Aleks or Maks?

[Chilly1987]

Would be Aleksander / Maksymilian on the BC.

You would be screwed it you lived where I do it you think all kids should be given nice easy to spell English names. I'd stay living in your nice white bubble if i was you.

Honestly, we can cope with spelling unusual names. I am Irish. Have you seen how we spell our names I am now working in a Hindu faith school with names I have never heard of and I have adapted

Oh, for goodness sake, of course I have! The point is that these two particular names sound as if they have very simple, unambiguous English spellings. So they will be down on lists and on pegs and on cycling proficiency certificates and a million and one other things with the wrong spelling Which is a pain in the neck, and can actually be upsetting for children. If it was an unfamiliar name, people will check. If they think it's Max they won't. If it was, say, Zygmunt, they would.

"You would be screwed it you lived where I do it you think all kids should be given nice easy to spell English names. I'd stay living in your nice white bubble if i was you."

Yeah, because that is exactly what I have said. FFS.

Aleks coz I teach an Aleks (Aleksandr) and he's such a lovely boy.

Maksymilian like the Polish saint?

I prefer Aleks.

I love Aleksander.

Also, I often wonder if some MNers never actually venture outside their own homes when I hear cries of "it looks made up" "if he's living in England it should be spelt the English way" do you people not actually know anyone who isn't called jack or Jane?

I think either would be fine! I prefer Aleks

Maybe just call him John

But wait - is that spelled Jon or John?!

I like Aleks or Kuba

Agree that having an obviously polish surname will make people realise you're using traditional spellings not yoonique ones

I work with an Aleksandra nn Ola and nobody bats an eye.

Don't make his life a misery with those terrible spellings!!!

RTFT buttercup!!!

the Polish lad in dds class is Kacper, (pronounced Casper)

The point is, that in reception we all went Oh you spell it THAT way, and ever since we all, without thinking just write Kacper. He doesn't meet hundreds of new people every day at school, it is the same class of kids who all know it.

In the same way that people for centuries have gone Stephen or Steven and Maya or Maia and Katherine or Catherine and Claire or Clare.

It really isn't a problem. Yes of course he will get Alex and Max occasionally, but you know what, I have a very ordinary name beginning with R, let's say Ruth. Ever since I was small people have called me Rachel by mistake. I even have a set of certificates from the local poetry festival with Rachel on them, as my own teacher 'forgot' when she filled in the form.
My son's name has more than one spelling, except the more common one is WAY more common, about 90% spelt his way. He got a certificate spelt the other way, despite the form being filled in correctly.

It happens, it isn't unique to non English spellings. When I look at my kids friends very few have names that I would be 100% confident of spelling right without asking, and they aren't that unusual.

Kuba sounds really cool to my english ears. But I equally like Aleks.
I have a very unusual non-English name and it has caused me zero problems in life. And it's difficult to spell and pronounce.

My favourite is Aleksander but also a fan of Kuba. I've never really liked Max so same goes for Maks.

I really doubt saying "it's Aleks with a ks" is harder than "it's claire with an I" or "it's Sara without the h".

It's strange that one of the most lauded names on MN is Catherine (or should that be Katherine/Katharine/Kathryn) but the minute you have a foreign alternative spelling it's weird and made up

I think Aleksander. Maksimilian (sorry I've forgotten how it's spelt already) is messy and doesn't flow well in English imo.

I like Kuba the best. My DS went to school with Kuba but they all called him Kubush which I though was lovely.

I like Aleksander. I wouldn't bat an eyelid at the spelling. I always wonder where people on here live when they say it looks made up or strange, because most places are pretty diverse these days and everybody just knows these things. Some kids even grow up knowing a few words in other languages let alone understanding some names similar to British names are spelt or pronounced differently around the world. Kids especially will know I think, because each generation is getting more mixed up with all different people.

God, some people are so ignorant and closed-minded.

It's obvious the names (and the OP) are Polish, but then I live in a multicultural city and have met plenty of Polish people. I imagine the OP also lives somewhere relatively multicultural where people can cope with Polish names!

To answer your actual question, OP, I prefer Maksim to Maksymilian (and it is also easier for non-Polish people to spell) so my preference would be:

1. Maksim
2. Aleksander
3. Maksymilian

Maks and Aleks are both great names though so you can't go wrong

Actually there is nothing ignorant of giving an honest answer to a question. I would think those names were made up. I'm not sure how from the OP people were supposed to realise these were polish. Then again it's always really obvious if you know

I recognise Aleksander as being a "foreign" name but not Maksymilian, although a Polish surname would be a giveaway!

It will be a minor PITA whether you go with a name people spell incorrectly or one they pronounce incorrectly (I would assume Kuba is like Cuba for example).

Presumably either would be followed by a Polish surname, so what's the problem? It'll be obvious why they're spelt the way they are. I prefer Aleks.

FWIW my parents gave me an Anglicised version of a Polish name as they were worried I'd spend my whole life explaining how to spell it! Although I have a very British surname. I'd have rather had the Polish version in retrospect as I feel a bit cut off from all my Polish cousins who have Polish surnames at least (my mum was the only girl sibling), whereas name is without reference to my family heritage at all.

*MY name is without reference to my heritage

Well there is no problem but the OP asked what people thought and people gave their thoughts. I don't get what is the problem with that, other than people were honest enough to say what they thought and it wasn't well received.

I would think those names were made up.

Which is your ignorance of polish spellings of names!