Changing Child's Frist name Spelling only

[SullivanJL]

My daughter is now 6 and will be 7 in a few months. Me and her dad loved the name Aria/Arya, he looked into it and chose the spelling Arya. He loves it with a y, but i have found since naming her no pronounces the name right by reading it. In the doctors when the school ring me all pronounce it wrong. I have looked into it and it can be pronounced in a few ways. Also the spelling that's been chosen has a different meaning to what i believed. I am wondering would it be better to change it to Aria so its more recognisable. Its bothered me for a while but her dad thinks im being silly. I dont know if its better to change it now while shes young before i get pass ports etc, or am i making a big deal out of nothing? I know you need to via deed poll but im not sure on the process.

Not a legal perspective but at nearly 7, I presume she knows how her name is spelled and is well practiced at writing it herself / spelling it out for others? I think it would be hard to suddenly start telling her that she now has a new name, even if it’s “just” to correct the spelling: it’s already part of her identity and how she understands herself. It would need to be with her agreement and understanding of why if you did, and even then tricky.

And I can guarantee you that even if it was spelled Aria, you and she will still have people asking “and how do you spell that?” when you say it out loud. Pretty standard with less common names and those with more than one accepted spelling.

It will make no difference. The Y isn't the issue with regard to people saying it incorrectly.

I have a surname that everyone pronounces incorrectly (and I’m a teacher so I get called by my surname daily). It really hasn’t affected my life, I just politely correct people and once they know they know. I’d leave it. Arya is a beautiful name and you shouldn’t have to change it because of other people’s mistakes. I’m surprised people are getting it wrong anyway given that Arya Stark in GoT spells and pronounces it ‘Ar-i-a’.

Apologies, how is it meant to be pronounced? AR-YAH?

Anyway I'd keep it, she knows her name and it will be a good way of people remembering who she is when he's older.

It isn’t the same name though surely?

Most people would say Arya - Ar-yuh like the game of thrones character.

Aria is said Ar-ee-uh like the musical term.

I'd definitely change it. She will have this confusion constantly throughout her life.

Exactly they aren't pronouncing it wrong. You chose a name but want it pronouncing differently.

what?

You can't pick an unusual name, select different spelling & then be upset when people mispronounce it.

Whether it's a Y or I, people will still mispronounce her name.

The time to decide how her name was spelt & research the meaning behind the different spelling was in utero or when she was born, not at 6 years old.

I suspect because your partner chose the spelling of her name, that you're focusing on the Y being the issue here.

The name itself sounds lovely, but at a glance is open to interpretation.

In time your daughter may well love having an unusually spelt/sounding name.

Here in Australia it likely wouldn't be mispronounced because we have the annual ARIA Music Awards - so it's as well known as naming your child Brits or BAFTA.

You can't change it now, your daughter would be lumbered with the extra hassle of showing evidence for-have you been known by any other name-on forms forever more.

She can change it herself if she wants to when she's old enough.

How do you want it pronouncing? Aria and Arya have two different pronunciations.

Most people are pronouncing it as ariyah I've asked a few people to read it and all the same. To me it's pranounced ar-yuh or ar-i-yah which with the accent where I'm from sound similar anyway. To the people saying I'm pouncing it wrong just look it up online. There are a couple ways, unfortunately people can't seem to read it in my area (south wales) I just wanted to make life a bit easier for her in the future and get it done when shes young and would adapt to changing one letter and before i get her a passport. I didnt realise the issue before, everytime the school rings me they cant say her name by reading. Bit shocked by some responses trying to shame me about it. I was just after opinions not insults and attacks.

I don’t think it’s that people “can’t read it”, I think your issue is South Wales accent specific - in my accent, Arya is definitely pronounced Aahr-yuh with two rather than three syllables, but I can see how a Welsh accent would put an inflection in there making it sound more like Ah-ree-ah. Changing the spelling to Aria isn’t going to change that, though? It will make it more obviously Ah-ree-ah.

You could change it - better late than never. If people are saying ‘Ar-yuh’ (as in Stark) they are not mispronouncing - you spelled your daughter’s name incorrectly.

If people pronounced it like that it wouldn't be an issue

How do you say it op? I don't know if I can help because I'm clueless but I can at least say if it's a name that once told, I'd continue to pronounce correctly.

I wouldn't know how to say it right, and spelling it slightly differently won't change that. You'd have to pick a whole new name or just deal with it