What reason would make you change the spelling of an established name?

AlphabetFish

I know spelling names differently is pretty well frowned on by this board, and I think for good reason (who wants their kid to be "Ellyn with a Y" for the rest of their life) but I have seen some arguments for messing with a spelling and I wanted to know what everyone's opinion on this is. Change the spelling to match the spelling of a family member's name (or to not match)? Change spelling to fit better with a last name, or sibling names, or what?

Just curious--what made you change an established spelling for your child if you did it, or what WOULD make you do it if you didn't?

Soap1

It depends whether it's an unusual-but-accepted version of a name, versus just randomly throwing in extra letters or changing the spelling.  The difference between "Ellyn with a Y" or "Madison but it's spelled Mahdysynn" I guess.  I would be a lot more open to the first type, if it just looked or felt right to us.

FWIW, I'm Kristina with a K, and I don't even correct people anymore.  My dentist's office has been spelling it Christina for years.

SMM1986

DD's name is Emily and I was originally going to do it as either Emmaleigh or have her first name Emma and middle name Lee (Lee is a family name on DH's side); I decided against it because I knew it would be butchered for the rest of her life. 

evaazalea

I was tempted to spell Holly with an -ie ending to make it seem less Christmas-y but ultimately Holly is Holly and it was have been annoying for her in the end. Her MN is Dawne, with the e because it is a family spelling.

+ASH+

I'm Ashlee and I'm named for the doctor who delivered me who was also a family friend (the Lee is for him). My parents also liked the more feminine spelling. It's misspelled all the time, but I wouldn't change it - I like it better than the Ashley spelling.

Scarlett&Gatsby

I'd only use a non-traditional spelling if I was honoring a family member with the same non-traditional spelling. Otherwise, I don't see any reason to misspell a name. I can support anglicized Gaelic spellings, though.

Dr.Loretta

Scarlett&Gatsby said:

I'd only use a non-traditional spelling if I was honoring a family member with the same non-traditional spelling. Otherwise, I don't see any reason to misspell a name. I can support anglicized Gaelic spellings, though.

This. Except I cannot support Anglicized Gaelic spellings. Those drive me nuts

Blondangel

I can think of no good reason I'd change the spelling of an established name.

If I wanted to honor a family member and their name was something like Elyzabyth, I'd use their middle name. If that wasn't an option, then I'd just use the correct spelling or a variant of the persons name.

Scarlett&Gatsby

Dr.Loretta said:

Scarlett&Gatsby said:

I'd only use a non-traditional spelling if I was honoring a family member with the same non-traditional spelling. Otherwise, I don't see any reason to misspell a name. I can support anglicized Gaelic spellings, though.

This. Except I cannot support Anglicized Gaelic spellings. Those drive me nuts

I think it depends on the name for me. Siobhan, Aisling or Saiorse? No reason to change, IMO. But the Gaelic spelling of Bevin or Kevin? Not so much.

brookelynpaisley

Blondangel said:

I can think of no good reason I'd change the spelling of an established name.

If I wanted to honor a family member and their name was something like Elyzabyth, I'd use their middle name. If that wasn't an option, then I'd just use the correct spelling or a variant of the persons name.

This is how I feel about it. I had such a difficult last name growing up that I would only every use the most common or accepted spelling of a first name, and would go a different route if an honor name was going to potentially trump that.

leahmary82

I would if I was naming my child after someone and that was how they spelled the name. I also think if the spelling is an accepted variation. Maya, Maia & Maija. Meaghan & Megan. Kaitlyn or Caitlyn. Christopher or Kristopher. Definitely not just to be youneek. Ala Jaymes, Karyn, Emmalee.

TNgoldengirl

My cousins are half Danish, with a Danish last name and begins with a K. They decided to spell Connor (boy) and Cameron (girl) both starting with K. I think it suits them perfectly.

RedInLove

Since you uses Ellyn as an example, I am Ellen so while I think spelling it my way would be most people's initial thought, spelling it as Ellyn is not unreasonable at all. Ellyn is my BFF's middle name. If you're honoring someone, I think it just depends. There's totally changing a spelling just because its a personal preference, like naming a kid Mychiel to be you-neek version after grandad Michael, which I would side-eye; but there's naming a kid Michael after Russian-born grandfather Mikhail, which most would get and understand. Or naming a daughter Micaela after grandad Michael, since its a gender issue, that's also totally fine and understood. I knew a couple, mom was German and Dad was Hispanic. They named their son after Dad and maternal grandfather, but used German form of Dad's name and Hispanic form of grandfather's name because they didn't want a 'Jr' situation since Dad had a non-Jr son from a previous marriage. It worked, had a good reason, yet still wasn't totally made up spellings or anything.

Elsa1984

I am also on the boat of keeping a unique spelling if it is honoring someone and that is how they spell it, but spelling it the "regular" way if it is not honoring someone.

Had my LO been a boy, she most likely would have been Oskar. I mentioned it on here to get opinions and multiple times, I was informed I needed to spell it Oscar. But it was a name honoring my SO's grandpa, and I wasn't going to butcher it with a "c".

FakeFinn

My cousins are half Danish, with a Danish last name and begins with a K. They decided to spell Connor (boy) and Cameron (girl) both starting with K. I think it suits them perfectly.

Personally, I would stick with the traditional spelling and/or with an accepted alternate spelling of a name (Maya, Maia etc). However, in the same light as GoldenGirl's example is an American/Finnish couple that decided to spell a C name with a K (because the Finnish language doesn't include the C) so that way the Finnish side of the family knew how to pronounce the name.

BrittKav

I would keep a not-so-common spelling to honor a relative (for example, DD2's middle name is Dianna after my grandmother, not Diana). However, if the spelling is ridiculous or unheard of I wouldn't use it.