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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be annoyed over the wrong spelling on my DS's name

126 replies

PizzaSlut · 06/12/2011 23:21

He's 4 and we're just receiving the first lots of christmas cards from school.

The amount of parents that have spelt his name wrong is astounding. It's very common and has a really easy shortening that we use so surely it can't be that difficult to address him correctly.

Or AIBU?

OP posts:
pictish · 08/12/2011 13:48

Yabu. It doesn't matter.

fedupandtired · 08/12/2011 14:59

At least it's the kids (or their parents) spelling it wrong. Just wait until his class teacher repeatedly spells it wrong and see how annoyed you get!

Name on drawer spelt incorrectly.
Name on class list spelt incorrectly.
Name on homework book spelt incorrectly.
Name on classroom wall spelt incorrectly.
I could go on.

And this is all after I went into the school office and asked them to correct the teacher.

How are they meant to teach the children to spell their names correctly if the teachers can't even manage it?

NeuromanticisedVisionsofXmas · 08/12/2011 15:10

Aw, does the entire universe not know how to spell your darlings names instantly? Boo fucking hoo.
Honestly, the whining in this thread is atrocious.

Ghoulwithadragontattoo · 08/12/2011 15:16

It doesn't matter at all except on official things. Be grateful for the sentiment of the card and don't worry about the spelling. My DD's name is one that can be spelt a couple of ways and we sometimes get the wrong one but you just can't sweat the small stuff.

Oggy · 08/12/2011 17:15

I struggle to see it as being such an issue. My son has a slightly unusual name and it is very regularly spelled wrong. I really don't care, it's the sentiment of the card or whatever that counts. Really, these days people have so many different spellings even for standard names that people will never be sure they're getting it right. Fancy being put out at or mocking someone sending a card just because they're spelling isn't tip top.

Anyway, I also agree that it might have been distributed wrong. A friend moaned to me the other day that everyone had spelt her daughter's name wrong on cards and I pointed out that I had spotted it spelled that way on the class list so none of the parents fault.

saladfingers · 08/12/2011 17:40

Shaun
Sean
Shorn Xmas Shock

iklboonkey · 08/12/2011 17:49

People I've worked with for years still spell my name wrong. It's not even an unusual name.

3monkeys · 08/12/2011 17:53

I have a Samuel - I don't care how other kids spell his name, as long as the teacher and his relatives get it right. Life's too short!

Superene · 08/12/2011 17:59

YABU. It isn't really a big deal...
Mind you, my MIL spells DS's name wrong, and mine too on occasion. Now that IS annoying.

Xenoophilius · 08/12/2011 18:44

I chose the English (and easiest) spelling for DS1 and my XSIL had cutlery engraved for him with the name of a cartoon car...

jinty71 · 08/12/2011 18:58

My dd has had her name spelt wrongly on every card- i now just ignore it. We have had Kiara Kera Kierra Kara but as yet no Ciara which is really the original spelling but we spell it Keira. I only corrected her teacher in p1 to avoid it spelt wrongly the whole way through school. Xmas Smile

1Catherine1 · 08/12/2011 19:15

Get used to it. I've had my name spelt wrong all through school. Now, whenever I give out my name I say "Catherine, with a C" and hope for the best as far as the "erine" bit goes. I've had Katherine, Kathryn, Cathryn, Cathrine. Very rarely do people spell it right first time. Actually... my dad filled in my uni form and spelt it wrong Hmm

helendigestives · 08/12/2011 19:16

Casey
Cassey
Cassy
Cassie
Kasey
Kassy
Kassey
Kassie
Cathy/Kathy (I did have a lisp when I was younger)

Only one of those is my name. But I've had cards with each of the above on various cards, forms, letters, etc.

NoOnesGoingToEatYourMincePies · 08/12/2011 19:37

OP are you a Tracy being called Tracey? Or a Clare getting Claire?

People are always spelling my name with an 'ie' when it ends with a 'y'. Sometimes someone gets creative and just uses an 'i' on the end and once someone threw in a random 'h' as well and made it end in 'hi'. The one that really annoys me is 'ey' though.

And DS's name is very easy to spell but has a sound that makes people swap the two middle letters around.

I can understand some people getting them wrong but there are people who have known me since birth who still can't spell it, I send them cards with the correct spellings on every year and I'm sure they think it's me that can't spell it Grin and I had four years at middle school being called Geraldine, which is nothing like my real name, because the deputy head thought my name wasn't a 'proper' one and asked me why I wanted to use such a horrible nickname when Geraldine was so lovely. A letter from my parents with a copy of my birth certificate wasn't good enough to stop her and it caused a lot of problems when I moved up to senior school and all my paperwork was in the wrong name. When I was born my brother had to take a similar note to school because his headmistress told him that my name wasn't a real name and he must have made a mistake about it when he wrote about his new sister for his homework. MIL used to pretend she had forgotten it altogether and didn't spell it properly for years.

So yes, it can be annoying when people get your name wrong and I sympathise. It might not be the worst thing in the world but it's the dripping tap of regular annoyances. It can wear you down, one 'ie' at a time.

Dumpyandabdabs · 08/12/2011 19:47

Hmm I just don't see the problem here really. Isn't it nice that people have gone to the effort to send your son a card. There doesn't seem to be a proper way to spell any names these days so people are bound to get it wrong some of the time. I bet there are a few Samual's out there.

lolajane2009 · 08/12/2011 19:49

as my surname is a boys name hubby often had his name reversed and when we were in hospital having our son he was given the name of surname surname... that was irritating as surely no one would name him with a forename the same as his surname...

TheFrogs · 08/12/2011 19:57

Dd has...not an unusual name as such, uncommon maybe. So far we must have had about 15 different variations. (As far as I know, there are three correct ways of spelling it, our way is the most unusual). Its almost become a game guessing how its going to be spelt in each card we open Grin.

Dd reckons everyone in the class was given a list, so i'm assuming a few mums thought it was a misprint!

Tiggles · 08/12/2011 20:15

I am particularly grumpy that DSs school have taught him that the abbreviation of his name is 'Jo', ummm no that is the girl's spelling he would be Joe. Guess I really ought to teach him how to spell it properly...

PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 08/12/2011 20:46

No matter how chilled you are, that is just not on, LttleMissGreen! Definitely have a word with the teachers.

I was in ds's school today, and noticed that his name was misspelled on the laminated chart that lists the groupings for all the children. Ridiculously misspelled - not even using one of the normal variations. I'm in two minds whether to mention it. They get his name right whenever I see it on his work, and he's getting it right, too, so perhaps I'll leave it. They have plenty enough jobs to do as it is.

NeuromanticisedVisionsofXmas · 08/12/2011 20:59

Thats a generalisation, Little Miss, my son's short form is Jo, which is a perfectly good BOYS name in many languages and cultures. Hmm
If its not the one you want then thats fine, but it is a totally normal name for boys.

youarekidding · 08/12/2011 21:01

DS name always gets spelt wrong. It's not the usual British spelling or a perfectly common popular name. Doesn't bother me but was a little Hmm when his teacher spelt in wrong in his school report! Was very funny though as it was X needs to concentrate more in Literacy. Grin

Did PMSL when he got a card adressed to TG! He is called TJ mostly as thats his initials and he doesn't like the shortened version of his name!

FabbyChic · 08/12/2011 21:02

It has happened to my son all his life, just get over it it's no big deal. I used to get pissed off when they spelt his name the girls way, but I just cant be arsed anymore. Its with an E not an IE!!!

youarekidding · 08/12/2011 21:02

*of a

OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere · 08/12/2011 21:17

DS's school used to call him by our surname. For TWO years.
He goes to a different school now. They managed to get his first name on the very first day Hmm

I dont moan about people mis spelling DS2's name because its a pretty made up spelling (not by me, his birth mum).

Well as it goes I dont mind people spelling any of the DC's names wrong unless they are a. related or b. in the medical, legal or teaching professions - because that could cause problems.

As a side note - my FIL called me Betty for 15 years. My name isnt Betty.

Original poster
PizzaSlut · 10/12/2011 23:45

Thanks, I've chilled out over the whole episode now. Going to go into school on monday and insist that they call him my Sam to prevent my blood pressure rising further over mis-spelt names.

No I'm not a Tracey or a Claire I'm a N I C O L A, reguarly spelt with a H in the middle.

OP posts: