Classic names, less familiar spellings

[Bearlet]

Don’t worry, this isn't about "creative" spellings like Emylee or Jesyka.

I am wondering about names that have more than one established spelling (Marc/Mark; Katherine/Catherine/Katharine; Ann/Anne; Susanna/Susannah; Alistair/Alasdair), and more specifically about names where one spelling is less common than the other (Martin/Martyn; Rebecca/Rebekah; Eleanor/Elinor; Philip/Phillip) or is not the usual English spelling of the name (Elizabeth/Elisabeth; Leah/Lea).

If you or your child has a name with a less familiar spelling, do you find it annoying to have to spell it out or correct people all the time? My surname is not spelt the way most people assume it should be, and to be honest I do find it irritating. And I once knew a Rachael who hated constantly having to say "Rachael with a second A".

I am considering a less familiar spelling of a name (for compelling reasons), but I'm not sure I want to set my child up for a lifetime of correcting people. On the other hand, there are plenty of names with several established spellings - surely nobody rules them out purely because they are worried about their daughter having to say "Isobel with an O". Am I overthinking this?

[Mutteroo]

I know an Alan & an Allen & 3 ladies called Claire, Clare & Clair. All are adults, all had people misspell their names when they were growing up. Now none of them care if people have a problem with their names.

Don't think it matters what any of us call our little darlings or how we spell their names as kids are more accepting nowadays & don't mind being a bit different.

[Alexaa]

My cousins were called Elinor, Silvia and Emilia. They all loved the less traditional spellings of their names but got a little annoyed when telling people how to spell it.

[NannyR]

I'm a Rachael with an "a" - it's spelt wrong all the time, even when you tell people and I've gone past it bothering me.
As a child, the one thing that bothered me was that all the cheap, personalised tat you could buy in souvenir shops (that was so covetable to my 8 year old self!) never had Rachael, always Rachel. My siblings could buy stuff but my mum wouldn't let me buy Rachel pens, badges etc as it was "spelt wrong".

[AlmaMartyr]

Manic- yes, it's weird. It isn't that hard to spell and I don't know why people insist on shortening it. Most people don't even use the short version that I like either- "ooh, I already know a Becks, I'll call you Becky" - fine, but that's not really my name. I've totally given up on it now but it used to really bother me. I also get called Rachel by mistake a lot!

[SanityClause]

DD1 has a fairly popular name with at least three ordinary spellings. She has the most usual of the spellings, but people still get it wrong. She has chosen a diminutive of it which cannot really be misspelled.

I have an unusual spelling of an ordinary name, which is a PITA.

[Lizardc]

I have a name with two common spellings. I have had birthday cards with one spelling on the envelope and the other on the card inside....

My husband has an unusual (but perfectly valid) spelling of his name. People constantly get it wrong.

It is a bit irritating at times, but not the end of the world.

For what it's worth I personally prefer Rachael to Rachel and Isabelle to Isobel. I knew a girl at school called Raechael - people never got that right!

[WomanScorned]

I meant to say that it doesn't bother me anything like as much as it does when people presume to shorten it. Now, that REALLY grates :/

[WomanScorned]

I have a name with 2 common spellings, several common shortenings, each with numerous spellings and a fairly unusual surname with another possible spelling. Yet I never considered it when naming my sons. They both have the most usual spelling of several commonly used options. Yes, we all get all sorts of weird and wonderful spellings - I just asked them whether it bothers them. DS1, 19 said 'no', DS2, 5 said 'yes, it sucks.'

[manicinsomniac]

Oooh, yes to the total misspellings and automatic shortening of Rebecca Alma

Rebbeca and Rebeca are the most common I find.

Even people who know I like to be called Rebecca slip into Becky or Becca after a few weeks. I don't know why it's not like it's the longest name in the world.

[Squtternutbaush]

Stacy WITHOUT a bloody E.

Drives me mad and I have a surname which is a common word spelt with a silent E to make matters worse :o

[thecaroline]

According to Behind the Name, Rachael is the variant, probably influenced by Michael.
www.behindthename.com/name/rachael

[AlmaMartyr]

I'm a Rebecca and constantly have to spell it out/see it misspelled. Hardly ever as Rebekah though. I hate it, there are so many of us, people always shorten automatically. I don't really mind the spelling it out though. My DD has a very unusual name and I've never had to spell it out (she's 6 now), everyone just seems to know how to spell it.

[Showy]

I have a Mathilda and it causes no problems. All nurseries, schools etc have got it right consistently and spelling it takes seconds if she meets somebody new. I have a name with one spelling and rarely do people get it right.

[NinjaLeprechaun]

I have the much more common correct version of two spellings - and it's a good bet that people are still going to get the wrong one.
Which didn't stop me from giving my daughter not only a name with several common spellings but two different pronunciations.

[Bearlet]

Thanks, everyone, especially those of you who have pointed out that, with some names, people will presume a certain spelling without asking, whereas with other names, most people are aware that there are variants. That’s a useful way of thinking about it. Unfortunately, the name I’m considering is in the former category.

Yes, it’s interesting to hear how different people’s reactions are. It's impossible to know how my daughter will feel about seeing her name misspelt. But as I myself am… erm, shall we say, a bit uptight… about spelling, I may as well make life easy for myself by choosing a different name altogether.

[octopal]

I have one of the names in Legions list. It doesn't annoy me much if strangers misspell it or ask me to spell it but it really grates on me when people i know for years get it wrong.

[Flywheel]

It's interesting to hear how this really bothers some people and others not at all.
I have a name with a number of spellings, so when I give my name somewhere I automatically spell it out. It takes about 2 seconds and I don't have to do it all that often. Never bothered me.
My dd has a very unusual (and old) spelling of her name. I hope it doesn't bother her as she gets older. I must admit, I do get anxious when I read threads like this and realise how much it bothers some people.

[JakeyBurd]

My forename has three spellings and my surname five, so it's second-nature to be spelling out the whole thing for people But it's no big deal.

My stepmother has known me for over 40 years and still adds an "e" to the end of my name. I've let it go though, as it's a minor skirmish compared to life's more important battles.

Choose the spelling you like, OP, as there is so much variation around that people are used to asking or being asked.

[manicinsomniac]

I think the more unusual spelling is often the preferable option, especially with a common name.

I'm a Rebecca from a birth year when it was in the top 5. Consequently, although I actually love the name, I have always wished I was Rebekah.

[Honsandrevels]

My name is in your op and it just doesn't bother me! I also use a shortening with many, many variations in spelling. Yes I usually have to spell it out but it just isn't a problem. I enjoy seeing the creative spellings on Christmas cards each year.

[skylark2]

As someone who has one of the names you've listed, let me tell you that it is a complete and utter PITA. I have spent my entire LIFE correcting people, sending documents back, having to help people find me on lists (I know all the places to look given the different spellings).

Both my kids have a name with ONE completely fixed spelling. It was top of my list of requirements. That should tell you something.

"surely nobody rules them out purely because they are worried about their daughter having to say "Isobel with an O"."

Yes, I ruled Isabelle out as a name for my daughter purely for this reason. Been there, lived it.

[TimeForAnotherNameChange]

*with not aith, those a's get everywhere don't they?!

[englishmummyinwales]

In my experience, people do not presume Rachel rather than Rachael, which I have always found odd as I've only ever met one Rachael while us Rachels are ten a penny!

But as it's never been a source of irritation, I gave both of my children names with a less common spelling - one is the Welsh variation of a fairly well known name. The other a more international spelling.

I find that I can never take in these posts without a specific example so I will tell you that the latter is Lukas rather than Lucas. My childrens' irritation is that they never find anything with their names on in shops, but you can get things easily online nowadays so I don't think they suffer!

[TimeForAnotherNameChange]

But Rachael aith the second A is the correct spelling Legion, it's Rachel without it that is the (perfectly valid) alternative, surely?!

[spiderlight]

My DS has an older-but-less-common spelling of a slightly unusual Welsh name. It is mildly irritating having to say 'with-an-i-not-a-y' occasionally but it doesn't really bother him, or me. The issue doesn't really arise often enough to be a pain, tbh - he's had to point it out to one teacher and one of my friends gets it spectacularly wrong in myriad ways every time she attempts it, despite being more Welsh than me, but other than that it's never been an issue.