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Baby names

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

Original poster

Would you tell someone they’ve misspelt their baby’s name?!

259 replies

CaptainCabinets · 08/11/2018 16:02

A colleague has recently announced the birth of ‘Pheobe’ on Facebook and have since referred to the baby as ‘Pheobe’ several times.

Would I be awful to gently suggest the correct spelling or just hope it’s picked up on when they register the birth?!

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Runningishard · 08/11/2018 17:53

I knew a woman who named her daughter Beau and got pissed off when everything presumed she’d had a boy. She insisted it meant beautiful in French. I told her it did, if being used about a boy

flumpybear · 08/11/2018 17:48

I'd ask her how its pronounced in case it's different

MsTSwift · 08/11/2018 17:48

Poor kid a lifetime of confusion. Recently met an elderly Jenifer who eye rolled about her long dead parents daft spelling of her name

AssassinatedBeauty · 08/11/2018 17:48

You could ask if it's pronounced like Phoebe, or if it's a different pronunciation. See what response you get.

Original poster
CaptainCabinets · 08/11/2018 17:43

I’d want someone to tell me if I’d spelt the name wrong!

The kid will only get called Phoebe all her life anyway, will be a nightmare for official documents etc.

OP posts:
Timmymagical · 08/11/2018 17:34

My mum is called Pheobe and is 70 . She has had a lifetime of people telling her her name is spelt wrong!

hoping2018 · 08/11/2018 17:30

Say something. She's either done by accident or is committing her child to a lifetime of spelling her name out - better she knows now how annoying that is for the child!

Notquiteagandt · 08/11/2018 17:06

I dont see what you would stand to gain from correcting them. So at risk of upseting them. Wouldnt enter my head to say anything to the parents.

But if you feel the need to a quick text saying just checking im spelling the babies name right is it....?

LasMeninas · 08/11/2018 17:04

If it was someone really close to me, like a sibling or lifelong friend, then I'd tell them.

Just a colleague though? Nah, not worth the potential aggro.

Wheelerdeeler · 08/11/2018 17:02

My niece had an unusual spelling of her name. Within 2 days the spelling was changed as every reply to the announcement text congratulated them on on regular spelling

Theweasleytwins · 08/11/2018 17:01

I saw someone spell Daisy as Daisey Confused

Feel like sometimes people do it to be unique

DontCallMeCharlotte · 08/11/2018 16:58

I have a sister called Phoebe and, shamefully, it took me until my twenties to spell it correctly because Pheobe kind of looks right as well. I think I was basing it on the spelling of "people".

But I do think it's one of those that can only have one correct spelling (unlike my name which no one ever spells right!).

Hadalifeonce · 08/11/2018 16:57

I did this, turned out they intended that spelling!

diddl · 08/11/2018 16:54

"I knew someone who named their baby boy Danielle thinking it was just another spelling of Daniel. Never said anything."

Hopefully the registrar did!

It's two different names!

Charolais · 08/11/2018 16:53

I would tell them I've never heard the name before and ask how is it pronounced.

ReturnofSaturn · 08/11/2018 16:49

I would congratulate her and comment saying you love the unusual spelling of the name...

Charolais · 08/11/2018 16:47

I knew someone who named their baby boy Danielle thinking it was just another spelling of Daniel. Never said anything.

pumpastrotter · 08/11/2018 16:43

When you next see them say 'Oh is this little 'Fee-obe'?

But in seriousness, maybe just drop a congrats message and ask whether it will be spelt Pheobe or Phoebe?

diddl · 08/11/2018 16:42

I would have thought that if they have written it that way numerous times then that's how they are spelling it tbh.

cjt110 · 08/11/2018 16:38

Hmmm. I don't know. Our son's name, when said, is relatively popular. The spelling is unusual. Someone said we had spelt it wrong - that we have used the female version. We have not and have used the neutral spelling.

Think ie - male, y - female and ey neutral.

At least if you're going to point it out, make sure you're a close enough friend that they won't be offended.

InfantaSybilla · 08/11/2018 16:37

Weirdly I came on to say that I would correct someone if it was something like 'Pheobe' as I think that is more likely to be a genuine misspelling compared to perhaps spelling Mason as Maison (a purposely yoonik spelling)

Haworthia · 08/11/2018 16:32

If you look through the National Statistics baby names spreadsheet you find Phoebe misspelled “Pheobe” every year.

In 2017, 29 Pheobes were born vs 2000 Phoebes.

flapjackfairy · 08/11/2018 16:26

The trouble is people spell names in all sorts of weird ways. It is a minefield these days .

Notsolarry · 08/11/2018 16:24

One of my friends announced the birth of Saphire on facebook. I knew it was spelt wrong but I didn't want to be the one to point it out. It didn't however take long for someone else to correct her, and now at 5 months I see pictures of Sapphire on a daily basis.

legalseagull · 08/11/2018 16:22

@AddictedtoCrunchies has it! Good one

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