odd spellings/deliberate wrong spelling

[discobeaver]

Why do people do this? The name sounds the same, and all it means is the poor child will spend its life telling people how to spell their name, with people getting it wrong on cards and letters and forms and so on.

Sometimes I think parents get carried away and don't think about the implications of actually living with a name.

But it's yoo-nique, innit?

Seriously though, some names do have different spellings, especially foreign versions of names. My name is always spelt with a 'k' here, so maybe people think I am spelling it 'wrong' when I tell then it's with a 'c', actually.

I am not keen on strange spellings of names for the sake of it, but it's all part of self-expression and language evolution, I suppose!

Many names have different spellings (e.g. Catherine, Katherine, Kathryn etc) or have different ethnic origins (e.g. Alexander, Aleksander), so it is not always for 'yoo-nique' ness sake.

Agree with poppyd.

My name is tricky ish to spell because of my ethnic origin.

I hated it for a short time - bored of correcting other people really. But it is not that weird thankfully.

Love it when people have suggested my mother got it wrong! And to read some misspellings of it makes me laugh and is quite sweet.

People on here though have sometimes had a go at yoo-nique spellings only later to find out that its an Eastern European spelling. Think you have to be careful before judging.

Think the K-C who lives in our village though is just to be yoo-nique. Oh no, I know 2 of them so that's not so yoo-nique

Generally its obvious when its a different spelling for a reason - ie, ethnic origin - and when the parents are just feeling stupid cr8ive.

Some of the latter do need a slap with a fish though.

I hate people spelling Ellie as Elle. Why??? They are two different names, lol.

As a teacher I find this very irritating - means you have to check so carefully to spell the name correctly when marking work etc. My particular pet peeves are Jakob, Micheal (see that one such a lot and always assume the parents didn't know how to spell Michael - would you not check??) Katey and Kameron.

Lurcher, if I saw Micheal I would just assume that the parents couldn't spell either. I think if you use unique spellings you run the risk of everyone assuming you are just thick, uneducated or both.

Because they think it makes a name more unique even though it will sound the exact same and just makes the parents look like they can't spell and are a bit thick.

It's time for this again - not had it out for a while...

UnquietDad, I love Baby's named a bad bad thing and the forum is pretty good too.

The worst examples I have seen are

Lorra (Laura)

Elliegance

Kaiyne

Rees which i would pronounce/read differently to Reece/Rhys

I know a Rueben

and a Kaydie

and a Shiyann

I always thought that Micheal was the more faithful transliteration from the Hebrew? I've seen it a number of times and on older men as well so possibly not just a modern mis-spelling?

Weirdest one I've come across was Emma-Leigh. Not an odd spelling as such, but what was wrong with Emily? That's how everybody's going to spell it, anyway.

I have a dead common name with a weird spelling.
I chose the spelling (most of my legal documents have it).

But I am totally relaxed about people mispelling it; I don't care 90% of the time.

That said, all DC have conventional names with bog standard spellings, as if becoming a parent wasn't tough enough already, why complicate it even more? :)

oh they should all just move here to the Caribbean where literally anything goes. My favourite so far is Posher. Which is Portia.

I think the mums can't spell. There are a lot of young mums here.

I met a poppie the other day. I had never seen ie before. Very posh dad who is also a gardener.

Isn't jakob an eastern European spelling? I remember someone on here taking the piss out of amani thinking it was Armani spelled wrong when it is an Arabic name meaning gift of god

I have a unusual spelt name...its because it is the welsh way... i dont have a problem with it...my children all have a slightly unusal spelling too... i would rather worry about more serious issues in society then spelling names right or wrong or how we wish too.... in my opinion ...x...:) x

I think Micheal spelt that way cis possibly Irish and is pronounced Me-hul (or similar!). However as a teacher I have taught a Micheal and I don't think there was any Irish influence, more a case of a unique spelling!

What about Treyc on the xfactor (Tracy) who would ever spell her name correctly.

Silly parents trying to be original. A bit daft if you ask me.

My dd1 has a less used spelling of a very modern name. Initially it was because we were going to give her a more grown up name on her birth certificate and use the shortened version as her day to day name.

The longer spelling was to incorporate her nick- name more into her full name- giving her nick name the correct spelling. (Hope that makes sense)

People assume it is because it was spelled incorrectly. We weren't trying to be unique, or clever. Just trying to give her a name which she could use either way and have options.

However this has since slightly back-fired as she is nearly always called by her full name and not the shortened nick name. Also she would dearly love the crappy tat that has your name on it, but can never find her name.

It is also a name that has received a fair amount of criticism on Mumsnet, but we love it, because it is her name.

Well crikey ihave3beauties (sorry but I think 'is that 3 nipples?' I know I know, wrong! Especially with my username :)) of course there are more serious issues to discuss, but this IS a baby names forum!

Jakob is not a misspelling - it is the normal spelling where I am (German-speaking) and all around Eastern European! I am a bit that a teacher would "judge" this name...

I think there is a big difference between cultural variations and real misspellings.

There are some names where I really like the alternative spelling (such as Elinor, which is an older version than Eleanor) and I would be a bit annoyed if people thought I was "uneducated" for picking the "wrong" spelling

Some spellings are cringey thought IMO - Elouise, Racheal, Pheobe...