Does a different spelling = chavvy???

Mmm... I like Lucie but as 99% of people would spell it Lucy, I would use the more common spelling. However that name is off the list as DH doesn't like it! How about Maxx or shall we just stick with boring Max? Sometimes alternative spellings have become acceptable though, same as when language changes with time despite some people not liking it. Thou shalt not misspell names!

"phonetically plausible attempts"

'alternative spellings' are awful. I did a short stint of supply teaching and had to bite my tongue several times when a child told me I'd spelt their name wrong. The temptation to tell them that it was, in fact, their parent who'd spelt it wrong...

(Never would though!)

Just don't think it gives off any positive messages at all - either not very bright, abit confused or pretentious. A girl in my class at school was called Rachele which used to get on my nerves. Whats with the extra e?

Although teenage girls often go through a phase of spelling their names odd ways (as my father who has taught them for 40 years attests). So basically fine to fiddle with the spelling of your name when a bored 14 year old in double maths but not acceptable as an adult parent lumbering an innocent new born with an inexplicable spelling.

I teenager I know is called Chynna (pronounced China). It took me so long after seeing her name written down (I'm a teacher) not to think that she must be called Chinner!

From a teacher's perspective those names that are 'creatively' spelled are often the ones we expect to have most trouble with....

Mind you, this girl is possibly the most adorable girl you could hope to meet so my theory obviously has holes in it!

Bring 'em on I say. Brightens up the day and a good laugh can't be underestimated.

My daughters name is Baylee rather than Bailey (as in my name book Baylee was the girls spelling) does this make me thick because i never used the Bailey spelling even though i'm a uni graduate?

serenity the Turkish names are pronounced differently though-Eyedan with equal stress on both syllables

My sister has named her two girls Issabella and Amelya - lovely little cherubs but I don't know why she spelt them like this. My name is an alternative spelling and I've spent my whole life correcting it. Boring!

It's Baaaad. I met a woman who called her daughter Carmen. Lovely name, unusual, and she was half spanish so culturally appropriate as well. Until she told me she spelt it Karman 'to be different'. Why? Why? I didn't have the heart to tell her it should really be pronounced 'Car man'.

If the alternative spelling is normal in another country its absolutely fine (for instance Giorgina is a pretty alternative to Georgina). If the spelling is gratuitiously fabricated just to be different (or from ignorance) then its daft and annoying.

Makes me think that the parents can't spell or couldn't be bothered to look it up in a baby name book! Ashlee, KC spring to mind. My mum worked in a primary school and she said alot of names are now being spelled phonetically rather than traditional spellings.

Although when I had dd, woman in neighbouring bed had dd with an unusual name and mws asked her to spell it and she couldn't! I wonder if some of these spellings are post birth brainfog induced!

FWIW I've had to spell my name out my whole life and its very boring and bog-standard, just got a few accepted spellings. (tis a fat girls name )

Febes, Anabel looks Spanish, I wouldn't think you were chavvy with those name choices, but I'd think you were typing too faster than your brain iyswim!! Do you have to tell people "no it's not Reuben, it's Rueben". That'd would be like spelling John Jhon. Just

Swap those letters around!!

OP Aedan doesn't actually look wrong, but it looks like there are fadas missing. I'd stick with Aidan, as that is the Anglicised version which doesn't need any fadas or symbols.

I think it depends.

Eg, Jillian or Linzy, I would say no (rather than Gillian or Lindsay).

But something stupid just to be different, rather than to be more phonetic, then I would probably say yes.

Sorry skihorse I meant that particular spelling of it.

Oh there you go that's how long it took me to read the thread.

Micheal (with fadas I can't do) is correct Irish spelling, pron mee-haul so maybe wasn't a mistake.

Micheal is Irish spelling, not wrong.

Rueben isn't an alternative spelling. If you google "Rueben", it asks you if you mean "Reuben"!

nappyaddict It's Hebrew.

I just don't get it. I know a little girl called Anabelle, people always spell her name wrong and makes her Mother look silly for trying SO hard to be different. People will always spell it Annabel and Reuben naturally, or Honey or Wednesday so making it different just means a WHOLE lifetime of them saying, 'no actually I spell it like this'. All those names really just look like spelling mistakes over here

I agree about it making the parents look thick.

I heard of a girl being called Wensdy, as in "Wednesday" it just made everyone think that her parents couldn't spell.

Where is Rueben from? I've seen Ruben (Dutch), Reuben, Ruuben (Finnish), Rouben (Greek), Rubin or Reubin.

I know a Honi (Honey) which I think looks ridiculous and a bit chavvy tbh.
Aidan rocks, I love that name and that spelling.

FWIW Aydin/Ayden are completely unrelated Turkish names (Aydan is the feminine form) Not 'chavvy', just not standard British or Irish.

Anabel looks fine, isn't that how you spell it?

Reuben is fine but getting the u and the e the wrong way round is, er, a bit silly and as it's (er, isn't it) a biblical name, it ought to be shockproof. After all, we're all called "Revelations" aren't we?