To change my son's name (kind of) at 2 years of age.

[Writerwannabe83]

DS is 2yrs and his name isn't particularly uncommon but nor is it an overly used one either. Prior to having DS my DH was really keen on this name, me not so much but I did agree to it on the premise that we wouldn't spell it in the typical way because that way can lead to a pronunciation of the name which I really don't like.

But anyway, two years down the line and people are still using the typical spelling and it's driving me mad. Anytime he comes home with something from nursery they've labelled it with the typical spelling, they use the typical spelling when writing in his daily journal, when people text me regarding him they spell his name the typical way and I still get birthday and Christmas cards and they have his name spelt the typical way. He received a certificate yesterday after some activity he'd done at a toddler group and as soon as they heard what his name was they automatically wrote it on his certificate but in its default form so now I feel bummed about that because it my eyes it's not my DS's name.

I have told people soooo many times how we spell his name but it's still constantly spelt in its most common form.

It's really starting to grate on me now.

BTW - the spelling of his name is perfectly legitimate but it's just not the spelling that people associate with the name.

I don't particularly blame people because they just spell it as they assume it's spelt but it's starting to get me down now.

As an example of what I'm trying to say, imagine there's a boy called Luke, but instead of his parents wanting to spell it that way they want to spell it Luc but everyone still writes his name down as Luke because that's the typical spelling. That's probably a rubbish example but I just wanted to try and demonstrate it a little

Anyway, despite me really not liking the common way of spelling his name I'm seriously considering changing his name to it because this misspelling of it is driving me mad and I have a feeling DS will be dealing with this all his life and it will no doubt piss him off in the same way it's pissing me off.

Aaron - I have always pronounced as 'Ar-run'. I wasn't aware that it was pronounced 'Airron'.

I'm from the Midlands and it's common to say Air-Ron here too. My own nan sometimes calls him that

Around our way Aaron can be pronounced either Air-on or A-run.

However I have to say that around here (and this will be entirely due to my accent/pronunciation) the three words are pronounced slightly different ways

Aaron - can be Air-on or A-run
Arun - A-run
Arran - A-ran

So spelling it Arran might make me say the second A as an A, rather than as a short-U sound...

The nursery should be using the correct spelling. I do think you're setting your child up for a lifetime of having to spell their name or correct people by using an unusual spelling.

Both of my children have names that have a few different spellings but I choose the mainstream spellings for this reason.

Arran is lovely, keep it and just keep reminding people. Over and over and over. They'll get the message eventually - and once he can write it himself and correct the pronunciation, he will.

I speak as someone with a DD with a shortened version of a traditional long name. In the early years so many people called her longname. Once she got to about 6 she became very vocal over it, though even then we had to complain to teachers who would resort to longname if cross with her.
She's 16 now and it hasn't been an issue for years. She loves her name and we are glad we gave it to her, despite early hassles.

Stick with it, and stick to your guns.

Omg I've just remembered the time my dad got my mum a wedding anniversary gift with what he thought was her name written on it.... He had left out a U and replaced it with an A, my mum was not amused but the memory of it just makes me howl with laughter! Everyone and I mean everyone said A? As soon as they saw it lol he genuinely assumed there was an extra A in his own wife of 40 years' name.

You shouldn't have to change it because of the stupid people
Definitely correct the nursery and keep on correcting them until it sinks in

Vicky, Vikki, Vicki, Vici, Vickie...i'm sure there are more variants too.
People generally pick one and stick with it, even when they are replying to an email which I have signed "Vicky". Even in my family several aunts and cousins have always used different spellings, it has never ever bothered me.

I forgot to say, just keep insisting they use the right spelling. We had this with DD, her name is ever so slightly different from the usual spelling and nursery got it wrong for a bit. It's not the right name, so just keep insisting they do it right.

I'm Rhiannon. I have been called:
Rhianon - missing an n
Rhianna - missing a different n
Rhiana - missing two ns
Leanna - Nowhere near
Leanne - oh dear

I'm used to it and I correct it when it matters. Some South East Asian people can't pronounce the R so they get a pass.

I am also sometimes called Rihanna now. 🙂 When I was in Barbados I got that a lot.

Gosh, I live right by Arran (beautiful place), and thinking about it, I honestly don't think I pronounce it noticeably different to the name 'Aaron'. Oops.

Mind you, I don't put a big emphasis on the 'Air' bit when I say 'Aaron' either. Are they meant to sound very different?

I have seen the names 'Aran' and 'Arun' and both of those I would emphasis the second syllable a lot. But not with 'Arran'.

The only Air-ron I've ever known spelt it Aaron, so I'd probably make the same assumption, but once corrected I'd definitely remember!

I have a classic name that can be spelt lots of ways think Kathryn, Cathryn etc drives me mad spelling it out every time I say it. I wish I'd been called something simple!!

Sorry, that's a backwards point, isn't it, since your son isn't pronounced Air-ron.

What I should have said is, I've known Air-ons and Ar-rons, both with the spelling Aaron, so I would probably assume that either way; but would at least remember when corrected.

I know where you're coming from OP - my name was common around the year of my birth and spelt with a particular letter. It's not a very common name these days but because of the way it sounds when spoken, the last few years people have been spelling it with a similar sounding consonant so now when I am asked my name I always say (not my real name!) 'Katherine with a K' to avoid confusion, especially when my name is on a list. I also have to spell my surname too as it sounds like a similar name.

Aaron (air-on) and Arran like the island are quite different.

If you call him A-run, i would keep the spelling and the pronunciation, and tell the nursery and everyone else to use the name and spelling he was given.

Don't say "that's the wrong spelling" to them, say "that's the wrong name"
I assume they don't call Luke "Mike" becuase both names share a few letters

Here's another thing you could change it and people could still get it wrong..

To me Aaron can be pronounced Airon or Arran so that's the spelling I'd use on hearing Arran iyswim.

But in a Nursery setting there's usually paperwork, named clothing, so it's obviously been seen as well-especially in 2yrs

Does his daily journal not have his (correctly spelt) name on the front??

Where I live Aaron is air-on, Arran is a-ran and Arun is a-run. If you said to me his name was a-run I'd spell it as Arun. Don't change his name, just correct people.

Does his daily journal not have his (correctly spelt) name on the front??
The second page in, that I have completed does (the one with contact numbers on etc) but the actual front cover of his journal says "Arron (surname)" across the front of it in big letters.

I had completed numerous pieces of paper for them prior to them making his journal, with the correct spelling on, and they still wrote Aaron on the front when they made it

Sorry, I meant his cover says "Aaron (surname). My phone keeps correcting the name or something

Put a white sticker over their uselessness and write it correctly?

I'm wondering where the Air-on pronunciaters are from? Is this an English pronunciation?

It certainly used to be. I am 50 and it was always pronounced Airon when I was a kid (although I knew one boy pronounced and spelt Arran). I first came across it spelt Aaron and pronounced Arran on Home and Away over 20 years ago, so I assumed that was the usual Australian pronunciation, but it then because very popular around the time my DC were born (now in their late teens). If I met someone under 30 called Aaron now, I would probably assume they pronounced it Arran until they told me otherwise.

sorry, that should say "became very popular"!

"Put a white sticker over their uselessness and write it correctly?"

Absolutely!