Does a different spelling = chavvy???

[mosschops30]

You know what I mean, when you see some odd spelling of a 'normal' name just so that it looks 'special' but often ends up just looking ridiculous.

Am asking because the name Aidan is on my shortlist, but have also seen it spelt Aaden and Aedan, which I prefer to the traditional spelling.

What do you think of the alternative spellings?

[Marcipex]

I was at school in the dark ages with a Shevaun. She was as Irish as can be, and not at all chavvy.
But yes, I was puzzled by Iria (pronounced Ira ) and then there's Dayzee...she is cute though and at least it's phonetic.

[BlueJava]

I think it looks like the parents cannot spell. There is an Amii at work, she constantly spells her name out when on the phone to people. If it was me I'd have just told work it was Amy.

[HarryLovesDraco]

This thread is 9 years old!

[Joeybee]

I can't stand it when people change up a spelling of a name to try and make it more 'unique'. It doesn't make it unique at all, it just looks tacky. I think it would be easy to judge someone as chavvy for changing the spelling of a name - thats what lots of chavvy people do. Also you're condemning your child to a life time of spelling out their name, and having people say "Oh that's an unusual spelling" and them having to answer/explain over and over. It gets really annoying really quickly.

[NataliaOsipova]

I think there are acceptable variations of names. Think Clare/Claire. Steven/Stephen. Jill/Gill. Katy/Katie. Martin/Martyn.

But anything "way out" just looks ridiculous...and, as others have said, as though the parents are a bit dim and can't spell the name they have chosen, setting up that child for a lifetime of having to spell out his or her name. Choose a name you Iike and stick to the conventional spelling!

[Carouselfish]

Obsidian, my daughter is Carmen. A year in, I'm still trying to get all the nursery staff to not spell it Carman.

[MaybeyBaybey]

Maybe.

But it really depends on whether the name is misspelled or whether the parents simply chose an other (still correct) spelling, e.g. the French of Russian spelling...


I've recently been on several name. And there are apparently a lot of people that felt the need to tell a parent / expecting parent that spellings like Mikhail/Mikkel/Michel etc were trashy/chavvy etc...

[Awwlookatmybabyspider]

I wouldn't say so. My sister is Amy (Aimee)
which was an unusual spelling when she was born (late 80s)
Providing it's not off the scale different and you can tell straight away what it is.
eg. Vyktoreigha for Victoria might be pushing it.

[Patienceofatoddler]

I can't help but think they don't actually know how be spell...

[birdofthenorth]

My sister is a teacher and different spellings for the sake of it is her bug bear. She says it takes the kids longer to spell their own name becaue other adults are always spelling it incorrectly!!

[KittyBigglesworth]

Sometimes, sometimes not, for example as Rachael has said, there are some names, for example, those with Hebrew origins that have many different spellings.

So, I wouldn't read a Hebrew name like Rachael and think "What thick parents" because I know that it could have been closer to the original spelling than Rachel is now however if I saw Chardonae, I would think it was all the more awful!

How new the name sounds, I think, is more of a barrier to our acceptance of how a name is spelt than the name itself.

[girlsyearapart]

Did anyone else notice Treyc on x factor? classic imo.

[niftyfifty]

Is chavvy IMO - 'Cortnee' being one of my pet hates! I also rang someone called 'Lyca' once and pronounced it Lie Ka when, oops, she called herself Lisa! Makes me cringe ....

[hocuspontas]

Worst spelling - Jorja.
Worst mis-spelling - Issac.

[MamaLazarou]

How is 'Theigho' pronounced? They-ho? Thee-ho? Thee-go? They-go?

MamaVegas - I also know a 'See-Ann'!

I would pronounced Aadan as 'Arden'.

My own name is alternatively-spelt (although it is the original biblical version, not a trendy made-up one). I must say that you do get used to spelling it out all the time, and the benefits of having a name that's slightly different from the crowd definitely outweigh the negatives for me.

Having said that, I dislike unnecessary extra letters in names: e.g, Tobey, Zoey; and anything that doesn't read how it sounds (like Theigho above, which I just can't fathom!)

[sweetnitanitro]

PMSL @ Pyrocanthus

I once worked with a girl called Shevaun I think it's better to stick to accepted spellings of names. "Alternative" spellings either look like you can't spell or you're trying too hard to be different.

[Salonly]

I know a Theigho. They're not the classiest of parents.

[Pyrocanthus]

Rachael Ridiculous is a fab name.

[MrsTicklemouse]

i can't believe in a thread about spelling a can't spell *ridiculous

[MrsTicklemouse]

dont do it my name is RachAel which is actually the traditional spelling but is quite rare these days and i have always hated having to say Rachael with an A especially now my married surname is rediculous!!

[Fibilou]

Aadan immediately makes me think "Swedish village"

[pookamoo]

A friend is a secondary school teacher.
He says on day 1 of the new school year, you can tell which children will be a challenge because their own parents couldn't spell their names...

Not saying this is always the case, but still, as somebody said above, it makes the parents look thick.

(By the way, my friend is an excellent teacher)

[BiteOfFun]

Like Shardnay? Don't like deliberate phoneticisms, looks a bit ropey IMVHO.

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

Yes.

Maybe this is more common since texting became so popular ?