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Original poster

Worst spelling of perfectly ordinary names? Elyviya anyone?

680 replies

backonthedecaff · 21/02/2011 22:35

I have met a Danyal, Daniol, Naiphthan, Caytie and an Alivia. Why do people consign their children to a life time of 'no, that's Daniel spelt...'? Any equally terrible ones out there?

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GetDownNesbitt · 20/12/2011 21:43

Every teacher I have ever met swears blind they taught Gooey and Why-vonnie.

Must be a lot of them around.

Pinkchampagne · 20/12/2011 21:50

I have come across a Jorja too, and a Konna!Hmm

Nevergarglebrandybutter · 20/12/2011 21:55

I have a Calum, I'm sure people think I can't spell.

ManateeEquineOhara · 20/12/2011 21:57

I know a Megan spelt Megen. Just looks like the parents are stupid.

dementedma · 20/12/2011 22:09

friend's DD has called her baby Mia, which I quite like but discovered it is to be pronounced My-ah! which I also like but would have spelled differently.

PreviouslyonLost · 20/12/2011 22:32

The 'Guy as Gooey' may come from dialect. A relative of my Mum's is Guy, but when she pronounces it (Scots Gaelic) it's more like GIUUUY, easily mis-heard as Gooey!

(My phonetic attempt not that clear, I can pronounce it properly (have been repeating it in my head, and it's becoming more 'gooey' by the second!)...I dithered over adding the I but it's quite close)

PreviouslyonLost · 20/12/2011 22:33

Soft G btw Xmas Grin

PreviouslyonLost · 20/12/2011 22:37

Argh..posted too soon...meant to say it's quite guttural, not a Soft G.

somanymiles · 20/12/2011 22:51

Our son is Danyal as that is the Punjabi spelling and that's what my husband's family speaks. However my Irish Catholic family all write "Daniel" on Christmas/birthday cards etc as it's what they are used to - it doesn't bother me too much, but we'll just have to see what DS says when he's older. I am "Moira" which is not that unusual but I always have to spell it anyway. I think the different spellings often can be explained by the fact that families tend to have more global influences and names are not spelled the same all over the world.

AlfalfaMum · 20/12/2011 23:35

My daughter was at school with a Braydee.. as if Brady wouldn't be bad enough.

Alliwantisaroomsomewhere · 20/12/2011 23:41

Somanymiles says a lot in more ways than one.

However, I did repeat the story of Ladasha to my sister via skype today, said sister being 6000 miles from where I am .... and Yes Yes Yes I referred her to Mumsnet! Xmas Grin

effingwotsits · 20/12/2011 23:46

Sammèè

MrsSeanBean · 20/12/2011 23:51

I once saw Keith spelt as Keef.

storytopper · 20/12/2011 23:54

I have come across a girl called Shinel (meant to be Chanel, I think).

Rayin · 21/12/2011 02:07

I know a Neve and a Neeve, an Imogyn, a Rian (Ryan), and a Maizi-Grace

duchesse · 21/12/2011 03:23

This site is a must. Think of the worst spelling you can of a perfectly good name, pop it in the search box, and you can bet your bottom dollar someone's used it.

Thumbinnapuddingwitch · 21/12/2011 03:47

Ah but Rayin - Neve is supposedly pronounced "Nev", not Neev. According to Neve Campbell anyway.

FellatioNelson · 21/12/2011 03:52

Oh fair enough then, Danyal is a valid spelling of a similar name from a different language. But I think it was the silly Danyl from X Facor (with the y being pronounced as the yeh sound that you would get in Dan ie l or
Dan ya l that has sparked a rash of other odd Daniel spellings.

Fishpond · 21/12/2011 03:53

Trinidi and Kooper are 2 little ones in the nursery I work in.

Thumbinnapuddingwitch · 21/12/2011 03:54

(Fell - why are you awake??)

FellatioNelson · 21/12/2011 04:41

Because I live in the middle east now, and we are three hours ahead of you!

Thumbinnapuddingwitch · 21/12/2011 05:33

Not me lovey - I'm 11h ahead of the UK so you're 8 hours behind me. Xmas Grin

FellatioNelson · 21/12/2011 06:14

Well I've only been here for two months or so but I've been banging on about it for the past 6 months. I may have slipped your notice. Grin

Where are you then? Sorry, I not very up on my time zones.

AKissIsNotAContract · 21/12/2011 06:30

www.snopes.com/racial/language/le-a.asp

FellatioNelson · 21/12/2011 07:02

I imagine if there is any truth in that story at all it is that the mother registered her as either Lea or Ledasha with the intention of writing Le-a and pronouncing the dash, as a little quirky gimmick, but knowing that registering it was such was perhaps a step too far.

Either that or the child in question opted to write Ledasha as Le-a, as that is the kind of odd thing that teenagers do!

Whilst we are on the subject, I am fascinated by the African American new 'thing' of prefixing names with L' or D' (or sometimes Le or De) so we get Le'Shawn or D'Shawn. I'd love to know how it started and what it is was originally supposed to signify. I would blame Le'Wren Scott but I don't think it was her, she hasn't been famous for long enough.

I live somewhere where there are lots of Filipinos and they tend to have loosely Anglocised (Anglicised/Anglacised? Confused) names, but they choose words which to them sound pretty or endearing, but to us sound plain odd! So far I've met a Cheeky, a Jelly, and Joeanne, pronounced Joey-anne!