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?

[thighsmadeofcheddar]

My sister has named her two girls Issabella and Amelya - lovely little cherubs but I don't know why she spelt them like this. My name is an alternative spelling and I've spent my whole life correcting it. Boring!

[pranma]

serenity the Turkish names are pronounced differently though-Eyedan with equal stress on both syllables

[littlemissm]

My daughters name is Baylee rather than Bailey (as in my name book Baylee was the girls spelling) does this make me thick because i never used the Bailey spelling even though i'm a uni graduate?

[crumpet]

Bring 'em on I say. Brightens up the day and a good laugh can't be underestimated.

[julietbat]

I teenager I know is called Chynna (pronounced China). It took me so long after seeing her name written down (I'm a teacher) not to think that she must be called Chinner!

From a teacher's perspective those names that are 'creatively' spelled are often the ones we expect to have most trouble with....

Mind you, this girl is possibly the most adorable girl you could hope to meet so my theory obviously has holes in it!

[KERALA1]

Just don't think it gives off any positive messages at all - either not very bright, abit confused or pretentious. A girl in my class at school was called Rachele which used to get on my nerves. Whats with the extra e?

Although teenage girls often go through a phase of spelling their names odd ways (as my father who has taught them for 40 years attests). So basically fine to fiddle with the spelling of your name when a bored 14 year old in double maths but not acceptable as an adult parent lumbering an innocent new born with an inexplicable spelling.

[crazycat34]

"phonetically plausible attempts"

'alternative spellings' are awful. I did a short stint of supply teaching and had to bite my tongue several times when a child told me I'd spelt their name wrong. The temptation to tell them that it was, in fact, their parent who'd spelt it wrong...

(Never would though!)

[annamama]

Mmm... I like Lucie but as 99% of people would spell it Lucy, I would use the more common spelling. However that name is off the list as DH doesn't like it! How about Maxx or shall we just stick with boring Max? Sometimes alternative spellings have become acceptable though, same as when language changes with time despite some people not liking it. Thou shalt not misspell names!

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

Yes.

Maybe this is more common since texting became so popular ?

[BiteOfFun]

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

[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)

[Fibilou]

Aadan immediately makes me think "Swedish village"

[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!!

[MrsTicklemouse]

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

[Pyrocanthus]

Rachael Ridiculous is a fab name.

[Salonly]

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

[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.

[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!)

[hocuspontas]

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

[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 ....

[girlsyearapart]

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

[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.

[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!!

[Patienceofatoddler]

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