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?

[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

[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.

[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.'

[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 :/

[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!

[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.

[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!

[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".

[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.

[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.