Time to repeat my words of wisdom.........

[seeker]

When you're thinking of a name for a baby you should consider the following points.

1. Do you LOVE the name - and do you think you will still love it in 50 years time?

1. Do you think - even for a second - "Am I brave enough to use this name?" It's not you that's going to need bravery - it's your child. And he or she may not be a brave person.

1. Are people - teachers, employers, strangers, juries..going to make negative judgements about your child based solely on the name or its spelling? I know they shouldn't, but they will.

1. Will MOST people hearing the name assume that it's the opposite gender?

1. Is it a name that will go with a baby, a toddler, a young adult,a middle aged and an elderly person? You REALLY don't want to be a 50 year old Sunshine.

1. Is it a name that might make your child unhappy at any stage of their life? It's bad enough being a dumpy, spotty teenager with glasses - it' s even worse if you're called Apollo or Bellissima. And you don't want to be a Scottish boy called Jesse - for example. Or a girl called Candida.

7 Is it a name that has to be spelled or explained EVERY SINGLE TIME it's used? It's enough of a pain in the neck to have to correct Bryan to Brian - but at least there's 50:50 chance of it being right. Brion hasn't got a hope. Even if you do think it looks better.

If you answer yes to number 1, and no to all the others, then go ahead. If not, then please please think again.

Agree with 1-6, not sure about 7. My children both have Irish names as that is part of their heritage. They will always have to spell them but it does not make me regret the choices.

Would also add that if it is an unusual name, people should give pause for thought and consider why it is unusual.

Agree with your last point (that number 1 is all that matters!)!!

But GooseyLoosey, it's your children who will end up constantly spelling their names out, not you. Not saying you shouldn't have chosen those names - but just pointing out that it is someone else who will end up carrying the "burden" in the long run.

Ds's name meets your criteria apart from number 7 as there are various ways of spelling the name and people often misspell it.

When we have another baby our boys name meets all of the criteria but our girls choice may not meet number 7 as it is not that common and people may be unsure of the spelling.

1. should be only if you've made the spelling up IMO.

I think spelling unusual names is different though, to those who choose to spell common names differently, so i do agree with 7.

As in your example, why spell it brion? it still sounds the same as Brian and doesnt make it any less common because you spell it Brion

Message withdrawn

I see what you mean about spelling butI have spent my whole life spelling my extremely unusual last name. It has never bothered me in the slightest has in fact been an asset to me - people remember me and it sticks in their minds.

I have a name that I constantly have to spell, and it's not the spelling of it that is boring/frustrating/annoying, it is the psychological effect when I was a sensitive teenager - and sometimes since. I would think 'I am so insignificant that no one can make the effort to get it right'. 'I'm the one that everyone forgets how to spell my name'. It's also just sad sometimes, looking at the endless permutations of spelling for what I think is not a particularly hard name (just has a more common version that everyone assumes is correct). I was quite jealous of people who had pretty but more obviously spelt names.

I do however love my name but was very grateful when an actress became famous with my name, so people started to pronounce and spell it right.

One of my best friends wrote in incorrectly last year - for goodness sakes! I despair at times.

Now I do agree with 7 in relation to made up spellings.

But it's SO hard wihen you an dDP/H can't agree on names.

We struggled like mad to find a name we both liked for DS2, and while I'm happy with our choice, it wouldn't be either of our first choices IYSWIM

My children are Irish heritage too - and I thought long and hard about their names - and regretfully rejected, for example Grainne, in favour of its translation, Grace. (Which was, incidentally, a very unusual neame 13 years ago!)

Grainne is beautiful!!

Yes, it's lovely - but in England no one would be able to pronounce it. So it violated rule number 7! Grace is beautiful too - and fits all 7 rules!

How do you pronounce Grainne?

No 8. Does the chosen first name go with the surname.

I know a Kylie Currie for example and want to shake my head.

Grainne = Gron ya

beat me to it, Fimbo!

oh right - it's nice. I've only ever seen it written down before and have wondered how to say it.

Although some people say it nearer to gran-yah. I prefer Gron-yer or Gron-yah. You can see why it was ruled out!

Bumping as a public service.

Good post Seeker.

daisy5, I sympathise - my name is pretty easy to spell but the number of people who insist on putting a spurious e on the end drives me mad! Even family, I mean, Honestly!
If I get emails with my name spelt wrong (HOW hard is it when the name is in the email address, fgs!) then I always add an extra e onto their name as well when I write back. 90% of them get it, 10% don't.

I have just found an important email that I didn't get because it was sent to Thumbe@email.com - ffs! Luckily my boss realised and fwd'd it to me.