to think it shouldn't take EXHs family 2 years to learn to spell a 5 letter name

[Thing3]

DD3 turned 2 today. Her name is Niamh, maybe a little unusual if you haven't heard of it before but easily learnable.

She got a card today saying to Niamph.

Is Niamh really that hard to learn or are they simply not bothering?

I'm not upset about it, just wandering if this is usual?

Surely, people need to be told only once?

Do you remember everything the first time you are told it? Do you never have moments where you have a blank as how to spell even perfectly normal words?

Bulldog- no. My friend's daughter has a Dutch name. For 6 years I've struggled to spell it and I'm usually an excellent speller.

Do you remember everything after being told only once? Were you in Allo Allo?

My youngest will be sixteen in two weeks. My mother has never spelled her name correctly. She never will, she's too bone idle to check. It's not an unusual name, but it does have a number of variations.

*Sirzy Fri 17-Aug-12 09:21:19

Do you remember everything the first time you are told it?*
Yes I do pretty much

Do you never have moments where you have a blank as how to spell even perfectly normal words?
No I don't. Even if I did there's a dictionary in the house and a spell checker on the computer.

Not caring enough to get your own family's names right is just plain disrespectful.

Maybe I can spell but I sure can't format properly, sigh!

Thank you sparkle12mar08. You are someone who thinks the way I do. See things written once and I have it.

Lucky you, it doesn't work that way for everyone and I think it's wrong to judge someone for struggling with spelling especially when it's a less than common name with an awkward spelling

I don't judge people for struggling with spelling, I judge them for not caring enough to get it right with the aid of prompts (names on the back of a picture was a good one upthread) or dictionaries/spell checkers.

They may not even realise they have got it wrong. My nan never spelt my name right but it wasn't done deliberatly or to be nasty she just didn't realise

I also have a Niamh and it took my brother-in-law about 7 years to get it right. I also have an Erin which my Morher-in-Law pronounces Erun... Ggggrrr! Feel your pain x

YANBU. Don't they write things down if they can't remember them??

My name is very easy to spell but people often get it wrong - even when replying to emails where my name is in the email address (Claire/Clare)

My gran has been spelling my name wrong for 35 years now.

If you know you will have difficulty spelling the name of someone as close as a Grandchild then you take steps to get it right. Have it written down somewhere that you can copy from in future. It's not that difficult a step to take.

My name is Jody and most of DH's family and a few of mine can't spell it. I am 37 and have been married to DH for just over eleven years.

I've had Jodie, Jodi, Jhody, Jodhi, Joedy and Joedie for years. Then there are the people who think it must be Julie, Judy, Jessie and Josey.

At school my headmistress used to insist I must be really called Geraldine and even when I was born my brother told his teachers about me and his headmistress told him my name must be a mistake and our parents obviously meant to call me Judy.

DS is called Joseph. Not an unusual name but it's surprising how many people spell it Joesph. Consistently as well, it's not just a one-off misspelling when they are in a hurry, that's how they think it should be spelled.

My cousin has a daughter named Alannis. My mother rings me twice a year to find out how they spell Atlantis or Atlanta or Alana because she has forgotten again.

Is Niamh really considered unusual?

Really?

My Dad still doesn't spell my name correctly most of the time. I'm 42. Though actually, it's a short form of my "proper" name, and I've only been using it since I was about 15, so maybe I should let him off a bit!

One of my Aunts can't spell my sisters name. She has tried many many variations but never once got it right, even by accident.

My sister is 38 years old

I don't think not being good at spelling it an excuse.

Its pretty easy to google a spelling of a name or write it down.

I would be mortified if I sent a card or such like to a family member and spelt their name wrong as its just unnecessary and lazy to not look it up.

DS's grandparents spell his 2 letter name wrong in cards.... Now he is 6 he complains.

They take 2 letter name and turn it into a 4 letter strangely spelt diminutive.

Is he Ed ? can't think of any other 2 letter names!

Most of the family spell DS2's name wrong despite the fact that I sign every birthday and Christmas card etc that I send them with the correct spelling.

How difficult is it though to make a note and write the name down?

No need to ring and ask. Just get a pad and write the names and dates down if you don't want to use a birthday calendar.

take a name like AJ, and try to mangle it.... difficult isn;t it .