To feel pissed off that everyone is spelling my new baby’s name wrong?

[Algor1thm]

We’ve named our new baby a name which has several legitimate and well used spellings. The spelling we’ve gone with is actually the original spelling, but is the second most popular spelling in use in the UK currently. Think Isabelle versus Isabel for example. It’s not a made up or unknown spelling, and is completely phonetic. The name itself isn’t particularly unusual.

Almost everyone is already spelling the baby’s name wrong - over half of our new baby cards are spelt wrong. I’ve literally texted people “meet baby ‘Isabelle’” and right below they’ve written something like “congratulations, ‘Isabel’ is beautiful” etc.

I knew the spelling would be an issue going forward but I sort of expected people might be able to read what I’d written and spell it right the moment they were told the name. It’s probably just my hormones, but AIBU to think it’s quite rude not to make the effort to spell the baby’s name correctly in the new baby card?

I can assure you, they are. Ailsa is a Scottish name; it’s pronounced Ail like in ailment, where as Elsa is pronounced with an E sound.

If you pronounce them the same; you are mispronouncing them. They are as different as ailment and element.

You put Alisa

My name wasn't popular growing up but is now. Mine is spelt the original way but j always get asked how it's spelt. It is annoying but I'm used to it.

My son and daughter both have names that can be spelt incorrectly and also our surname …cannot be bothered to get too annoyed about it .

That’s obviously an autocorrect - look at the original comment I was replying to. I bet your phone does it too!

Anyway, the point remains that you claimed that ailsa and Elsa are “not so much” different names - when they are.

On the one hand, I'd want to just be happy that people sent cards etc.

On the other hand, not long ago my mum's friend sent my mum some things she had knitted just for me. I messaged my mum to check which spelling of her friend's name is correct (there are two) so I could write the thank you card properly.

I’m 46 and still have to spell my name out as there are quite a few spellings , think Abigail, Abigael, Abigale, Abigayle. So many spellings but only one is MY spelling.

No, you wrote Alisa, which is a name. Alisa is totally different to both Ailsa and Elsa. Those two latter names could be forgiven for people mispronouncing.

I would pronounce one as Ail, and the other as E, but you put Alisa.

I think people tend to spell names how the first person they met with that name spells it. So if you've known someone called Sarah and then gets to know someone called Sara, spelling it with an "h" becomes automatic.

It is irritating in an email conversation to get your name misspelled when the other person can see how you spell your name. I'm very tempted to write back calling the person "Gerald" or something else completely unlike their actual name.

One of my dds has a name in a similar vein, drives me completely batty that school can't get her name right (she won an award at school and it was miss spelt in the programme!), every none standard name is spelt correctly (which is as it should be), but dds rarely..... its a huge cause for celebration when it is spelt right!!

No shit Sherlock.

I read Ailsa (a name - actually my friends daughters name - so I’m certain I typed it correctly) - I then typed Ailsa, however my phone changed it to Alisa.

Just like my phone might think I’m telling someone to duck off.

I suppose if someone puts a name wrong once or twice they can be forgiven, especially as they have been decent enough to send a card. But if they KEEP on doing it, even after being told/asked to please spell it right, then that IS rude IMO.

Aren't you charming 😂

People fairly frequently get my child’s name the wrong way round, which changes their gender - they have a first name which is a common last name, and a last name which is a common first name.

Think Harper Lee/Lee Harper.

Just goes with the territory of choosing such a name sadly! My name is similar and I get misspelled on a weekly basis at work, just used to it now.

Spare a thought for those of us living in England with Gaelic names, we all gave up expecting the correct spelling at around six years old 😂

Better than having an aneurysm over an autocorrect issue 🫢

Or one when you slipped up and couldn't afford an apology to the OP you made your statement to 😋

Wait, sorry, I meant PP

I would be delighted if you wrote 'To Gerald' in my birthday card, it would be a damn sight closer than most attempts!

Spelling (poor) is something that really bothers me, so when choosing baby names we ruled out anything that had multiple variants. We chose names that had no scope for cock-ups.

Honestly, if it’s bothering you now-I’d change the name! It will only get worse as they start nursery/school/work!!

I have a 10 year old called Sofia who often gets Sophia. Even her teachers will spell it wrong when previously the spelt it right. Even people answering a message or a fb post that have seen my previous comment or message spelling it correctly will spell it wrong. My name is Lisa and my aunt spelt it Liza my entire life. I'm afraid you will have to accept it

I see this with a friend of mine, Shaun. People write Sean and even Shawn!! It'd piss me off no end!

One of my children has a name which is fairly popular.
It has one "usual" spelling, one less common but well known spelling and one very unusual spelling, all of which are legitimate.
DC has the most common spelling.
I would say 50% of cards/letters from people eg parents at primary school use a 4th spelling which has never been a spelling of this name.
Think Isabel, Isabelle, Isobel and then randomly Issebel.
It's very annoying and rather odd.