free with the names.

 

I have a traditional name that can be spelled with a C or a K. The default is the C. I spent my childhood correcting people. Hayzel will spend a lot of time correcting others. She will hate it. One day she may come to like her unusual spelling. Or she won't and will do something about it.

[marbel]

Not a fan of creative spelling of names either, and definitely a fan of traditional names, but I feel the need to point out that I nearly always need to spell my name, which is traditional and spelled correctly (Margaret), for people, and I have seen some wild variations when people decide to wing it.

 

Margrit

Margrette

Marget

Etc.

[ktgrok]

There is a Kim (male) and a Cary (male) in DH's family. All of these names were originally male names, along with a large number of names we now think of as female names in the US: Ashley, Beverly, Leslie, Kelsey, Shannon and a bunch of other ones.

 

Interesting! I knew some of those but not all of them. 

 

Funny story, a friend of mine has a husband named Shannon. I thought she was a lesbian for YEARS until once she finally referred to her husband as "he" rather than using his name. I nearly did a spit take, lol. When I told her she thought it was hysterical. 

[*Lulu*]

 

Just in case everybody doesn't already know:

 

https://suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/lemonjelo-is-a-real-name/

Y'all, if my sister hadn't spent 13 years in the class with the twins Lemonjello and Orangejello I would think it totally bs too

 

One thing that is common-ish within the black community locally is taking the letters of the names of family members and rearranging them to form the name of the new child. It makes for some interesting names, but is very sweet.

[Guest]

Interesting! I knew some of those but not all of them.

 

Funny story, a friend of mine has a husband named Shannon. I thought she was a lesbian for YEARS until once she finally referred to her husband as "he" rather than using his name. I nearly did a spit take, lol. When I told her she thought it was hysterical.

I have definitely thought numerous times, "I think this person believes my mate is a chick named Kelly." Confusion has also happened when people (like bank tellers) only "know" us as a pair of names with joint bank accounts. They call me Kelly and then get a confused look on their faces when I say, "I'm Danielle." Then they act extra-gracious like, "Hey, I'm open-minded." :D

 

P.S. We also have a friend couple with a male Shannon and a female Chris.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I'm not capable of ever believing lemonjello and orangejello. I'm not going to believe it until I actually meet them myself. I'm with the people who consider this tired old conversation to be racist urban legend. I would really love to see the trend come to an end (of people chipping in this tidbit in every baby name conversation), but snopes tells us we've been doing it since 1917 so probably it will never stop.

 

Crazy baby names do exist -- my mother worked at the board of health, registering birth certificates, and she did see some doozies (her favorite was "Darling Soda Pop") but she never saw lemonjello, orangejello, or la-a (la-dash-a).

Edited December 12, 2016 by Tibbie Dunbar

[Miss Tick]

My dd attended pre-school with Hrmny.

How is that pronounced??? Herman-y? Hermione? Harmony? Must be Harmony.

[Joyofsixreboot]

How is that pronounced??? Herman-y? Hermione? Harmony? Must be Harmony.

Yep, Harmony.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[HomeAgain]

I'm not capable of ever believing lemonjello and orangejello. I'm not going to believe it until I actually meet them myself. I'm with the people who consider this tired old conversation to be racist urban legend. I would really love to see the trend come to an end (of people chipping in this tidbit in every baby name conversation), but snopes tells us we've been doing it since 1917 so probably it will never stop.

 

Crazy baby names do exist -- my mother worked at the board of health, registering birth certificates, and she did see some doozies (her favorite was "Darling Soda Pop") but she never saw lemonjello, orangejello, or la-a (la-dash-a).

 

There used to be a site devoted to this whole topic - Baby's Named A Bad, Bad Thing.  It's gone away now, but they explored every urban legend name thoroughly (including the Jello twins, Sh*thead, Cannabis and his sister Sativa).  All thoroughly debunked.  Unless there is hard evidence to the contrary they'll just have to go down as the myths handed from generation to generation. :)  Goodness knows there are enough really bad names out there. I went to school with a Burley D*ck, Jr - it wasn't enough for there to be one in the family , I guess.  And unfortunately that can be easily verified due to his prison stint.

[The Girls' Mom]

I have a common name that my parents used an unnecessary Y in.  It is annoying.  Combined with my last name, which is also difficult to suss out the spelling from hearing it, I am constantly spelling my name. It does get kind of old.  

 

On gender associated names:  We have a female friend with the same name as my husband (and it is a very common male name).  I went to school with a girl named Shawn (not Shawna, but Shawn), and a guy named Ashley (I had such a crush on him!!!) Oh, and one of my closest friends has a brother named Claire. She said that many a fight happened over his name.  My oldest dd's name was traditionally male until her generation, then it flipped to female.  To her annoyance, I chose the more feminine spelling, which also happens to be the one that no one ever spells correctly.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Dropping in to say that while I was typing a final exam last night I used the name Hayzel in one of the examples. :hat:

[Granny_Weatherwax]

<snip>  I went to school with a girl named Shawn (not Shawna, but Shawn)<snip>

I've only ever known females who spell it Shawn. The males I've known spell it Sean or Shaun.

[The Girls' Mom]

I've only ever known females who spell it Shawn. The males I've known spell it Sean or Shaun.

Really?  I went to school with two male Shawns.  Maybe it is regional?  I didn't even know it was traditionally spelled Sean until Sean Astin became famous. (it took my friends and I wayyyyy too long to realize it wasn't pronounced SEEN)

[StaceyinLA]

Crazy spellings drive me a little bonkers. My dd has a friend named Merydyan (pronounced Mur i dee un, like the city in Mississippi). Every time I see it I want to say Merry Dianne.

 

Of course I shouldn't really speak. I was young and stupid once and my oldest daughter's middle name is Margaret, after my first name, but I spelled it MARGRET because I thought that second A was unnecessary. Now it just looks like I didn't know how to spell. :0

Edited December 12, 2016 by StaceyinLA

[Lady Florida.]

When I was sitting through an awards ceremony at college, there was a young woman named Michael. Not Michaeline or Michelle - Michael. In just that half hour or so, I heard many confused mutterings amongst people sitting near me - "did they say 'Michael'? Is that a mistake?...they just said it again! Is it really a girl named Michael?!"

 

As the wife of a man named Kelly, I can tell you that crossing gender associations is problematic, but I grant MIL leeway because Kelly was once a perfectly acceptable male surname-name. She didn't know Charlie's Angels would make Kelly a female-majority name. But naming one's daughter an extremely masculine-dominant name, masculine since Biblical times, does seem to me a really bad idea.

 

OMG, do you know my ex-stepbrother's daughter? LOL Actually I doubt it was her but he did name his daughter (born around 1970 - I don't remember exactly) Michael, with the middle name Ann. It was a big deal at the time - kind of like A Boy Named Sue, which was a popular song then.

 

As for your dh's name and the male/female majority name, that happened with quite a few names. I have a male cousin named Kerry, which is now a girl's name but was a popular boy's name for those of Irish descent when he was born. As one of the older boardies, I see quite a few names used now for the opposite gender than used to be common. And there were different spellings to tell you the gender too. For example Frances was female, Francis was male (Frank Sinatra was Francis). I also remember Lindsay (female) Lindsey (male). 

[mellifera33]

I am always surprised to see people can't even get the simplest of names.  My daughter uses the name "Anna" and even that gets butchered.

 

 

 

I don't know, I'm always corrected when I say the name Anna. If I try a short a at the beginning, it was supposed to be an /ah/ sound. If I use /ah/ at the beginning, it's supposed to be a short a. I can't win even with easy names!

[*Lulu*]

I'm not capable of ever believing lemonjello and orangejello. I'm not going to believe it until I actually meet them myself. I'm with the people who consider this tired old conversation to be racist urban legend. I would really love to see the trend come to an end (of people chipping in this tidbit in every baby name conversation), but snopes tells us we've been doing it since 1917 so probably it will never stop.

 

Crazy baby names do exist -- my mother worked at the board of health, registering birth certificates, and she did see some doozies (her favorite was "Darling Soda Pop") but she never saw lemonjello, orangejello, or la-a (la-dash-a).

I agree. Like I said, if I hadn't met them myself I would not ever have believed it. The next time I am at my mother's house I will see if I can find one of my sister's yearbooks.

 

One of my friends in college went by Camille, but her birth certificate says Carmille Evidently her mom was still groggy when the nurse was filling out the paperwork and it wasn't until after the official birth certificate arrived her mother caught the error.

[*Lulu*]

A name I suggested, but was shot down on, was Louise. It is a good thing DS#2 was a DS because we could not agree on another female name at all.

[Miss Peregrine]

I gave my dd16 a boy's name/surname. We've encountered more girls with it than boys. Actually, it was a man in his 50's, lol. I think it sounds better as a girl's name anyway.

[Bluegoat]

When I was sitting through an awards ceremony at college, there was a young woman named Michael. Not Michaeline or Michelle - Michael. In just that half hour or so, I heard many confused mutterings amongst people sitting near me - "did they say 'Michael'? Is that a mistake?...they just said it again! Is it really a girl named Michael?!"

 

As the wife of a man named Kelly, I can tell you that crossing gender associations is problematic, but I grant MIL leeway because Kelly was once a perfectly acceptable male surname-name. She didn't know Charlie's Angels would make Kelly a female-majority name. But naming one's daughter an extremely masculine-dominant name, masculine since Biblical times, does seem to me a really bad idea.

 

I know a woman named Michael, she's in her 70s.  It's unusual, but not unheard of.

Edited December 12, 2016 by Bluegoat

[bibiche]

Kim used to be a male name (cf Kipling); British boys were also often named Kimberley after the battle during the Boer war.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley,_Northern_Cape#Second_Boer_War

 

There's a politician in Britain (male) named Hilary - posh family, normal male name in those circles at that time:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_Benn

Yep. I have male friends and relatives named Tracey, Stacey, Casey, Kelly, Ashley, Lesley, and there is even an Evelyn ( he is older). They are all fine with their names.

 

I also was at school with a girl named James.

[maize]

He goes by his middle name, but yes, Dm is a common form in English. In Dutch it's always Dim though.

Is it a common Dutch name?

 

The Dmitri's I have known were Russian, there is no i between the D and M in the Russian version of the name: ДмиÌтрий

[Laura Corin]

Yep. I have male friends and relatives named Tracey, Stacey, Casey, Kelly, Ashley, Lesley, and there is even an Evelyn ( he is older). They are all fine with their names.

 

I also was at school with a girl named James.

 

Evelyn is an interesting one: Evelyn Waugh was married to a woman named Evelyn.  Their friends referred to them as he-Evelyn and she-Evelyn.

 

I know a 23yo male Ashley (American).