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Baby names

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Original poster

Alasdhair - have you come across the spelling?

57 replies

purpleliza · 07/08/2011 19:42

We are struggling to find a name for DC3. We both like Alasdhair but I rejected it for DS1 because I knew the spelling was unusual and would be constantly written wrong. We have to use this spelling because it is passed down in DH's family. We have a traditional and fairly common Scottish surname but live in the south of England. Since this first argument, DD1 has been named Isobel which is constantly spelt wrong so I guess I am used to it now but I still have some reservations because no children seemed to have been named recently with this spelling at all.

Is this spelling common/regarded as normal in Scotland?
If you saw this name written down would you know how to pronounce it?
Do you think I am committing my child to a lifetime of name-spelling grief?

If you google it the only person alive with this name seems to be Stella Macartney's husband!

Thanks for your thoughts Smile

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talkingnonsense · 07/08/2011 19:57

I have an Alasdair, and get alistair, Alastair, alister, alisdair. I wouldn't worry unless it offends you.

MrsPlugThePlumber · 07/08/2011 19:57

Totally agree that, if anything, "Isobel" is the "proper" spelling.

Alasdhair... well.. it's certainly an unusual spelling - I had to think about it to see what it spelled.

SaffronCake · 07/08/2011 19:54

I don't think of Isobel as any less "correct" than Isabelle, in fact my first assumption would be an O and one L actually, I don't know why. Alasdhair is a nice name. It will be most people's assumption that you are spelling it more like either Alasdair or Alistair so you are going to have to do a bit of correcting, but then is that really so awful? Most people who are irritated by varient spellings (I admit to not loving them) would tell you that properly justified cultural traditions are a different matter. If DH's family are Scottish and Alasdhair is a family tradition then I think it falls firmly into the exemption category. (And it goes with Isobel).

Original poster
purpleliza · 07/08/2011 19:54

Thanks v much for your responses. I don't have any idea how to pronounce Ruairidh.....

the surgeonsmate - is Alasdair the usual spelling in Scotland?

OP posts:
Northernlurkerisgoingonholiday · 07/08/2011 19:53

I like this spelling. I am an Eleanor - and people spell that wrong all the time and call me Helen! Doesn't mean I don't have a fab name Grin

thesurgeonsmate · 07/08/2011 19:50

This is not a common spelling in the central belt of Scotland no, but I can't speak for further north / west. I would have doubts about how to pronounce it, but I'd just go with Alasdair until I was told otherwise. I think your only real problem is the name-spelling grief. Which, as you say, can happen with many names. Even if you called him Alasdair, you'd get people spelling it Alastair.

pointydog · 07/08/2011 19:48

I have never seen this spelling. I would assume someone had got it wrong somewhere down the line.

Ruairidh - the dh is silent. So I can't see why Alasdhair would be correct. But I don't know gaelic.