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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

OP posts:
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10
Kpo58 · 19/03/2025 19:19

SnoozingFox · 19/03/2025 19:16

I have an Irish friend called Ciara which is a very standard Irish spelling and nobody seems to have an issue with Ciaran which is the male equivalent.

She regularly gets Cee-ah-rah and Sierra.

TBF I wouldn't know how to pronounce either name just seeing it written down.

DazzyRascale · 19/03/2025 19:19

Rufus27 · 19/03/2025 18:36

There may be more to it. One of my DC has a v unusual name. We adopted DC as a baby, weren’t allowed to change the first name, but knew it made DC v identifiable (birth family are potentially dangerous) so we decided to change the spelling to something ‘unique’ but safe. I expect we are judged but, if it keeps DC safe, I don’t care.

I can think of at least four other instances I know of locally where this has occurred for adoption related reasons; one of the changed spellings is similar to one you quote in your OP.

Surely a super common name (eg less ubiquitous Evie, Emily etc) would be much less of an identification risk than a unique name though?

Didimum · 19/03/2025 19:17

I wouldn’t use names spelled this way and don’t like them, but at the end of the day it’s nothing to do with either me. Names will continue to evolve.

Agentscullyandmulder · 19/03/2025 19:17

I got asked other day when ordering Dominoes what my name was ( hangover food) Alison, 'Ellieson' they wrote

oncemoreuntothebeachdearfriends · 19/03/2025 19:16

Names fascinate me.

I know 2 men called Dara. One is Indian, one Irish.

Any connection ?

SnoozingFox · 19/03/2025 19:16

I have an Irish friend called Ciara which is a very standard Irish spelling and nobody seems to have an issue with Ciaran which is the male equivalent.

She regularly gets Cee-ah-rah and Sierra.

BatchCookBabe · 19/03/2025 19:14

rosydreams · 19/03/2025 18:21

what ever floats your goat but it will make me raise a eyebrow ,its just odd

😂

aprilshowers2015 · 19/03/2025 19:12

@MidnightMillie I'm not assuming, that's what she told me. Not a speck of Irish in the family. She briefly toyed with changing it to Siobhan but thought it would be too confusing for elderly relatives.

BatchCookBabe · 19/03/2025 19:11

@thatsfunnybecause · Today 18:37

There’s a Reignbeau at dds nursery.

Oh that's priceless! 😂

Moonnstars · 19/03/2025 19:11

I feel some of these names just have different variations.
I know a Jackson, Jaxon and Jaxson
Likewise the Sian example - I know one woman who pronounces it as sharn, while another is Si-anne to pronounce.
Some of these are crazy though!

BatchCookBabe · 19/03/2025 19:08

YANBU. I fecking hate it. I know a Bexleigh, a Jordonne, and a Nylargh. What the actual F?!

They are setting their child up for a lifetime of NO-ONE spelling their name correctly! Why do that to your own child?

One of my old neighbours (where I used to live) named her child Deekonne (instead of Deacon) and pissed and moaned because NO-ONE ever spelt it right.

ClassicalQueen · 19/03/2025 19:07

We have some awful ones at my work, classic names misspelt. We have a Kaycee, a Leighlah and a Lewee. Even the kids misspell their names!

NotTellingYouMyRealOne · 19/03/2025 19:07

I'm slightly guilty of this.
DDs name has a common anglicised version and an older Scottish spelling. We used the older Scottish spelling, which looks like we've added a random "y" on the end. But its an old family name.
Most people spell her name the English way.

Added to which, our surname has a random extra letter in the middle as well!

ShhhhhItsASurprise · 19/03/2025 19:06

Notgoodatpoetrybutgreatatlit · 19/03/2025 18:58

I remember having a Sian at school, all the teachers pronounced it Sharn. Like the actor Sian Philips. The girl would correct them. No Miss/Sir
It's See Ann.
It was hard to forget that one.

Like the car.

Biffbaff · 19/03/2025 19:06

I know an Aurla. (Traditional spelling Orla.) Terrible. Looks like you messed up your aural exam.

Mingenious · 19/03/2025 19:05

Just singles people out for being a bit thick. There’s a fabulous FB page that’s rips the piss out of ‘unique’ names called “that name isn’t a tragedeigh, it’s a murghdyrr “

(Took me several goes at spelling that to match the group!)

Newmumhere40 · 19/03/2025 19:05

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 19/03/2025 18:31

It's floats your boat.
🤣

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Oh honey .....

Cumberlandsausagedog · 19/03/2025 19:05

I always assumed that poor Jaxon has a massively egotistical dad called Jack.

On a ‘what shall I name my baby board’ years ago someone commented on the possibility Niamh ‘I really like that name but how do you pronounce it’ which blew my mind. How could you possibly choose a name just because you liked the way it looked written down. 🤯

LushLemonTart · 19/03/2025 19:03

Undethetree · 19/03/2025 18:26

I met an Evon last week

I read that as eh von.

Sminty2 · 19/03/2025 19:03

I spent a whole day talking to the new (17) temp, calling her Elleanna. That’s how it was written. Turns out, her name is Eleanor. 🤷‍♀️

SnoozingFox · 19/03/2025 19:03

Every year the scottish records office publishes a list of all names given to babies in Scotland, some are absolutely wild.

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/babies-first-names-2023/

You can download the whole data set and look at most/least popular.

There are names like Weronika or Viktorija which are clearly Polish or similar and that's fine, I'd want to give my baby a name which identifies with my cultural roots too.

But there is just no excuse for Sydnee, Pheobe or Freyjah, and that's before you get into the hyphenated horrors like Caideigh-Jay.

Babies' First Names 2023

The most popular first names given to babies whose births were registered in Scotland in 2023 (publication formerly known as Popular Forenames).

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/babies-first-names-2023

MidnightMillie · 19/03/2025 19:03

MementoMountain · 19/03/2025 19:00

Oh lord.

I have a cousin Siobhan. My late beloved granny forever spelt it Chyvonne if she had to write it down, but would read it out from her Christmas cards as "that Sy-ban'.

I did sometimes wonder if she thought they were different people.

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My ex SIL used to love the singer 'Sign Head' O' Connor 🤣

PowerhouseOfTheCell · 19/03/2025 19:02

A random US influencer post came up on my insta with a birth announcement 'Lefty Luck' she had turned the comments of as she was getting, quite rightly, abuse about calling her poor child that
Lefty has a big sister called Towne Belle Confused

tulippa · 19/03/2025 19:02

JillAndJenTheFlowerpotMen · 19/03/2025 18:59

🙄 a bit social class bashing here. This one is a standard spelling of a popular Polish name.

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

Mansionscoldandgrey · 19/03/2025 19:02

Gymbarleigh