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Original poster

To not use proper spellings when naming your child

934 replies

Catterpillarsflipflops · 19/03/2025 18:17

Am I being unreasonable to think it's ridiculous to use a funky spelling of a normal name. I spent today dealing with lost paperwork for a child as the person that took the details didn't think to check the spelling as there is no other spelling of the name.

It looks silly and just causes no end of problems for the child. It also disadvantages them as straight away people get an image of what the child is like.

I've seen

Jaymz
Ezmay
Lil-leigh

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OchonAgusOchonOh · 20/03/2025 15:05

JudgeJ · 20/03/2025 13:49

I once had three different spellings, none correct, of Siobhan in one class! Each parent wanted us to deal with the 'bullying' their daughter received from the other two because the other two insisted that their version was the right spelling, there were constant arguments.
So much time wasted in schools due to batty parents and their decisions etc..

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You have to share the spellings now. Were these Irish children or parents?

OuchyEars · 20/03/2025 14:53

When I read Rosemary and Rosemarie I say them completely differently in my head. ROSEmurry and RosemurrEE.
I don't actually have a problem with fancy spellings of names, I find it interesting.
My interest having been aroused though, I might pronounce Ka-ia as KhyPHenia.
Also Zenobia is a beautiful name, as is Phoebe, but not Zenophoebia.

Sorry, but it does float my goat.

iwentjasonwaterfalls · 20/03/2025 14:53

Jobs4kids · 20/03/2025 14:28

I knew someone called Sian, pronounced See-ann. She was English.

See-ann or sigh-ann spelled Sian or Siân drives me insane.

KnickerFolder · 20/03/2025 14:39

I worked with a Johnathon whose father misspelled his name when he registered the birth. He also had a somewhat unfortunate noun as a surname that was a misspelled, shortened version that his family chose when the emigrated to the US to anglicise it. There was a not entirely implausible rumour that his family name inspired a Simpsons character’s name.

Sahara123 · 20/03/2025 14:34

SquashPenguin · 20/03/2025 10:53

That’s not necessarily a fancy spelling. That’s the polish way of spelling it so not exactly wrong.

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Oh my good god make it stop now please

Jobs4kids · 20/03/2025 14:28

I knew someone called Sian, pronounced See-ann. She was English.

pickedupontheway · 20/03/2025 14:19

I disagree.
Some foreign names are spelled similarly to british names, but it is a completely different name from another country. I know lots of people with such names.

SpanThatWorld · 20/03/2025 14:18

It's like the actress Sian Blake.

A BBC news programme covered her death at the hands of her so-called partner. They were inundated with callers complaining that her name should be pronounced Siân. Her family was from Jamaica and her name was pronounced Sy-an. I doubt her parents had a scoobie what kind of names could be found in Wales. The spelling made complete sense in Jamaica.

TigerRag · 20/03/2025 14:08

I saw this thread after I started mine in Chat...

I've come across 3 people who spell their first name the way I do. One is German, one's British and the other is Belgian

Crackanut · 20/03/2025 14:02

RampantIvy · 20/03/2025 13:59

How do you pronounced Sadhbh?
The surname is Irish so I know this is an Irish name, but I have never come across this name before.

It's like five...Sive.

RampantIvy · 20/03/2025 13:59

How do you pronounced Sadhbh?
The surname is Irish so I know this is an Irish name, but I have never come across this name before.

KnickerFolder · 20/03/2025 13:57

AlternativeCarpark · 20/03/2025 09:45

I was in a queue behind a woman who was picking up something for her child. On being asked the name she said "Sydney". Not unreasonably the person behind the counter checked if that was Sidney or Sydney as they both sound the same. The woman spelled it out as "Cydney".

Cydney is a legitimate spelling of a surname used as first name that has a different etymology from the name Sydney/Sidney, as does Sidonie. They might sound similar but they have different meanings/origins, @AlternativeCarpark.

Crackanut · 20/03/2025 13:51

Annascaul · 20/03/2025 13:48

How is it racist?

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https://www.reddit.com/r/namenerds/comments/9lcrtp/laah_abcde_lemonjellow_uterusare_racist_urban/

JudgeJ · 20/03/2025 13:49

Ebananascroogey · 20/03/2025 10:49

I've recently worked with an apprentice called Sheeohbahn. I had no words for that one!
Also know a Beeatrize.

I like @tulippa for a name, but it's a bit plain, so i might spell it Tewleeapah 😂

I once had three different spellings, none correct, of Siobhan in one class! Each parent wanted us to deal with the 'bullying' their daughter received from the other two because the other two insisted that their version was the right spelling, there were constant arguments.
So much time wasted in schools due to batty parents and their decisions etc..

Annascaul · 20/03/2025 13:48

Crackanut · 20/03/2025 13:45

Absolute bullshit. Didn't happen. Someone else upthread tried to pull the same stunt with Naa-a. I'll say it again, it's a racist urban myth. Oh I see now La-a has been added. There's actually facebook groups about this, they call people out on it. People with these 'names' have ever been found.

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How is it racist?

Crackanut · 20/03/2025 13:45

Destiny123 · 19/03/2025 23:33

Had a nurse prewarn me as the mum had just had a go at her for not knowing 'ka-ia' is kardashia as "you pronounce the dash (hyphen)"

Absolute bullshit. Didn't happen. Someone else upthread tried to pull the same stunt with Naa-a. I'll say it again, it's a racist urban myth. Oh I see now La-a has been added. There's actually facebook groups about this, they call people out on it. People with these 'names' have ever been found.

outdooryone · 20/03/2025 13:41

Dangerouz · 20/03/2025 12:36

You really didn't. Made up story and racist to boot. Nice.

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Sorry, I had not realised that you had met every child in the UK and memorised their names. For reference this was a white girl.

Think the point of half of these names is that people are generally not original. They copy a different spelling to 'be unique' and stand out somehow. So while something may be urban myth to many, to some it is the inspiration for what names they call their kids.

WhatIsCorndogs · 20/03/2025 13:36

I agree. I've got a name that is more commonly used as a nickname and it causes me grief to this day, because people assume I am putting a nickname on official forms and I have to assure them I'm not. I couldn't imagine how exhausting it would be to spell out an unusual name like that. I also think names should be spell-checked, because I don't believe it sets a child up well in life if their name is mis-spelled.

GrandTheftWalrus · 20/03/2025 13:33

Someone at work asked if dd1 name was spelt with an "ie" I responded "no the normal way" but then she does have some interesting choices for her children.

LakieLady · 20/03/2025 13:11

RedToothBrush · 20/03/2025 12:56

DS avoided Loki because I'm not cruel and wishing for chaos unlike DH. That wasn't the worst name I talked him out of either. Hormones played no role!

(DS has an unusual name but it could have been a LOT worse).

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I know a Loki. I inwardly wince every time I have to say it.

RominaDina · 20/03/2025 13:00

NotTellingYouMyRealOne · 20/03/2025 12:56

No one comes up on name statistics as having that name.

That means that either 0, 1 or 2 children have been registered with that name in any given year.

However many people have claimed to know them...

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Quite. There was a person on the other thread who was in a position to research it, and her conclusion was that no-one in the UK has been given that name.

2025willbemytime · 20/03/2025 12:59

ThisFluentBiscuit · 19/03/2025 22:20

I would probably pronounce that Care-on if I just saw it written down, not Karen.
You'd have spent your life correcting the spelling. Thank that registrar!

Ignore this silly misogynistic trend for insulting middle-aged women. I think Karen is a lovely name.

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Why? There's no e..

RedToothBrush · 20/03/2025 12:56

Hoppinggreen · 20/03/2025 11:23

I wanted to call DS Lucifer as it means "bringer of light"
Thankfully DH over ruled me
I blame my hormones

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DS avoided Loki because I'm not cruel and wishing for chaos unlike DH. That wasn't the worst name I talked him out of either. Hormones played no role!

(DS has an unusual name but it could have been a LOT worse).

NotTellingYouMyRealOne · 20/03/2025 12:56

CaptainMyCaptain · 20/03/2025 12:53

It might have originated like that but people have seen and copied it. I have heard of a L-a locally from a very reliable source. Not racist either - a white, British family.

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No one comes up on name statistics as having that name.

That means that either 0, 1 or 2 children have been registered with that name in any given year.

However many people have claimed to know them...

RominaDina · 20/03/2025 12:55

SquashPenguin · 20/03/2025 10:53

That’s not necessarily a fancy spelling. That’s the polish way of spelling it so not exactly wrong.

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😂😂😂