Change name spelling at 4?

[Thinkingonmyfeet]

We used an accepted but more unusual spelling of a traditional name for our daughter which has links to our culture, but is not the most widely used spelling in any culture. After a few comments, I worry that the spelling looks made up, that she’ll always have to correct/ explain to people etc.

Before starting school should we change it to the traditional spelling? The traditional spelling is fine, I just preferred the variant, felt more special, but not special enough to give her aggro throughout her life. She can’t spell it yet either.

Does anyone know anything about changing spellings at this age? Obviously it’s via deedpoll now. Will she always have to declare she was known by a different name? Does this question even come up much?

any advice would be great, thanks.

Do not change the spelling. Use the spelling that you prefer.

I don't know the answer to your questions but well done for thinking of the difficulties and irritation your daughter going through life always having to spell out her name for people.

At age 4 I’d actually let her choose.

Honestly, i don’t think it matters how you spell it as people often come up with their own variants anyway. My youngest’s name is spelt the traditional and widely used way. But people often spell it in a way that I have never met one!

I have a name that most people mis-spell and have done since my school days.
They even managed to cofuse my middle name with my surname

IMO, it is important that when chosing a babies name, it is easy to say and spell, IMO otherwise along the raod come to signing stuff, opening acounts, work etc, things can get slightly mixed up

FYI, my name is not English but it is not hard to spell

Stick to the spelling you chose. Is the name an international one like Elizabeth/Elisabeth, or is it a name from your heritage like Orlaith/Orla?

Keep the spelling you prefer, I have a classic name with 2 accepted spelling and people still spell it wrongly, I find it funny.

There are lots of spellings of my name...it's not a big deal to spell it out.
If you do change it by deed poll then it would only really come up when doing a notice of marriage but the marriage certificate would say e.g. Elizabeth Jane Smith formerly known as Elisabeth Jane Smith.
She'd need to produce the deed with the original birth certificate as proof of name etc, and you'd need to change her passport.

Honestly I'd leave it as is.

All 3 of mine have names which have a variety of spellings. Leave her name as it is. You chose it for a reason.

If she ends up in a career with detailed background checks, then name changes are a huge headache. I know that is a very particular path to consider, but it’s a big enough headache that I don’t think parents should ever change a child’s name without a very compelling reason.

Thanks everyone. It’s an international name like Elizabeth/ Elisabeth and I still love the spelling we chose. I suppose I just lost confidence in it and I didn’t want people to think we made it up to be kreatif. But as PP said, we chose it for a reason, and I will hold onto that.

Leave it if it is well known spelling in culture. Id change if it’s rare everywhere.

I have a name that is not common in Britain but also not spelt the traditional Indian way . I’d need to spell it either way but I’d feel more of a connection. Indians or people with Indian heritage here used the traditional spelling as do other who have come across the name.

OTOH it will be special and family and friends are presumably used to it and send cards/gifts etc in that spelling^^. Also even if she doesn’t know how to spell it does shr recognise it or the shape it looks?

Many names have more than one accepted spelling. It will be a bigger headache for her changing it now, and her forever having a name change on record to list on forms than it would be to occasionally have people spell it incorrectly.

As for school, the school you have applied for will already have her down as the version you put on the application form. You have to provide them with her birth certificate when she starts. Changing the spelling of her name now will cause confusion. Even if she can't write it now, many 4 year olds recognise their name when written down (eg on their nursery peg). It doesn't seem fair to confuse her by changing it now.

You chose this version for a reason and it reflects her heritage. That's a nice talking point for her. Definitely stick with it.

That’s lovely that you chose the spelling that’s most meaningful to you - definitely hold faith in it and keep it. It would be boring if everyone chose the same variations. I’m sure she’ll enjoy having a name with some individuality.

Appreciate the comments. The fact that it will cause her paperwork grief through life to be officially named a different spelling to at birth has made the decision clear for me. Thanks all

No one can spell my name. Including my own family. I quite like it. It makes people ask about my name and I usually get compliments. It doesn't bother me if people spell my name wrong though.
I'd use the spelling you like.

I sometimes use my middle name to make bookings or in other situations when I can't be arsed spelling out my name.

Our oldest children have the Scandinavian -k- instead of -c/ch- in their first names. And the oldest has -s- not -z- in her middle name.

Born and named in Scandinavian. Settled in UK before school age - would have been easier to change their spelling but we went with heritage.

As grown ups they are happy we didn't change the names to a more British style.

They are bilinguals so they have a connection to their names that way as well.

If the spelling causes people to read it wrong, you can use a "known as" in school.
For instance, Maja gets called Madge and Naoise gets called Noise. So they use "known as" spellings Maya and Nisha. This doesn't affect any official paperwork.
Its also very kind to supply teachers reading through unfamiliar lists of names in a glorious range of incompatible spelling systems.

I have a friend called Melisa. One S.
It's a Turkish name. It's a flower. And also means honey.

Everyone spells her name with a double S. she just ignores. But knows that her name is special.

Keep your spelling and keep your dd feeling special

I wouldn't.
Dd has a standard spelling name and it still causes issues sometimes.
Schools have all sorts of spellings to register, they don't mind at all.

I wouldn't change it just for other people's convenience.

She can always go by the other spelling if she wants to later in life- for most purposes you don't need to change it formally.

People misspell my proper name all the time ea, only a, two t's two n's, G not J doesn't bother me I know how to spell it only correct it on paperwork

Something like Victoria/Wiktoria?

It’s a legitimate spelling that you chose in confidence, so I’d just keep it as it is. She can always informally go by the more usual spelling if she fancies.

I thought I'd given my daughter the easiest, most straightforward name. Everybody spells it wrong! Four letters, ends in y. I like the shape of y as an end to a name, or g. She gets -ie all the time! Use the spelling you like, it won't make a bit of difference.

If she ends up in a career with detailed background checks, then name changes are a huge headache.
Not true.
There's a section on the form that you fill in, and you'll need proof, but that's it.

@Sirrah , is it Anny?