Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Rachael or Rachel?

59 replies

TitchyWitch · 20/08/2010 20:01

If you were to chose the name would you go for Rachel or Rachael? And is it one of those names that if you say too much it sounds weird?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
BoleynMemories13 · 23/02/2024 18:19

Bluegetaniums · 23/02/2024 16:32

The little Rachel/Rachael is now 14?!!

😂😂😂

Good lord, why on Earth do people randomly bump such old threads? I never look at the date of an unread thread on here as I just assume it to be new.

I feel we now NEED to know which one the OP went for? Or if she changed her mind completely and went for something else. Maybe she even had a boy in the end?!

BoleynMemories13 · 23/02/2024 18:16

I prefer the look of Rachael but accept Rachel is the more 'usual' spelling. One of my best friends is a Rachael so to me that way looks 'right' as it's way I'm most use to.

MooseBreath · 23/02/2024 17:56

I went to school with three. Rachel, Rachael, and Raechel.

I prefer the simplest spelling, but either of your choices are lovely.

DryVaginaury · 23/02/2024 17:14

Rachael is how I would instinctively spell it.
It might be a coincident but the only women I knew who spelt it Rachel were both Jewish. I wonder if Rachel is more traditional/Biblical?

Bluegetaniums · 23/02/2024 16:32

The little Rachel/Rachael is now 14?!!

3orMoreLettersOrNumbers · 23/02/2024 16:11

I'm a Rachel and although I didn't like it when I was young, I quite like the name now. Have to say, I prefer Rachel to Rachael (though I'm probably biased 😉. I hardly ever find that people spell it with a second 'a'. Unlike an earlier poster (also called Rachel) I love being called Rach.

skidoodly · 19/09/2010 16:21

Rachel

when there are alternative valid spellings the simplest is normally best, especially when it is also the most usual.

Rachel is a great name

Spirael · 19/09/2010 16:12

Oh, one other comment... Mobile predictive text will come up with Sad for Rae and Rabid for Rachel! Grin

AngryPixie · 19/09/2010 11:41

I don't like it, and Rach always reminds me of roach,

Edith and Edie though, now you're talking - love it!

Spirael · 19/09/2010 11:32

I'm a Rachel. :) I've run into a few others during my life, but not many. It means Ewe, which is perfect for bad 'I'm ewe/you' puns.

I frequently have to add "With just one A." when telling people how to spell it, but clarification will be required no matter which way you go.

In my case, it's probably not helped by the fact I'm nicknamed to Rae. (Don't really like Rach.)

DaisyDaresYOU · 18/09/2010 22:39

Rachel.have one in my family.ive always loved the name

thighsmadeofcheddar · 18/09/2010 20:18

I'm a Rachael. And I've always had to spell it out for the extra a. Doesn't bother me so much now, but even some of my friends still get it wrong. I'd go for Rachel.

Rach109 · 18/09/2010 20:15

Rachel of course ! :D

ValiumSingleton · 17/09/2010 20:48

Rachel definitely. The other spelling looks silly.

babysoon1 · 17/09/2010 20:42

Rachael - makes it more unique. who cares if you have to spell it out!

runningrach · 22/08/2010 01:40

Oh and surely if you say any word too many times it starts to sound weird? As a child I used to do that deliberately with innocuous words like 'carrot', Maybe I was just a weird child though!

runningrach · 22/08/2010 01:39

Rachel - as already mentioned it's the original biblical spelling.

Many people seem incapable of spelling it correctly anyway so being the shortest option it's marginally less time wasted spelling it out. I've known many other Rach(a)els in my time and we're usually split 50/50 between the spellings.

Continental Europeans have trouble saying it, I become a more exotic sounding 'Rashelle'.

TitchyWitch · 21/08/2010 19:08

Is it odd to want to go for biblical names when I'm a confirmed atheist? I think I just want to do it 'properly'. Anyway I thought that this was the one name we had agreed on but today he says he still prefers Edith, nn Edie which is ok but I don't love.

OP posts:
Mrsmackie · 21/08/2010 18:50

I guess it depends if you want to go with the traditional, accurate 'biblical' spelling which is 'Rachel' Rachael is just a variant of this.

nickelbabe · 21/08/2010 15:08

i knew a Rachael at school so that's my default spelling of the name.
i think it's weird when people say it's spelt Rachel. (although i know 2 of those now)

i always ask wihch way it's spelt, anyway, so whichever spelling you choose, people will ask.

i have t o say, i do prefer Rachael.

isitnearlywineoclock · 21/08/2010 14:49

I know a Rachelle - pronounced the usual Rachel way. Something of an odd spelling I think Hmm

mountainmonkey · 21/08/2010 10:53

Rachel is best- tis my name too. Really gets on my nerves when people shorten it to Rach, and am forever being asked if it has an extra A.

In my mind Rachael just looks like you really wanted a Michael.

pointydog · 21/08/2010 10:48

I'd go with Rachel. Nice name.

mrsden · 21/08/2010 10:39

Rachel is a really lovely name. I think if it was me I'd keep the spelling simple seeing as both versions are pronounced the same. I knew a Rachael at school and she always got really cross when people missed out the 'a' and that happened alot!

ReshapeWhileDamp · 21/08/2010 10:26

I'd go for the more accurate spelling of Rachael. Looks nicer on paper, too! Smile

I don't think it's that much of a nightmare spelling names out. I've had to do it all my life and it really doesn't dent my quality of life all that much. Grin

Swipe left for the next trending thread