If you add random extra letters into a name, don't be pissy when people mispronounce it!

[BoobsOnTheMoon]

I met someone recently who has a young child with a name that is actually quite a old/traditional English name, rare but not unheard of. Almost the perfect sweet spot, you'd think.

When I heard the name I immediately said oh how beautiful, I love that name. Which then set the mum off on a big rant about how nobody can ever pronounce it. Strange, I thought, it's not that unusual and tbh it's pretty phonetic when written down.

Except I found out later via FB that the mum has added two letters to the name (a consonant and a vowel), in two different places, that make it look like you pronounce it completely differently to the way she wants it pronounced. It's not an alternative spelling (which the name does have a couple of, both of which are completely obvious how to pronounce). If you were to see it written down you'd add an extra syllable when reading it out! And probably mispronounce the one of the consonants because it's had a random other consonant put next to it for...no reason? She must just like how it looks

I can't say what the name is because this child is literally the only person in the world with the name spelled that way, I've googled it and got the total of 2 results (both of which refer to this child, via their hobby). The closest examples I can come up with would be calling a baby Phetier when you want it pronounced Peter, or Elixzabieth but wanting it pronounced Elizabeth, or Dharrien and expecting everyone to know you say it Darren.

Anyway I don't particularly care how people spell names but to then be huffy that it gets mispronounced is just silly, right?

I read something this morning where a woman wanted to name her child Kaitlyn (her spelling) but with a more unique spelling. Her DH suggested inserting the Roman numeral for 8 into it, and they actually went ahead and named that poor child KVIIIlyn

It's an urban myth going back years. Did she also tell you about the child stealing a penguin from the zoo?

Pretty sure this is also an urban myth
I have read this a few times...

It’s very mean to put up a thread where of course everyone will be dying to know the name but not tell us the name!

OP has had eleven months to ponder this and may not even be on MN any more, so I wouldn't hold your breath.

Completely agree. It does my head in when I see Kaighleeegh, and Jaydunn, and Saffffrooonnn (I may be exaggerating the last one!) But yeah, I know someone with a son called 'Deacon,' and he/his DP spell it Deekonne. I mean FFS! I have tried Googling this, and it comes up 'did you mean Deacon?!' 😆

His daughter is called Emileigh-Jayde. I mean, what the actual fuck! 😂

They both (him and her) whine constantly that people never spell their children's names right! I wonder why............?!!! 😜

I don't mean to be a snob, but it's just bloody farcical. My 2 have just normal 1990s names that are spelt normally! (eg; Emily, Sophie, Lily, Emma, Charlotte, Hannah, Amy, Rebecca, Lucy, Katie, Alice, Olivia.....)

Almost 25 years ago when I was 18 I worked in the children’s play area of a now Brewers Fayre (it was Brewsters then) restaurant. Two of the girls were called Emma Leigh and Jo Anna. All the parents have done is given their daughters perfectly normal names Emily and Joanna except that the girls will have to spend their lives spelling their names.

This has brought back to me that my oldest went to nursery with a Kaitland. Pronounced as spelled, and in a heavy Brummie accent no less!!

OP has been here over 20 years and isn't going anywhere 😂. But also really isn't sharing the name - it's so yooneek that if I post it, it'll be only the 4th appearance of it on the internet and all 4 would refer to this child!

So how do I disprove your urban legends even though I know they are true? Do I have to provide birth certificates? Didn’t know what I was saying was so controversial! Maybe, the most obvious answer is that these things happened. But please don’t let facts get in the way of your narratives.

It’s Cicely isn’t it?

I reckon it's Dzahnett (Janet) 🤔

Bahttercahp

What about giving the name but not the alternative spelling? Eg if it’s Peter spelled Phetier then just say it’s Peter.

But both of those are real names and both are spelt like that, though technically the first one should have accents - Hélène. Many moons ago I went to school with a girl whose mother was French. She was called Hélène but obviously her parents, and so the teachers, didn't pronounce the H. She was known to all of us kids as Elaine. We were in our 60s before I found out what her name really was.

They wouldn’t know it’s them from just what’s in the original post. There are WAY too many examples of this. I can think of at least 10 which would fit!

Is it Daifnee, or Lialiaen? They fit the brief!

We know somebody with an Issac, but pronounced as Isaac. You know how, if you're scribbling a shopping list and can't quite remember how to spell broccoli, you can just write anything approximating to it and it doesn't actually matter...?

Well, when you're naming a person who could live for 100 years, you really should be bothered to spend 3 seconds Googling it first!

I think it must be 'Adoelfe' - but pronounced just like Adele.

Hannagh sounds like the parent trod on an upturned plug whilst telling the registrar their choice of name!

😂

Aenydde (Enid)
Dheorrysse (Doris)
Ethelle (Ethel)
🤔

Maybe it's just an Irish name, in which case all bets are off.

I wonder if that's the See-Anne, spelled Sian, as a former colleague's partner, or if it's just more common than I thought?

I know someone with a baby called Aurelia, but they prefer her to be referred to as Ray, for short.

I refrained from asking why they didn't just name her Ray...