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Original poster

To not use proper spellings when naming your child

934 replies

Catterpillarsflipflops · 19/03/2025 18:17

Am I being unreasonable to think it's ridiculous to use a funky spelling of a normal name. I spent today dealing with lost paperwork for a child as the person that took the details didn't think to check the spelling as there is no other spelling of the name.

It looks silly and just causes no end of problems for the child. It also disadvantages them as straight away people get an image of what the child is like.

I've seen

Jaymz
Ezmay
Lil-leigh

OP posts:
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10
LakieLady · 20/03/2025 12:02

Notgoodatpoetrybutgreatatlit · 19/03/2025 18:58

I remember having a Sian at school, all the teachers pronounced it Sharn. Like the actor Sian Philips. The girl would correct them. No Miss/Sir
It's See Ann.
It was hard to forget that one.

I know a Seeanne!

She's in her 40s, so this weirdness has plainly been a thing for some time.

I have one of those names that can be male or female, but spelt differently according to sex. Mine is spent the female way, but when I had my tonsils out, they'd mistakenly booked me in on the male ward, thinking I was a bloke.

Whoshotjr · 20/03/2025 12:06

OchonAgusOchonOh · 20/03/2025 11:53

I misread it as Tadhg too. I guess we see what we expect and are used to.

I wonder was the Tadgh a misreading of Tadhg and then an "interesting" mispronunciation.

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I don’t know but the spelling is often wrong in Ireland too unfortunately. It’s a name that has become very popular recently. Last year there were 318 babies named Tadhg in Ireland…but also 50 named Tadgh. It’s sad really as I doubt that most spelt it wrong deliberately. It was probably a mistake in a lot of cases?

Unorganisedchaos2 · 20/03/2025 12:07

Are you on the Tradgedeigh names fakebook group OP? I am and I enjoy it very much 😄

outdooryone · 20/03/2025 12:29

Nothing new. I taught a La-a back in 2001.

Yes, that is pronounced Ladasha.

Namechangetry · 20/03/2025 12:31

outdooryone · 20/03/2025 12:29

Nothing new. I taught a La-a back in 2001.

Yes, that is pronounced Ladasha.

Edited

No you didn't. That's a racist urban myth.

Dangerouz · 20/03/2025 12:36

outdooryone · 20/03/2025 12:29

Nothing new. I taught a La-a back in 2001.

Yes, that is pronounced Ladasha.

Edited

You really didn't. Made up story and racist to boot. Nice.

RominaDina · 20/03/2025 12:47

Dangerouz · 20/03/2025 12:36

You really didn't. Made up story and racist to boot. Nice.

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Exactly. This stupid story has been discredited on here many times. Racist nonsense.

CaptainMyCaptain · 20/03/2025 12:53

Namechangetry · 20/03/2025 12:31

No you didn't. That's a racist urban myth.

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It might have originated like that but people have seen and copied it. I have heard of a L-a locally from a very reliable source. Not racist either - a white, British family.

tulippa · 20/03/2025 12:53

SquashPenguin · 20/03/2025 10:53

That’s not necessarily a fancy spelling. That’s the polish way of spelling it so not exactly wrong.

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Yes I have already been corrected by multiple people. Thank you. I learnt something new yesterday. 🙂

RominaDina · 20/03/2025 12:55

SquashPenguin · 20/03/2025 10:53

That’s not necessarily a fancy spelling. That’s the polish way of spelling it so not exactly wrong.

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😂😂😂

NotTellingYouMyRealOne · 20/03/2025 12:56

CaptainMyCaptain · 20/03/2025 12:53

It might have originated like that but people have seen and copied it. I have heard of a L-a locally from a very reliable source. Not racist either - a white, British family.

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No one comes up on name statistics as having that name.

That means that either 0, 1 or 2 children have been registered with that name in any given year.

However many people have claimed to know them...

RedToothBrush · 20/03/2025 12:56

Hoppinggreen · 20/03/2025 11:23

I wanted to call DS Lucifer as it means "bringer of light"
Thankfully DH over ruled me
I blame my hormones

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DS avoided Loki because I'm not cruel and wishing for chaos unlike DH. That wasn't the worst name I talked him out of either. Hormones played no role!

(DS has an unusual name but it could have been a LOT worse).

2025willbemytime · 20/03/2025 12:59

ThisFluentBiscuit · 19/03/2025 22:20

I would probably pronounce that Care-on if I just saw it written down, not Karen.
You'd have spent your life correcting the spelling. Thank that registrar!

Ignore this silly misogynistic trend for insulting middle-aged women. I think Karen is a lovely name.

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Why? There's no e..

RominaDina · 20/03/2025 13:00

NotTellingYouMyRealOne · 20/03/2025 12:56

No one comes up on name statistics as having that name.

That means that either 0, 1 or 2 children have been registered with that name in any given year.

However many people have claimed to know them...

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Quite. There was a person on the other thread who was in a position to research it, and her conclusion was that no-one in the UK has been given that name.

LakieLady · 20/03/2025 13:11

RedToothBrush · 20/03/2025 12:56

DS avoided Loki because I'm not cruel and wishing for chaos unlike DH. That wasn't the worst name I talked him out of either. Hormones played no role!

(DS has an unusual name but it could have been a LOT worse).

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I know a Loki. I inwardly wince every time I have to say it.

GrandTheftWalrus · 20/03/2025 13:33

Someone at work asked if dd1 name was spelt with an "ie" I responded "no the normal way" but then she does have some interesting choices for her children.

WhatIsCorndogs · 20/03/2025 13:36

I agree. I've got a name that is more commonly used as a nickname and it causes me grief to this day, because people assume I am putting a nickname on official forms and I have to assure them I'm not. I couldn't imagine how exhausting it would be to spell out an unusual name like that. I also think names should be spell-checked, because I don't believe it sets a child up well in life if their name is mis-spelled.

outdooryone · 20/03/2025 13:41

Dangerouz · 20/03/2025 12:36

You really didn't. Made up story and racist to boot. Nice.

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Sorry, I had not realised that you had met every child in the UK and memorised their names. For reference this was a white girl.

Think the point of half of these names is that people are generally not original. They copy a different spelling to 'be unique' and stand out somehow. So while something may be urban myth to many, to some it is the inspiration for what names they call their kids.

Crackanut · 20/03/2025 13:45

Destiny123 · 19/03/2025 23:33

Had a nurse prewarn me as the mum had just had a go at her for not knowing 'ka-ia' is kardashia as "you pronounce the dash (hyphen)"

Absolute bullshit. Didn't happen. Someone else upthread tried to pull the same stunt with Naa-a. I'll say it again, it's a racist urban myth. Oh I see now La-a has been added. There's actually facebook groups about this, they call people out on it. People with these 'names' have ever been found.

Annascaul · 20/03/2025 13:48

Crackanut · 20/03/2025 13:45

Absolute bullshit. Didn't happen. Someone else upthread tried to pull the same stunt with Naa-a. I'll say it again, it's a racist urban myth. Oh I see now La-a has been added. There's actually facebook groups about this, they call people out on it. People with these 'names' have ever been found.

Edited
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How is it racist?

JudgeJ · 20/03/2025 13:49

Ebananascroogey · 20/03/2025 10:49

I've recently worked with an apprentice called Sheeohbahn. I had no words for that one!
Also know a Beeatrize.

I like @tulippa for a name, but it's a bit plain, so i might spell it Tewleeapah 😂

I once had three different spellings, none correct, of Siobhan in one class! Each parent wanted us to deal with the 'bullying' their daughter received from the other two because the other two insisted that their version was the right spelling, there were constant arguments.
So much time wasted in schools due to batty parents and their decisions etc..

Crackanut · 20/03/2025 13:51

Annascaul · 20/03/2025 13:48

How is it racist?

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https://www.reddit.com/r/namenerds/comments/9lcrtp/laah_abcde_lemonjellow_uterusare_racist_urban/

KnickerFolder · 20/03/2025 13:57

AlternativeCarpark · 20/03/2025 09:45

I was in a queue behind a woman who was picking up something for her child. On being asked the name she said "Sydney". Not unreasonably the person behind the counter checked if that was Sidney or Sydney as they both sound the same. The woman spelled it out as "Cydney".

Cydney is a legitimate spelling of a surname used as first name that has a different etymology from the name Sydney/Sidney, as does Sidonie. They might sound similar but they have different meanings/origins, @AlternativeCarpark.

RampantIvy · 20/03/2025 13:59

How do you pronounced Sadhbh?
The surname is Irish so I know this is an Irish name, but I have never come across this name before.

Crackanut · 20/03/2025 14:02

RampantIvy · 20/03/2025 13:59

How do you pronounced Sadhbh?
The surname is Irish so I know this is an Irish name, but I have never come across this name before.

It's like five...Sive.

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