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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Unusual name spellings

148 replies

00100001 · 04/06/2015 10:59

AIBU to think that people who give their kids unusual name spellings should not get upset at 1) incorrect spellings and 2) incorrect pronunciation.

For example: There is a child I know called Leyah. (pronounced 'lee-uh' as in Leah)

Now, the mum get upset when something had 'Leah' on it, and also upset when someone, upon seeing the name, pronounces it "lay-uh" or "lee-YUH"

AIBU?

OP posts:
Writerwannabe83 · 04/06/2015 19:18

My problem is that when DS's name is wrote in the 'normal' way it leaves it open to people's individual interpretation and is likely to lead to, "how do you pronounce it?" questions.

As a result we changed the typical spelling so that when it's written down it's obvious how it should be pronounced.

Unfortunately though, if someone asks us what his name is (for paperwork purposes) and we tell them, they automatically spell it the 'normal way' so we can't win.

We either had the traditional spelling of the name and risk having it pronounced incorrectly, or we had an atypical spelling but at least it would be pronounced right.

MsColouring · 04/06/2015 20:11

My children both have names that can be spelt different ways. Dd's name is spelt in a recognised but not the most common way so I'm not usually surprised when people spell her name wrong. Ds has an Irish name and the Irish spelling (his dad is Irish - we are not together any more) - does bug me when people spell his name wrong as it just doesn't look right the English way. I think my kids will get fed up spelling out their names as adults as no- one can spell their surname either.

MrsSchadenfreude · 04/06/2015 20:19

I had a friend called Clare. Her mother (not English) used to call her Clur. I always thought her sister was called Amanda, and her mother called her "Our Manda", but it turned out that she was, actually, Armanda.

stumblingalong · 04/06/2015 20:34

I know a little girl called Agnes, but pronounced An yes.
Her DM is cool about the wrong pronunciation, she just corrects everyone.

MrsSchadenfreude · 04/06/2015 20:44

An Yes is the French pronunciation, Stumbling.

DixieNormas · 04/06/2015 21:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Welshmaenad · 04/06/2015 21:16

abbeyroad you should totally go with that awesome name for your DD. Grin

Though she may use the shortened version and end up with a twatty MIL who takes several years to grasp that her name is NOT Elizabeth...

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 04/06/2015 21:20

Welshmaenad I think we probably will, although I think I just make boys!

MamaLazarou · 04/06/2015 21:24

Yanbu. I know a Bethenay, a Taaylaa and a Cydeny.

Someone on the baby names folder the other day had an Aryllya pronounced Ariella Confused

CrohnicallyInflexible · 04/06/2015 21:29

I have a traditional name, admittedly it can have a few different spellings but mine is the most traditional.

So why do so many people call me by a completely wrong name? Not even close like Anna/Annie. The wrong name has a different number of syllables, and other than the first letter, very little similarity. More like Anna/Abigail! I don't get how so many people can come up with the same wrong, non related name.

MadameJulienBaptiste · 04/06/2015 21:35

I came across an Alphie the other day. A lifetime of spelling it out looms for him even though it's not that 'out there'.

Theycallmemellowjello · 04/06/2015 21:43

I have a name that is not English and can be spelled one of several ways. I've never understood threads complaining about non-intuitive spelling/pronunciation - I'm used to just telling people how it's spelled and correcting them if they say it wrong.

MehsMum · 04/06/2015 22:01

Most of us in this house have names that are easy to misspell. I really don't mind it at all from people who don't know us very well, but I do start grinding my teeth when relatives can't be bothered to get names right at least sometimes.

I am bitter because after 20 years some of my in-laws still can't spell my last name

purplewoofer · 04/06/2015 22:57

i have a friend whose little boy is called James. They wanted a name that was easy to spell as their last name is slightly unusual. She got asked how to spell his first name and she was a bit confused, thinking there was only one way, apparently "Jaymse" is an acceptable spelling.....:

BabyMurloc · 04/06/2015 23:03

All my 3 kids have names that are commonly spelt 2-3 different ways. That's the way life is. They just spell them (ie XXX with a C, XXX with an I etc) I don't stress if people don't remember. My DS does though but he is only small and JUST learnt to spell it himself!

BabyMurloc · 04/06/2015 23:06

So many names can be spelt several ways commonly anyway. Think Ann/Anne Claire/Clare Rachel/Rachael Steven/Stephen etc.

PaperdollCartoon · 04/06/2015 23:20

Completely unnecessary wacky spellings piss me off too. I have a first name that apparently had several possible spellings, though mine is by far the most common (my mum had no idea there was any other spelling until the baby cards came in) and a last name which noones ever heard but could be spelled two ways... I've been spelling my name my whole life and it gets old! Some names, welsh/Gaelic are more complicated but that's the way they are, why would you inflict a ridiculous spelling on a child if you didn't need to?

foreverton · 04/06/2015 23:43

I was at school with a Mahoney, pronounced marnie:)

Zebda · 04/06/2015 23:43

DS has a traditional name, spelt the French way as DH is French (Theres just 1 letter different) If he stays in the UK he will just have to get used to people mis-spelling it the English way I think! It doesnt bother me when people mis-spell it, except people who really should know, like his teachers, or family members.

DD has a French name that is similar to a different English name, she also gets called the (less nice) English name all the time

If they get upset about this stuff they will have a lot of frustration in life, I dont make an issue out of it to save them future angst

Perfectlypurple · 05/06/2015 00:01

The Marc with a c post made me laugh.

Some time ago a colleague was dealing with some who gave their surname as 'booth' but actually said 'boof' . My colleague trying to be funny said is booth with an F or a TH and the reply was 'it's with a B'

LucyBabs · 05/06/2015 00:12

Huh Mahoney pronounced Marnie? Confused

Talismania · 05/06/2015 02:00

I know someone with the last name Mahon which is pronounced 'Marn' so I think the H is silent. Probably where Marnie for Mahoney comes from.

I have a simple name that people misspell all the time.

LucyBabs · 05/06/2015 13:44

To me Mahon is a an Irish surname and its pronounced Ma Hon id love to know where the r comes from!

MadeinSouthWest · 05/06/2015 13:51

My DH 's name has a unique spelling. If we google it he is the only one and when he creates an email address (for example) he has no problem using his first name.

Because the spelling is weird there are a few interpretations on how to pronounce it. He is used to having to spell it out repeatedly and I didn't think it bothered him until we named our own children and he was insistent on normal spellings.

Itwasmybirthday · 05/06/2015 14:06

A few years ago at work I had to contact someone to ask if he had received our email, why he hadn't sent in what we had asked him to etc (he was in the middle of being recruited to our company).

With a sigh, he said 'you've probably got my email address wrong on your file'. Turned out that his email address contained his full name, and his first name was spelt Mathew with one 't' not the more common Matthew. Poor guy said he spent so much time correcting the spelling with people.