Names with strange spellings

[Dolcelatte]

I sent a birthday card to the friend of a daughter today then felt bad because I realised that I had addressed her as Sarah Jane instead of Sarah Jayne. I also know of an Allison and a Michele etc.

AIBU to wonder if you think this is an attempt at individuality or just a bit weird?

If you spell a mainstream name differently you sentence your offspring to a lifetime of spelling out their name and correcting others when they don't get it right.

Not good IMO.

So, it is valid if some 15th century 'poet', makes up a name (who probably lived in squalor and wouldn't have been particulary educated).

But, woe betide you, if you are under a certain income and dress a certain way, then using a different spelling, will have you ridiculed.

Oh, yes and hands up all the high court judges on here, with their accecptable names.

Dappy but almost everyone bar Henry, Charles, and Beth is going to have that problem.

My name is common where I grew up but here in the UK people don't 'hear' it so I spend endless time spelling, correcting.

My sister's name is Emma - but where I grew up that was quite uncommon and she got called 'Emily' quite a lot! Go figure.

Also, random fact of the day - the name Pamela was introduced into English in the C18th and was considered desperately 'try hard' at first - now, just think of how many Pams you must've met!

Birds what poet are you talking about? Was that to me?

Dsappy

Every name has different spellings and as the UK becomes more and more multi cultural anyone involved in any form of record keeping, or insurance etc, should be asking for the person to spell it.

This was the primary cause of insurance documents having to be sent back and problems with ID documents not tallying.

I have worked for banks, call centre's and LA's and it is really annoying that the scribe assumes that they can spell the name the person has said, you should always ask.

Was that to me?

No, it was in general. One of the most liked names on the Baby Name lists on MN, is Ophelia, which was 'invented'.

Yes that well known made up name so hated on MN
The one that is an old Hebrew one

I think lots of people hear rather than read names and then spell them phonetically. That's how the new spellings come about.

I have a name with dual spelling.

But interestingly when I was a kid I seemed to have the less common spelling (as judged by frequency of being spelt wrong by others and availability of personalised merchandise spelt 'my way').

Now I seem to have the more common version based on the way people naturally spell it without being prompted. There also seem to be a few more personalised items around other version still more common in this sense.

So I'm not sure if there is a geographical trend which favours one spelling over another (as I have moved from where I.grew up) or if things have changed over time.

The personalised merchandise thing is another point actually - DTD2 is really cross that she can rarely get personalised merchandise. Her name is a very common one, with 2 main spellings - which I would say are 60/40 or 70/30 in popularity - so hardly uncommon.

It wasn't a deliberate choice. When we named her I really didn't think about popularity of spelling.

I know someone called September - I kind of like it!

One of my friends works with a lot of people from Africa, and she works with a guy called Big Boy!

YABU by the way OP. I think there is a difference between the Alison/Allison thing and Georgia/Jorja.

Sorry Birds

Yes, I get the practicalities - like I said, I always have to spell my name - but personally I would just give my child a name I liked that wouldn't get them made fun of on the playground, and sod if it confuses a few people.

Saw a Saf-fire at the Doctors office once. Did a double take

MargeryKemp you sound like a right bloody charmer.

I know several strange spellings. Kourtenee, Ayvah, neive....

I have a classic but fairly uncommon name and go through life spelling it out to people. It's fecking annoying

Conor is the proper spelling of the Irish name, anything else is a derivative of that.

Quym.... Really? I definitely wouldn't pronounce that 'Kim'...

I quite like Luna. It's actually on my list of names for our daughter... It certainly doesn't mean 'sun', though

margery Conor is the perfectly correct spelling if that name. It is a Gaelic name and is consistently in the top five boy names in Ireland, spelt that way. FYI Conor Maguire was an Irish MP (TD) and Attorney General from 1932 until 1936 when he resigned to take up a position as a high court judge.
Just because a name isnt English doesnt mean it's made up.
HTH

My DH's cousin's little girl (in Italy) is Anna Luna. Trust me, it is most definitely moon and not sun, which is sole. Also know a Sole over there which is most unusual as Italians tend to stick to very traditional names.

Luna definitely means moon.

............Lunar landing.

My DDs have less common spellings of their names, but are the original versions of their names.

DS's name is also an original spelling, but very common, however most people seem to opt for the alternative version.

As far as I know they don't mind their names!

The most unusual I know in DD2's class is Hunni.

usualsuspect
I pronounce my DSs name wrong according to MN law THIS is so funny, really cannot stop laughing about this, it's hilarious

My name is misspelt. I have never met anyone with the same spelling. It annoys the hell out of me tbh. DD has a normal name and spelling because of this.
I know of a Kaycee-Mai. A little too unique I think.
Lol at La Luna misunderstanding!

Wait, so you call her La Luna in day to day life, not Luna? Do you pause in between La and Luna?

Jaime isn't a feminine version of Jamie, afaik - it is the Spanish version and is pronounced High-may. It's just a variant.

I'm not going to our myself with the most unusual name I know! It's not any of my children btw, they are saddled with an unusual enough last name without adding a naff first name!