I don't normally go 'oh nooooo!', but ...

[Molotov]

... I just have at this birth announcement for a girl named:

Harlea-Rae.

I don't dislike it because of the hyphen (I just wanted to get that out there), but more for the mis-spelling of Harley. Which is a name I don't like anyway. And then it's hyphenated with Rae - nothing wrong with that, but it just doesn't sit well as Harlea-Rae, IMVHO. It's twee and ... just nah.

I had to share as there's no way I'm saying anything IRL.

So what are your kids called op?

Kacper is the Polish equivalent of Casper

Quite right, sublime.

That's what crops up most often in these threads is that some of the spellings and variants criticised are valid spellings and variants, that the poster has no knowledge of.

The Isobels, the Catherines, and the Harleys (along with many many other examples) will all likely have to spell out their names.

There's a LiLu at dd's Playgroup. Pronounced 'Lee Loo'. I said it was unusual to the dad and he said they'd chosen it because they'd never heard anyone else called it. No shit!!

Molotov, about the racism: I don't know if this stands true for the UK, but in the US there's a significant correlation between certain types of name and race. African-American naming trends skew towards creative spelling variants.

Some of the most popular* African-American girls names in the US so far this year:

Makayla
Carlee
Jordyn
Journee
Aubree

(*According to the Unusual Names blog, which is compulsively readable if you're into mad names. Somewhere out there is a little girl called Legendary. And an Emmadonna. And there are 25 spelling variants of Aiden.)

Speaking of Legendary... names derived from adjectives or abstract nouns are also strongly represented: Heavenly, Serenity, Destiny etc. And in the 1970s and 80s it was popular for African-American names to use certain prefixes like La-, Da-, Sha- and suffixes like -asha, -iqua, -nisha. Tanisha, Shaniqua, etc. It was also quite common to add punctuation (but not in the bullshit 'La-a' way).

What I'm trying to say is, if you're going to lampoon non-standard spellings and other Mumsnet hates (I'm sure Destiny and Neveah and Shaniqua and Mo'Nique would go down a treat in the Baby Names section)... then eventually you might end up listing a lot of names that are considered 'black'. Doesn't mean you're racist. But people aren't just 'looking for problems' if they point out it sounds a bit dodgy.

When i was a student on teaching practice in a poor area of the city, i had 3 siblings in various classes called Michael, Michelle and Micheala. they didn't know that they all had the same name...

And then there was the person i knew who wanted to call a potential son Liam William and wondered why everyone stared at her like she had grown an extra head. she didn't know they were the same name.

And i forgot Jodiemouse (a boy), Dallas and Lancelot, who all came from the same area of the town i lived in.

Yes there is/was a trend amongst some of the african-american community to use particular non standard spellings. That's one of the possibilities I point out when somebody posts a list of 'awful' names from America for us all to ridicule and exclaim over.

Michael, Michelle and Micheala

Similar names, not the same. From, and forms of, the same root name would be more accurate.

Dallas is an old Scottish name silvery

Sorry - that should have been to Redhead

I think that Jean Harlow's real name was Harlean Carpenter, so perhaps it does exist as a variant?

Panda, I have never come across another Dallas, ever. It is a place name in Scotland, of a tiny village of under 200 people. this child i referred to was born in the 80s, and his mother was a fan of the programme. the mother's best friend called her kid Lancelot.

Dallas isn't an old Scottish name. I don't know where you heard that, Panda, but it simply isn't true.

Dallas is the name of a very small village up in Moray.

What do you class as old, Katiekaye?

A very brief search of records shows Dallas was used in Scotland, as a first name, at least as early as the 1700s. As a surname centuries before that.

I'd say Panda was correct

it's not a name I've ever come across in RL or in more than 30 years of working in Scottish records, where I probably seeing upwards of 500 names per day. And as our records go back to the Registration Act of 1617, I think that qualifies, don't you?

But hey, you've found one example from around about the 1700s, so that proves... well, it proves Dallas was used at least once. So in 100 years time that means Jodiemaus will also be "an old Scottish name" too I suppose?

As this thread is not talking about surnames I'm not sure why you felt it necessary to throw in that little gem about Dallas as a surname. it is fairly common all across the world for people to have surnames related to places or occupations and as both I and Redhead said Dallas is a wee village but not known as a forename in Scotland.

No, more than one example in the 1700s. Plenty more 1800s onwards, and that was the briefest of surface searches. Not so many examples in England, however.

We'll stick to the first name, then Still been used in Scotland for a few centuries.

"it's not a name I've ever come across in RL or in more than 30 years of working in Scottish records, where I probably seeing upwards of 500 names per day. And as our records go back to the Registration Act of 1617,
I think that qualifies, don't you?"

No , I don't think that does 'qualify'. This is the internet, you can say anything you like, and the lack of knowledge shown in your previous post. makes me doubtful...

Snigger. So you can use google.
Congratulations.

You've obviously no idea about the historical records and registers of Scotland. that's blatantly clear. You've obviously never even heard of the 1617 Act, far less understand its significance in national records.

But you can use google and cite random "facts" about "plenty" of examples. Wow.

"You've obviously no idea about the historical records and registers of Scotland. that's blatantly clear."

Well, I certainly know more than you, as previous posts show. You've made quite the twit of yourself, growing defensive at being shown to be incorrect.

No, I didn't use google. Not at all.

But if it is possible to find the info I did using Google, than perhaps you should have You still can you know

Agree about crazy spelling names but maybe we are just adding new names to our repertoire. Remember, names like Vanessa and Tabitha - names we consider pretty classic - were only recently 'made up/created.' Perhaps amongst the Harleas and Hendrixes there are a few 'future classics'?

Oh no what a thought Williamina

I know a Dallas. She has a PHD and is very successful and lovely.

When I first heard her name I though 'really?' now I don't think anything except 'lovely name for lovely woman'.

My great grandmother's cousin was a (male) Dallas.

Hello as an American I can tell you the whole "black name" thing is definitely true, and ridiculous. The only people named Dante or Octavia I have ever met are black and they are seen as "black names." No, they aren't, and who cares if they are?

I've met some brilliant ones in my line of work spirit-nebula and shantasia stand out!