Spelling it out?

[TalkingofMichaelAngel0]

I know having to spell it out puts some people off a name, but how often would you need tondo this?

When do people usually have to make sure their first name is spelled correctly and how often does this actually occur?

[RuthB4]

Surprisingly often for me! Just things like phoning up regarding my insurance/union membership/conference registration etc etc. Or opening a store card. Or booking an excursion on holiday. Or going to pick up an undelivered parcel. Or giving someone my work email address etc etc.

[1horatio]

Well, rather often.
But it has honestly never bothered me :)

[shaggedthruahedgebackwards]

I would imagine that if you choose a name with more than one commonly used spelling, or you choose an unusual spelling of a well known name then you (and your child) will face a life long of spelling it out

I'm sure the frequency of having to do so will decease gradually over time but it will never disappear completely

[OnceMoreIntoTheBleach]

I have a common name that has three different possible spellings, so I often have to spell it even though it's no unusual. Doesn't bother me at all.

[GloriousSlug]

I have to spell my own name every. single. time I tell someone new, it is a huge pain in the arse (although i do get a lot of compliments about it).

I made sure my children have 'ordinary' names that do not need to spelt out every time we encounter a new person!

[SquedgieBeckenheim]

Pretty often, and people still spell DD1's name wrong! There are lots of variants of her name though.
Named DD2 a name with less variants, people still get it wrong...

[Flywheel]

Not very often at all. Sorting out most things is done on line these days. And it takes all of about 5 seconds to spell out my name, so hardly a chore.

[smilingsarahb]

Don't make a spelling up for a name to be different, but if it's just tricky to spell or there are 2 common versions I don't think it matters. I have to spell my really popular name loads so it might as well have been unusual.

[TalkingofMichaelAngel0]

I have a very common 1970s name and still have had to spell it out. There are no variations in english. I have seen people write it phonetically with the last two letters missing which is an entirely different name. So i just think you could always end
Up spelling a name out as not everyone is good at spelling, so go with the real and not made up version you like.
My nephew is samuel. Nothing unusual about his name. Common name. No other known spelling and people still get it wrong!

[Hayls17]

I have a normal name with an unusual spelling. I do prefer the version of my name written down, it does look a lot nicer. However even in adult life I'm constantly having to spell it out, I does get a bit annoying. I have decided I wouldn't give my children names with alternative spellings. I do remember being upset as a child when birthday cards etc all had my name spelt wrong.

[Corneliusmurphy]

I have a very popular name and in person almost never, sometimes people do double check as there's a couple of options but I have the 'common' one. Over the phone though; loads and used to regularly get messages though for Stacey Tracey sukey and lots of spellings id not considered.
My dds name is unusual I always have to spell and people reading it often mispronounce it. It is annoying and I'd not really considered it when we picked the name, she loves it though and is confident enough to correct people.

[Bogburglar75]

Lots more in the age of email. I have a name with a couple of variant spellings. Growing up in the 1980s I'd specify the spelling if asked, and get mildly irritated by the wrong one, but it wasn't a big deal.

Wrong spelling on an email will get you every time. Just this week at work I've come unstuck trying to email a Michelle with one L, and a Donaghue that wasn't spelt how you'd expect. So these days, it's a regular feature. Equally, it's a bugger to avoid - if a name is popular enough to be readily recognisable, its quite likely to have at least one variant spelling!

[OneSecondAfter]

I have a very common name in England, but I now live in a country where it's foreign, so I have to spell it out.

Tbh, it's not that common an occurrence. And it doesn't really bother me. Certainly not enough to affect what I would name my kids.

[Mrsknackered]

I have a fairly common 4 letter name that I can't even begin to tell you how often it's misspelt. There is a boys name quite close in sounding and some weirdos people think that is what I have said.
So if it's not hugely outlandish I wouldn't worry about them having to spell it out sometimes.

[Rockaby]

My name is really common for my age group but there are several spellings. I would say almost every time I give my name to be written down someone says "is that this spelling or this spelling"? I'm fine with it tbh.

I did see a woman going into my gym class last week though. I know her from class, but didn't know her name. She had forgotten her gym card so was telling the man behind the desk her name and she didn't even attempt to say it, she just spelt it out straight away. It was a very unusual name with a lot of letters, The woman looked a little fed up as she had to spell it several times before he found her on the system! That sort of thing could get irritating I think.

[savagehk]

Pretty often and i have to spell my surname every time (to the point i don't​ even say it anymore, just spell it). Drives me nuts.

[Gaaaah]

Every single time. My name is common, 9 letters beginning with K every one knows someone with my name but there's so much variation in spelling I don't even give them chance to ask anymore just sound it out straight away.

[SaudadeObama]

One of my son's has a Portuguese name, in the uk I usually need to spell it, even though it's fairly simple and a version of a classic biblical name. In Portugal I would have no problem but here in Brazil it can be spelled the classic Portuguese way or with an H which is more common. I sometimes need to spell it out as it's spelt the classic way. I have to spell it so infrequently that it's not a big deal. School enrolments, doctors enrolments, hospital visits and passport applications are the only places I've had to do this.

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

All the time. I always had to spell my (rather ordinary, standard spelling) first name and (very short, 3 letter, everyday word) surname so was happy when I changed my surname when I got married, thinking it would mean no.more spelling out. No. If anything it's worse, it's a Welsh surname and people can't pronounce it let alone spell it. I had a frustrating conversation yesterday on the phone where I spelled out my first name 4 times aby my surname 8 times. By the end I was feeling murderous. It isn't even a difficult name.

[Clare2017]

I have a very common name of which there are several spelling variations. (See username!) Doesn't bother me in the slightest having to spell it out.

[lanbro]

I often have to spell my not unusual but not common name, always have to say my surname "with an x", dh's common first name "with an x" and both dd's names as they are unusual. Not a problem though, wouldn't want different names because of it

[DrippyWet]

I have to spell my name out every time anyone wants to write it down. It's not a big problem but I often use my middle name instead if it's for something unimportant such as making a restaurant reservation.
My name is correctly spelt but not British.

People regularly misspell my name but it doesn't bother me. If you are someone who will get offended if people misspell your DCs name then it's probably best to give them an easy to spell name.

[NotYoda]

I have to spell my name Every Single Time. And often explain it - where it came from. I am used to it now. I am sort of proud of it. But I deliberately chose names for my own children that, whilst not commonplaces, were not unheard-of or hard to spell.

I use a fake name sometimes eg in coffee shops. I use my surname when booking taxis or restaurants

[NotYoda]

OP you do make a good point about people even mis-spelling easy names. That doe occasionally happen - I changed my surname when I got married so I wouldn't have to spell at least one name, but people do (rarely) still get it wrong

[NotYoda]

*commonplace