Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Thread gallery
10
RominaDina · 22/03/2025 09:09

Whoshotjr · 22/03/2025 09:05

Yes, but it's a bit confusing and vainglorious whilst the people in question are themselves still alive - as opposed to when they've passed into history.

Confusing maybe (though there’s usually a variety of short forms used to help with that), but I don’t think it’s vainglorious mostly. These things are often cultural.

Indeed, it is cultural. Also more common when there was a higher rate of infant mortality.

Natsku · 22/03/2025 09:08

MementoMountain · 22/03/2025 08:19

What is it in Finnish? I tried Google but not sure I trust the answer!

I imagine most words sound better in Finnish.

Sirkka. Was a very popular name in her generation, especially hyphenated with another name.

I just remembered that Lumikki is a name which is literally Snow White (its what it was translated as for the film)

Whoshotjr · 22/03/2025 09:05

Yes, but it's a bit confusing and vainglorious whilst the people in question are themselves still alive - as opposed to when they've passed into history.

Confusing maybe (though there’s usually a variety of short forms used to help with that), but I don’t think it’s vainglorious mostly. These things are often cultural.

RominaDina · 22/03/2025 08:40

EmpressaurusKitty · 22/03/2025 08:31

@tulippa has already been corrected by multiple people and has thanked them politely. She learned something new on Wednesday (and again on Thursday, Friday and now Saturday).

Edited
Show quote history

I'm only here for the Kacper comments 😂!

RominaDina · 22/03/2025 08:39

BuntyNuffins · 22/03/2025 08:24

In this example the 'c' is likely a 'ç' which makes an 's' sound and the name probably belongs to someone european.

Show quote history

I'm sure that @tulippa has learned something since Wednesday, and she's grateful.

EmpressaurusKitty · 22/03/2025 08:31

BuntyNuffins · 22/03/2025 08:24

In this example the 'c' is likely a 'ç' which makes an 's' sound and the name probably belongs to someone european.

Show quote history

@tulippa has already been corrected by multiple people and has thanked them politely. She learned something new on Wednesday (and again on Thursday, Friday and now Saturday).

BuntyNuffins · 22/03/2025 08:24

tulippa · 19/03/2025 18:34

I work somewhere where there is a sign to contact Kacper if you need a certain thing doing. I spent months thinking that's an unusual name until I realised it was a funky spelling of Casper. Parents obviously didn't know the letter c only makes 's' when followed by i, e or y.

Edited

In this example the 'c' is likely a 'ç' which makes an 's' sound and the name probably belongs to someone european.

MementoMountain · 22/03/2025 08:19

What is it in Finnish? I tried Google but not sure I trust the answer!

I imagine most words sound better in Finnish.

Natsku · 22/03/2025 08:05

GrandTheftWalrus · 21/03/2025 19:07

Someone mentioned about a Snow White upthread. Well there is a little girl called Snow where my parents live.

I do like nature names but they seem a bit out there in English but Snow is a popular name in Finnish (Lumi) and I like it. Nature names are very common, my mum is named Grasshopper! (Obviously in Finnish though, where it sounds nicer)

BeholdOurButterStinketh · 22/03/2025 07:56

Zippedydodah · 22/03/2025 06:31

Our village school has a set of twins called Chardonnay and Merlot (oh how I wish I was joking….), Yaxxon (Jackson), DazeMai, Eeli and Peeoni.
I absolutely despair of the mentality of some people.

Imagine deciding to name your precious baby after whatever you can make from the letters you have left in the bag right at the end of a game of Scrabble.

BeholdOurButterStinketh · 22/03/2025 07:51

MissRoseDurward · 22/03/2025 00:49

To be honest, I usually think the same when people give their babies the exact same first name as their own first name.
They aren't a brand new person in their own right; they're just an ephemeral add-on to the parent's life.

It was standard practice in the past, up to the early 20th century. Eldest son after the father, eldest daughter after the mother, subsequent children after grandparents, aunts, uncles. Can be very helpful in family history, if an unusual name is passed down through generations.

Yes, but it's a bit confusing and vainglorious whilst the people in question are themselves still alive - as opposed to when they've passed into history.

Just one of the baby name books we had included 50,000 names; so why you'd be unable to think of any others is completely beyond me!

When our DS was about 2, he had multiple teddies that he named with his own name - so Bob the puppy, Bob the panda, Bob the jellyfish etc. - as he still only had a very limited frame of reference and didn't know many other names. How can you get to an age where you're old enough to be a parent and still be like that?!

TroysMammy · 22/03/2025 07:39

Zippedydodah · 22/03/2025 06:31

Our village school has a set of twins called Chardonnay and Merlot (oh how I wish I was joking….), Yaxxon (Jackson), DazeMai, Eeli and Peeoni.
I absolutely despair of the mentality of some people.

Their parents probably write should of, could of and would of.

Zippedydodah · 22/03/2025 06:33

MissRoseDurward · 22/03/2025 00:49

To be honest, I usually think the same when people give their babies the exact same first name as their own first name.
They aren't a brand new person in their own right; they're just an ephemeral add-on to the parent's life.

It was standard practice in the past, up to the early 20th century. Eldest son after the father, eldest daughter after the mother, subsequent children after grandparents, aunts, uncles. Can be very helpful in family history, if an unusual name is passed down through generations.

It doesn’t make tracing a family tree easy - my DH’s family had 8 Samuel’s in one generation and 9 William’s in another 🤬😳

Zippedydodah · 22/03/2025 06:31

Our village school has a set of twins called Chardonnay and Merlot (oh how I wish I was joking….), Yaxxon (Jackson), DazeMai, Eeli and Peeoni.
I absolutely despair of the mentality of some people.

RominaDina · 22/03/2025 05:46

Anyotherdude · 22/03/2025 03:31

@tulippa
Now that is a Polish spelling! Those are completely forgivable…

Show quote history

Is anyone keeping a tally of these?.😂

EmpressaurusKitty · 22/03/2025 05:28

Anyotherdude · 22/03/2025 03:31

@tulippa
Now that is a Polish spelling! Those are completely forgivable…

Show quote history

@tulippa has already been corrected by multiple people and has thanked them politely. She learned something new on Wednesday (and again on Thursday, Friday and now Saturday).

HouseCaptain · 22/03/2025 04:49

MissDoubleU · 19/03/2025 18:19

It’s a fucking Tradgedeigh

😂

Anyotherdude · 22/03/2025 03:31

tulippa · 19/03/2025 18:34

I work somewhere where there is a sign to contact Kacper if you need a certain thing doing. I spent months thinking that's an unusual name until I realised it was a funky spelling of Casper. Parents obviously didn't know the letter c only makes 's' when followed by i, e or y.

Edited

@tulippa
Now that is a Polish spelling! Those are completely forgivable…

Mumtobabyhavoc · 22/03/2025 03:20

Whoshotjr · 21/03/2025 23:49

What girls name do you mean?

Siobhán is an Irish spelling.

Show quote history

One of my very favourite names. 💕

Whoshotjr · 22/03/2025 02:45

HaddyAbrams · 22/03/2025 00:19

I know Siobhan is an Irish spelling, which was why her lack of knowledge about other Irish names was so strange.

The girls name she kept correcting in my work was Hayleigh. Which may or may not be an Irish spelling, the brothers name was though.

Show quote history

Oh right, thanks, I understand now.

Hayleigh isn’t an Irish spelling, no.
There is no letter y in the Irish alphabet. Names don’t typically start with the letter h either, unless perhaps a name of foreign origin.

MissRoseDurward · 22/03/2025 00:49

To be honest, I usually think the same when people give their babies the exact same first name as their own first name.
They aren't a brand new person in their own right; they're just an ephemeral add-on to the parent's life.

It was standard practice in the past, up to the early 20th century. Eldest son after the father, eldest daughter after the mother, subsequent children after grandparents, aunts, uncles. Can be very helpful in family history, if an unusual name is passed down through generations.

HaddyAbrams · 22/03/2025 00:19

Whoshotjr · 21/03/2025 23:49

What girls name do you mean?

Siobhán is an Irish spelling.

Show quote history

I know Siobhan is an Irish spelling, which was why her lack of knowledge about other Irish names was so strange.

The girls name she kept correcting in my work was Hayleigh. Which may or may not be an Irish spelling, the brothers name was though.

Whoshotjr · 21/03/2025 23:49

HaddyAbrams · 21/03/2025 21:00

All this talk of Siobhan reminds me of my year 6 teacher many years ago. Her DD was called Siobhan, no idea how or why this had come up. But she got really snarky when we (a class of 10-11 year olds) didn't know how to spell/pronounce the name.

She was also very quick to correct the spelling of my friends names when I wrote about them, insisting I was wrong. I wasn't. They were Irish and used the Irish spellings. (Actually the girls name might not be an Irish spelling, I'm not 100% sure)

What girls name do you mean?

Siobhán is an Irish spelling.

GrandTheftWalrus · 21/03/2025 23:19

Grammarnut · 21/03/2025 22:38

Ah. Probably source of pronunciation then. But it's 'Airon' in Exodus, afaik. So Charles is also Carol - same name?

Edited
Show quote history

No Charles is pronounced Charles.

Grammarnut · 21/03/2025 22:38

GrandTheftWalrus · 21/03/2025 00:13

Everyone i know pronounces it like Arran. But then I'm in Scotland where Karl is Carol.

Show quote history

Ah. Probably source of pronunciation then. But it's 'Airon' in Exodus, afaik. So Charles is also Carol - same name?