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 know a "Mhairi" and it's pronounced Var-ree

Helene…… Elene

This thread made me laugh. I have a name that is not unusual and only spelt one way but sometimes people still put wrong different letters in when writing it.
I just use the abbreviated version now!

I was born in another country and my perfectly normal English name was spelt incorrectly on my birth certificate. Nothing heinous, just enough that I constantly have to correct the spelling.

I very deliberately gave my DC very straightforward, traditional names, spelt in the traditional manner.

DS, no problem. His name is always spelt correctly.

DD, everyone always tries to make it complicated. Think should be Mary people try to spell it Mayoreigh or some such nonsense.

I knew a ‘Grayce’, and she hated it. Ended up changing it legally, to the traditional spelling of, ‘Grace’, when she was in her twenties.

They're not pretentious. They're a definite lower class signifier. Which I think is the opposite effect that is being aimed for.

Reminds me of the model Aygness (Agnes) Deyn. Her mother consulted a numerologist and changed her original name to maximize good luck! I mean, she was a model for a time, but the life long spelling of that name would be a PITA!

Basically, not everyone is that intelligent. Not everyone has the correct guidance. Just let people have their moment and keep your nose out.

i would have thought that was looksee!!! 😂

You'd like Scandinavian countries
Denmark - the name has to be from the approved list with no weird spellings
Norway - the name can be rejected.
Iceland - unusual names are referred to the national naming committee

Elleighde

@BoobsOnTheMoon what about Morpheus?? all I can think of is a wee plasticine character!!

Elene is the French pronunciation of Helene.

Ha!

As someone who’s had to always spell out my surname all my adult life, it’s not out there but also not common - I think odd spellings of first names is just going to be a pain for these children as they grow into adults

Scottish Gaelic.

It's risky to appeal to the 'rules' of English or what letters are 'supposed' to sound like. What is 'c' supposed to sound like? It's different in 'cattle' and 'silence'. How do pronounce the 'ou' in 'bough', 'cough', 'dough' and 'rough'? There are hundreds of examples of our spellings not following set patterns.

I used to know a unique one off whose name only appears on Google as her in relation to her hobby.

She's called Chymme. If the original is Chime then it does fit the OP's rules (if y is a vowel) but Chime isn't a name, traditional or otherwise, that I know of so it's probably not her.

I also knew some who'd gone the other way by removing letters and was called KT (Katie). But we were 17 so I'd pt money on the theory that her parents named her Katie and she was just being a teenager experimenting with her own identity etc.

Not the person you're replying to, but I also went to school with three "Amy"s... one Amy, one Aimee, and one Amie (which is the French for "friend", which is what I assumed her parents were getting at when they named her, but idk...)

@BoobsOnTheMoon Na-a!! apparently pronounced nadasha!! so the sheriff was told!!

Urban myth

My first HV let out an actual sigh of relief, when she realised my DDs name was spelt the original way😅. I didn't even realise there were alternative spellings until another mum asked me how I spelt my DDs name compared to the spelling she'd used for her dd. Clue is it's a popular flower name but not lily.

Aalyveighyah? 😵‍💫

Not really what we are discussing, but my pet peeve is people getting my name totally wrong every time, despite it being a bog standard 70’s name. In case anyone cares enough to identify me, I’ll use an example: my name is Anna but everyone for some reason calls me Anne. Or my name is Bernice and everyone calls me Denise. I ended up shortening my actual name so it really can’t be wrong no matter who tries to say it.
On topic, I’m a teacher and some of the names I have to remember do my head in. Last year I had a Chevon, Shevaughn, Shevonne and Shervorn (Yorkshire accent if that helps). None of which are actually spelt correctly. Argh

Why can't you just tell us what the name is when spelt normally?