To not use proper spellings when naming your child

Oh who cares, I wasn't going to waste time looking it up. Stupid politics.

Adoring your patience and grace @tulippa 😍

You are right, but that stupid name for a boy is one of my pet hates. In fact, I think I might loathe it above any other name. Beau might well be the French for handsome, but we are not French; our word for belle is beautiful, so to English eyes it looks as if he's called Pretty or Gorgeous or something. Not to mention that it sounds exactly like bow. It looks and sounds exceedingly feminine. And I say that as someone reasonably fluent in French. Why on earth anyone would saddle a British adult man with a name like Beau is beyond me. Can you imagine a rugby player or a mechanic or a lawyer named Beau? Makes me think of a pale-faced dandy dressed in a purple velvet frogcoat, like Willy Wonka.

If they were twin boys, they could be called Beau and Violin! 😂

There was a little girl in the village where my friend lives called Sharlit....

The naa-a is a racist urban myth is what it is.

Gloria Hunniford is from Northern Ireland, therefore British.. Since she is the daughter of a member of the Orange Order, she would probably not take kindly to being called Irish.

No, Caron isn't an Irish spelling of Karen.

On the topic of family history, my great something grandmother was called Fanny Clapp.

I might have a look tomorrow. I've just logged off my computer for the evening and I'm on my phone now. There are so absolute crackers.

However...

If you want a childish giggle there's a great twitter account called AT actualnames1 which tweets names it's found on official documents from actual people. Many of them are toilet level (or below!) but not all. And these are a mix of quirky and traditional names.

Amongst the latest offerings I give you:

Cheese Bologna
United States, Census, 1920

Willie Butts Cargo
United States, Census, 1940

Anita Lowdick
United States, Census, 1940

Ainel Furray
Canada, Census, 1911

Feeling Priddy
United States, Census, 1910

Fatty Singers
United States, Census, 1940

Max Wackoff
Father
New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Baals
Harry William Baals was an American politician who was the Republican mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, from 1934 to 1947, and from 1951 until his death in 1954.

Assing Reinhold
New York, Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1925

Fairy Bee White
United States, Census, 1940

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Monds
Wonderful Terrific Monds Jr. (born May 3, 1952) is an American former professional football defensive back who played one season with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). His unusual name was originally given to his father when, after his grandparents had several girls, a son was finally born and his father thought it was "wonderful, just terrific."

MN should not complain...

Its funny, I've looked at so many names of DNA matches now, it's not hard to guess if the person is British or American/Canadian just from their names. Sometimes from first names and sometimes from last names, but you can just tell before you click through and see their location. There's definite patterns!

Mormon names are particularly hideous if you don't like funny spellings and made up names though. It's a definite Mormon 'thing'.

Here's some more examples:
Kayzin
AnnDe
Tymberlee
Tivian
JaKoby
Rexalyn
Lenyx
Jazlin
Riglee
Roczen
Torrick
Jossilyn
Payzlei
Ashtyn
Madilynn
Kaidence
Cohyn
Dallie-Ann
Beckette
Kylar
Cayson
Kynlee
Jaelyn
Zaylee
Kaydri
Brailee

(I can feel the MN judging from here!)

I find the whole thing fascinating about how cultural this is and how it reflects your community. All those comments about how little Balonz wouldn't become a high court judge? Just go to Salt Lake City and they'd fit right in and no one would blink. They would however think Catherine was exceptionally dull.

Personally I think there's a balance - there's plenty of different and unusual names to avoid being one of thousands and having to use the initial of your surname without going crazy unusual. The happy place is something people can spell but is different. Ironically you should call your baby something really out of fashion like Ian or Terence or Simon which bucks the trend. For their generation it's a really out there name (and will probably be the type of thing they'll call their own children as there's a rough 100 year cycle in the UK for naming trends).

But the winner of Shit Names definitely goes to the English civil war era puritans (both in the UK and US) who just took it to a whole other level...
https://slate.com/human-interest/2013/09/puritan-names-lists-of-bizarre-religious-nomenclature-used-by-puritans.html

The MN baby names section has nothing to compare with Job-raked-out-of-the-ashes or Fly-fornication

Or how about Die-Well, brother of Farewell (surname was Sykes)?

I am officially a nerd.

A friend of a friend of a friend of mine swears she went to school with a boy named Refail

I think people have kind of skipped over this post because they didn't want to embarrass you but I think it's kinder to inform and educate - just so you're aware, it's the Polish form of Casper ❤️

Mine's female so probably not. Although, these days...

Thanks! Glad you've been able to clear that up for us all. 😀

It's the Pohl-ysshe spelling. The last syllable is spelt like the poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Also a spelling found in Rushahhh.

Yes I have already been corrected by multiple people. Thank you. I have learnt something new today. 🙂

Islay?

Not quite the same as dodgy spellings but as a French speaker it really bugs me when I hear girls being named Beau. I met an Isla-Beau today. Beau is literally the masculine version of beautiful. The feminine is Belle (like the princess!!)
I think parents are trying to look posh by choosing something French but actually just look ignorant.

My favourite in “parents who can’t spell” is actually my grandad. My aunts Susan and Karen were meant to be Susanne and Karine, but when Grandad was sent down to the registry office he clearly missed the memo.

The parents didn't get the spelling wrong. They're probably Polish. Kacper is the Polish version of Casper.

In honour of @tulippa the statistics for babies named Kacper. Apparently its the Polish form of Casper...

https://names.darkgreener.com/#kacper

(Glad you made it home BTW!)

If I were a teacher I don't think I could indulge the thick-as-pigshittery! I'd have to resolutely correct the spelling, every time, and if the 'parents' complained, point out that it rather defeats the purpose of my role if I were to backtrack on spelling correctly.

Really though, the registrar should have greater veto powers. Standard spellings in other languages, fine. Bastardisation in any language, disallow. Or, just short-circuit the future social services involvement and schooling hassles, and call adoption services right away.

Batshit names are such pointlessly shitty things to saddle a child with. Just another reason society increasingly needs oversight of parenting.

Issie for Izzie/Izzy.

it look’s ridiculous and looks so wrong!

Yes, lots like this in my dd Welsh school

Pegi, Nansi, Casi, Moli, Esmi etc

It’s so they phonetically work in Welsh

I've met a Hollea, just looks wrong.

I'm dying at Reignbeau and Matthyou 😂

Well, in her defence this was some 20 years ago now!

I really hope you’ve kept a tally! This is epic 😂