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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

...to want people to say and spell my kid's name right when they've known her for ages?

75 replies

Everhopeful · 01/02/2008 12:04

OK, DD has an unusual name. About half the kids in her school have unusual names. Seems to me that unusual names are all the go these days and at least I can point to some family precedent on the subject (on DH's side: on mine, it would have been SO much worse!). So, what should I do when the school can generally spell it right, but none of the parents in the class do? I feel a heel, cos I know I wouldn't know about it if they hadn't been nice enough to invite her to parties, but I have tried to set them right before and they just aren't listening, I don't think. And don't even ask me about the ones who ask me her name and, when I've said it to them, turn to her and say it completely differently! It's only 5 letters long FGS, how hard can it be to get it right?

OP posts:
duchesse · 01/02/2008 12:30

If you give a child an unusual name or a name with unusual spelling, people are going to make mistakes. It's only to be expected. So, yes YABU to be upset about it. It would more worrying if you got it wrong.

2shoes · 01/02/2008 12:32

well my dd has a not unusaul name that can have dots on it. dd is not dotty. yet the school keep putting dots. i get very annoyed.

duchesse · 01/02/2008 12:36

Zoe?

Technically, the two dots on the E are there to ensure the vowels are pronounced separately (diaeresis). Without them, the name should be pronounced 'Zow'

duchesse · 01/02/2008 12:37

(to rhyme with 'row')

duchesse · 01/02/2008 12:38

Likewise Chloe, although my keyboard is showing one of major problems with using umlauts in the UK- you can"t find the blooming things...

2shoes · 01/02/2008 12:42

BUT she doesn't have the dots never has. her school should know it oh and they shorten it.

MotherFunk · 01/02/2008 12:54

Message withdrawn

AbbeyA · 01/02/2008 13:05

I have a fairly common name and people spell it 3 different ways. I always have to spell my surname for people.If you have an unusual name you just have to accept it, it is not something that people remember.

crapmomonMN · 01/02/2008 13:11

I have the same problem with DS they eithre cant spell his name or call him the wrong name altogether - gets my back up - but figure I should just chill out after reading this. Seems some people just wont ever get it - I know what he is called.

Chequers · 01/02/2008 13:12

Message withdrawn

TheFallenMadonna · 01/02/2008 13:16

LOL at Zow, to rhyme with row.

Wouls that be as in row of beans, or as in we were having a terrible row?

I love English!

bozza · 01/02/2008 13:26

I think people should be able to spell Tegen. How old is your DD? How long has she been in class with these children. My DD is called Caitlin and prior to naming her I always thought there was only one spelling of the name, but we have had several involving k's and y's. To make it worse we also have an unusual surname.

imaginewittynamehere · 01/02/2008 13:26

lol @ "linguistically continent" Suzywong - do you have a test for this - I need it to decide who to give dd's name to - 4 letters long & spelt as it is said!!

an umlaut is one of these ü ö ä ë (did a dissertation in german on an english keyboard - can tell you the alt combinations off by heart

Chequers · 01/02/2008 13:31

Message withdrawn

Miaou · 01/02/2008 13:35

Chequers and bozza - my dd1 is Caitlin too (she of the 7 different spellings I mentioned earlier in the thread ). Whatever name you choose you will almost certainly find differing spellings! Call her Ruth and inevitably she will get a Christmas card addressed to Roof

Suzy - umm - Suzette?

Chequers · 01/02/2008 13:37

Message withdrawn

WowOoo · 01/02/2008 13:41

Tegen is lovely. Can't imagine how else you'd spell it. Used to know a Welsh lady called Tegwyn.
Suzi?!

Ubergeekian · 01/02/2008 13:42

kayzr: "I love Tegen. My sisters step sister's dd is called Tegen. Its a great name"

Wasn't that Dr Who's aussie companion's name?

TheFallenMadonna · 01/02/2008 13:44

Ah, but how do you pronounce Caitlin?

Mags143 · 01/02/2008 13:53

My dd's name is Eve. Simple, easy to remember and easy to spell. You'd think!!
She gets called Niamh (or Neve) one woman obviously thought we had shortened it and was calling her Evelyn! I was gobsmacked. I tersely told her her name wasn't shortened and was Eve and she said "hmm, Evelyn is so much nicer" !!!
I don't think Tegan is an unusual name or hard to spell, so I can understand your annoyance Everhopeful. I just kep correcting people and hope they'll get fed up being corrected before I do!

yelnats · 01/02/2008 13:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

yelnats · 01/02/2008 13:54

I know a Tegen spelt Tiegan. My friends dd is Caitlyn, there are 3 of them at my dd's playgroup and they are spelt, Caitlyn, Caitlin and Kaitlyn.

Chequers · 01/02/2008 14:00

Message withdrawn

Chuffinnora · 01/02/2008 14:01

My name is Helen and my FIL still calls me Ellen after 15 years!
His wife is also called Helen but he hasn't seemed to notice this.
I'm not bothered, just amused.

Chuffinnora · 01/02/2008 14:02

Chequers - Why do people write down your dogs name? Do they send her birthday cards?