to ask what is wrong with ordinary baby names and spellings?

[FlappyTheBat]

Ok, why do people have to have outlandish names for their children?

Or choose a name that has a completely differentmadeup spelling, so that their child will spend their entire life going "oh no, it's spelt xxxxxx"?

Is there some sort of hierarchy of baby names?

What is wrong with ordinary and easy to spell names?

I'm sure that some people must go out of their way to find the most obscure name possible and post it on mumsnet, just to see what the reaction is!

[CuppaTeaJanice]

I don't think it's the ordinaryness that people want to avoid, just the fact that there might be 5 other kids in the same class with the same name.

I guess if you care enough about your child's name to want the opinion of mumsnetters, then you'd want said name to be used rather than a nickname or surname.

[artlesschaos]

I tend to agree. Afterall, a name is just something to be known by. As a child, a name that is at least spelt in the traditional way is better than an "original" version which (IMO) makes the parents look a little bit stupid.
Both my kids have traditional, boring names and I'm sure they'll be grateful in the long run.

[beaniesinthepumpkinagain]

YANBU, i discoved two yes TWO kenzie's today boak

Although i get alot of weird reactions to dds name, its Lola! cant see the problem myself!

[bosch]

I think the same flappy but I'm afraid I'm probably old enough to be the grandmother of some of these poor children with their made up names...

My (ordinary) name is not so popular now, its just not special in the way that, eg, jaiyne might be? (apols if that's your real name!)

[lalin]

There are thousands of gorgeous normal baby names. Not made up or daft. Just beautiful names. What puzzles me is why they are not used and reception classes are full of the same dozen popular names.

[PurpleEgluggedblood]

I like unusual names. I like individuality and something interesting.

I do not like made up spellings of names though. That is totally pointless.

[TspookyChasm]

There seems to be a backlash though. Loads of post ironic Ednas and Cyrils hoving into fashion these days.

[cakeywakey]

I am very sadly addicted to America's Next Top Model, and there's a girl in the most current season called Kortni instead of Courtney

People must stop it! Spell names properly!

[stickylittlefingers]

if you have a really tediously boring surname, and then your own parents give you a very common first name, it is very enticing to give your own children something a bit more outlandish, so they won't be one of zillions of people with the same name. It happened to me...

[cece]

IMO it is the traditional, correctly spelt names that are now starting to stand out now. How many boys under 10 called John do you know???

[GhoulsAreLoud]

Thread about a thread?

[Heated]

Dh's cousin's dd does have a made up spelling of a perfectly acceptable name because her parents are really that thick and didn't know how it was spelt. She says it's her cross to bear.

[cakeywakey]

Marmalade Atkins was so called because her Dad couldn't remember that she was meant to be called Clementine by the time he got the registrars.

However, in RL, people have no excuse

[Rossco]

I know a Kenzie, he must be about 10 months now. His second name is Kenny.

Named after his GF Kenneth apparently.

[UnquietDad]

When I sign books in schools I always have to check the names. The best I have had so far is Jordin-Gabrielli. Have also had an Ash-lee (yes, the hyphen was part of it).

[artlesschaos]

I know a 12 month old John. I have to be honest I was a little taken aback when I heard what my friend named him...it's just a bit old fashioned and boring but really I suppose it's better than Jack or Tom. Both old men's names and there are zillions in DC's school.
I agree with the poster who said there seems to be about a dozen flavour of the year names that everyone uses. There are so many lovely, normal, traditionally spelt names to choose from. Why does there have to be 2 or 3 Ellie's, Ruby's or Tyler's in each class?

[GhoulishFan]

Someone asked me how to spell DS's name the other day

His name is James.... how many ways is there to spell James?!

[UnquietDad]

Oh, you'd be surprised... jaimes? jamez?

[sweetkitty]

I have an unusual name in that it is two common 70s names with a hyphen, never knew anyone with my name.

I hate it people shorten it without asking, think the second bit of it is my surname, when on the phone especially I have to spell it out all the time and people still don't get it (think it's the accent too though). I have had the mickey ripped out of me all throughout school because of it.

It got so bad I just gave up and shortened it as everyone did anyway.

Think long and hard people, it's not big and it's not clever, a lifetime of having to spell your name or explain it is rubbish

[corriefan]

My 4 yo brother is John but our dad is 61 so quite old fashioned. Everyone says my very unusual name is gorgeous but I always have to spell it out and tell people where it comes from. My 2 have very regular names, with very regular spellings! I do supply teaching and have noticed that in some areas there seems to be a trend for names ending in 'an' or 'on', e.g. Jordan, leighton, curtain and surnames becoming first names.

[beaniesinthepumpkinagain]

now this, i swear on the bible, is a real childs REAL name.

Princess pixie pearl

[corriefan]

Unquiet, my MIL manages to spell her own son's name Jame's in cards etc. She's lovely tho

[nooka]

I like interesting names, properly spelled, with proper provenance. As I have one it would be a pity if I didn't! Sometimes you get caught on the hop though. ds is called after one of the great Kings of England, because dh is a historian, and thought that would be cool. But then an Eastenders baby was called something similar and suddenly there were loads of babies born a year or so after ds with a very similar name. You can't always double guess these things. Then there are circular patterns with names, as in the UK anyway people have a tendency to use names from their grandparent's generation (ie old people's names).

I do blame baby name books for some of the weirder names. My parents used the Oxford English Book of Christian names for naming me and my siblings, which is obviously fairly conservative (although we do have some interesting names). Some baby name books seem to have every variation under the sun that has ever been used, and some web sites are even worse - you can put any variety of nonsense letters in and they will tell you you have entered a "name with unknown meaning". Leading to people deducing that any combination of letters is a name.

[artlesschaos]

I love the name James. Would have loved to have used it for one of mine but it didn't "go" with our surname.
My personal hate (apart from wacko spellings of traditional names) is first names that sound like surnames. eg) Harrison, Maddison.

[bosch]

There are 3 children with ds1's name in his class.

There are 4 with ds2's name in his class.

I don't care and it doesn't seem to bother them. A popular name that suits your child is still a nice name.

I just try to remember that when someone says 'my child is called 'a' but it's spelt 'aiygh' that the child is still the same person in spite of the parents desire to make them seem unusually special...