to think that Sinjun is really daft?

[ToeKneeChestNut]

My SIL (DB's wife) loves the name StJohn, but doesn't like the spelling. I understand this, as people will often find it confusing and read it as Saint John. I would therefore steer clear of it.

However, she's decided (DB isn't interested in names, so she's choosing), that "Sinjun" is the best solution.

AIBU to think that this is silly? Their DS's last name (he's a couple of days' old) is Smith.

Neither SIL or DB are pretentious people, btw.

I appreciate that SIL or my sister might recognise who this is posting. but it is ok as she knows I think this is really daft. We get on well.

I thought that the replies on here would be useful to either tell me to mind my own, or persuade her to go for a different monker.

Like when I was 10 and wrote that my friends sister was Schvonne (Siobhan)

I know a Shervorne.

A close family member of mine has StJohn as a middle name. Despite hereditary names being quite a big thing in my family, inc some pretty awful ones, he didn't pass it on. I do sort of like it, but it does make a huge statement! How about Laurence or Kit (shortened version of Christopher) for a slightly less out there posh boy vibe?

It's like those people who are called "ffolkes" (all lower case) because they read a fancy "F" as two of them.

I think the hormones have addled her brain

I was an adult before I realised that StJohn was pronounced Sinjun. But for the love of god don't spell it phonetically.

There are plenty of unusual and lovely boy names out there. Have a look at the National Statistics baby name spreadsheets and scroll through the more obscure names.

(And yes, it is prounced Sin-Jun to rhyme with gun ime - I almost want to write Sin-djun : think djinn ...)

It reminds me of Sinbad (the sailor)
Awful
But the correct spellings not much better unless you're living in the 19th century.

Either Crispin or Lucian would be better.

But Caspian or Luca better still.

I'm actually cringing with embarrassment at this poor child being named sinjun.

People will just think she's too stupid to know the real spelling!

This ^^

Also Crispin is an awful name.

A friend of mine is called Singean.

Isn't there a bit on 4 Weddings when Rowan Atkinson reads out "Saint John"?

FWIW it's spelt St. John or St John, not StJohn.

And yes, the pronunciation is 'sinjun' as I learnt to my embarrassment in a tutorial on Jane Eyre.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_St_John-Stevas

This politician's name was pronounced 'Sinjun' I believe. I remember thinking how odd it was, hence remembering it some 40 years after first hearing the name.

St.John is pronounced sinjun though. St.Clair, similarly, is pronounced sinclair. I wouldn't call a kid StJohn/Sinjun though, it's just daft.

Sinjun doesn't sound like St John whether you are pronouncing the name the English or French way.

It sounds a bit like singeing. As in, lightly burnt.

The character in Victorious was spelled Sinjin. But that's American

It would be good if they had a surname like Featherstonehaugh, Cholmondley, or Mainwaring.

People who are unaware of the name StJohn will be baffled by Sinjun and people who are aware of the name StJohn will think she's a numptie for spelling it phonetically.

I came across Etienne recently. I think it's the French for Stephen. I think that's quite nice. St John, I think, will have him correcting people his whole life, more so than something like Etienne, Fabian or Emile (which are in the same vein, to me).

Disclaimer - Missing the point

I'm sorry but if a name is StJohn, it should be pronounced Saint John. That's what the name IS. No amount of pronouncing it differently is going to change the fact that it is, and means, "Saint John". Granted, it's a rather ridiculous name (unless your surname is "The Baptist"). In which case, please don't give it to a child.

Correct spelling or not at all. I agree with PP an 'alternative spelling just makes the parents sound thick 'Synjen dead classy innit?'.

I'm sorry but if a name is StJohn, it should be pronounced Saint John. That's what the name IS.

Wrong.

@ShmooBooMoo I thought Stefan was French for Stephen

People will just think she's too stupid to know the real spelling!

They will also think, once he's old enough, that he's so stupid that he's misspelling his own name. I have a name that people often assume is a misspelling of a common English name. It's not, it's just not an English name - but it's amazing how often people try and argue with me that I am either misspelling or mispronouncing my own name. I also think that people sometimes think that it's a made-up 'Yoonique' spelling and that they have a lot of class associations with that: they often look surprised when I speak and it turns out I'm quite posh!

Shmoo I LOVE Etienne. Sadly I have absolutely no French heritage to justify using it.

I'm sorry but if a name is StJohn, it should be pronounced Saint John.
No, because it's pronounced Sinjun. Just like Charlotte is pronounced Sharlotte and Thomas is pronounced Tomas