I'm so glad I read this! I was 100% going to change the spelling of the name I'm choosing, just to make it look different. Now that I've read this, all the names spelt weird definitely make me look uneducated... Not going down that road. Thank you to whoever wrote this!
What about names that have hebrew/arabic/Chinese etc. origins. Those languages don't even use the same letter characters. So, as far as I know you can spell it however you want as long as it is phonetically appropriate.
Those languages are not my area of expertise, but I believe there are still time-honored conventions for transliteration (some of which may have some flexibility). It's certainly never a situation of, "Oh, just spell it however the spirit moves you!"
I haven't seen any rhyme or reason in the transliteration of Hebrew. In fact, it's been so different from one religious text to another that I had a hard time switching temples and keeping up with services.
I have been to dozens of synagogues, from Progressive to
Orthodox, from New York to California and points in between, and I've
never found the transliterations to be anything but consistent. Each letter makes a sound that is recognized in English. The only exception is the letter Tav which ashkenazis Jews, or older texts pronounce with an S sound as opposed to a T that young'ns like me grew up with.
Even translations of Hebrew to Greek, which is where we got a lot of our Bible names is consistent. For instance, Yacov is always Jacob, not Jycb.
I hope you're not so rigid in all aspects of life. Just because Greeks or anyone in history created names a certain way doesn't mean it always has to be done that way. Naming is not a science or math, it's about love and feelings and honor.
While I don't think one should go crazy and make up a name that is impossible to spell, pronounce, or just seems like a complete joke, I do believe that there is nothing wrong with making a new name, changing small aspects of old names, etc, as long as it is done carefully and with the right intentions (ex. not just for the fun of it).
Haha what an insightful, intelligent response! =D>
It actually was. Spelling and etymology are about the history of words, languages, names and cultures. Changing them to suit your needs or wants is arrogant and short-sited, just as it would be to change the spelling of any word.
It's not about being "uptight," it's about respect and knowledge.
Yoo ahr rite. Smawl chanjes luke grate! <-- that was insightful and intelligent? Right haha
But while I understand that, as I read the entire argument this thread is about, I still believe that one isn't bound by any hard "rules" of naming, not saying one should go crazy in the process. Your opinion that that is arrogant makes you seem pretty judgmental to me.
I hope you're not so rigid in all aspects of life. Just because Greeks or anyone in history created names a certain way doesn't mean it always has to be done that way. Naming is not a science or math, it's about love and feelings and honor.
While I don't think one should go crazy and make up a name that is impossible to spell, pronounce, or just seems like a complete joke, I do believe that there is nothing wrong with making a new name, changing small aspects of old names, etc, as long as it is done carefully and with the right intentions (ex. not just for the
I hope you're not so rigid in all aspects of life. Just because Greeks or anyone in history created names a certain way doesn't mean it always has to be done that way. Naming is not a science or math, it's about love and feelings and honor.
While I don't think one should go crazy and make up a name that is impossible to spell, pronounce, or just seems like a complete joke, I do believe that there is nothing wrong with making a new name, changing small aspects of old names, etc, as long as it is done carefully and with the right intentions (ex. not just for the fun of it).
Actually naming is about using a language and languages have all kinds of laws that govern how they work as well as how they change (not so drastically different from science). In fact, the phonetic rules and grammatical constraints that govern the way words change through the interaction of languages are fascinating and extremely complex. But all of that is probably a bit technical, so let's think about your appeal to the sentimental aspect of naming. Imagine your child makes you a "greatest dad in the world" tie for your birthday. It was made with love, it was made with as much care and talent as your child could bring to the project, and now imagine that you have to wear that tie every day for the rest of your life regardless of the social situation. Job interview? You still have to wear the tie. What's that? You've been elected president? And you have an important diplomatic summit to attend? You STILL have to wear the tie! Inventing a name for your child by changing a real name or combining two real names or whatever is kind of like your kid making you wear that tie for the rest of your life. That made up name will be at the top of every resume your child will submit, it will be on their diplomas, it will be the name on their wedding invitations. And, honestly, most people have all the linguistic creative genius of a five year old with glitter glue. They have no business making up words, let alone names.
Completely understand your point! Which is why i'm not a fan of making up outlandish, hard to spell/pronounce names. Just don't see a problem with subtle changes or variations!
I think @arondad is a bit chapped that the "name" he made up didn't go over well in his own thread.
Thanks for the helpful, positive remarks on a board about babies!
Not too bummed about comments from random strangers, was just looking for a feel about the name. Got some pretty nice comments on other boards!
There are plenty of other names I like too! If you would like to be helpful to me, here's a list of the many other names me and my partner like/love, pretty much all of Persian/African origin and with real meaning and history! Do you like any? Thanks!
I think @arondad is a bit chapped that the "name" he made up didn't go over well in his own thread.
Thanks for the helpful, positive remarks on a board about babies!
Not too bummed about comments from random strangers, was just looking for a feel about the name. Got some pretty nice comments on other boards!
There are plenty of other names I like too! If you would like to be helpful to me, here's a list of the many other names me and my partner like/love, pretty much all of Persian/African origin and with real meaning and history! Do you like any? Thanks!
Niara
Mila
Nyla
Aryana
Aria/Arya
Ava
Ayla
That's great that you got some nice, positive comments on other boards. On this board you're going to get pure honesty, from some women who really know language and who, I think, really take the time to offer real feedback - whether that is positive or negative. Lurking on here for a few days would make that clear. Even just reading of this sticky should make that really clear. I don't know why you'd think you'd find all rainbows and sparkles on a board "about babies," especially when it's incredibly clear that names that are spelled uniquely are not favored here.
I think @arondad is a bit chapped that the "name" he made up didn't go over well in his own thread.
Thanks for the helpful, positive remarks on a board about babies!
Not too bummed about comments from random strangers, was just looking for a feel about the name. Got some pretty nice comments on other boards!
There are plenty of other names I like too! If you would like to be helpful to me, here's a list of the many other names me and my partner like/love, pretty much all of Persian/African origin and with real meaning and history! Do you like any? Thanks!
Niara
Mila
Nyla
Aryana
Aria/Arya
Ava
Ayla
That's great that you got some nice, positive comments on other boards. On this board you're going to get pure honesty, from some women who really know language and who, I think, really take the time to offer real feedback - whether that is positive or negative. Lurking on here for a few days would make that clear. Even just reading of this sticky should make that really clear. I don't know why you'd think you'd find all rainbows and sparkles on a board "about babies," especially when it's incredibly clear that names that are spelled uniquely are not favored here.
I didn't mean "nice" in the sense of agreeing with any names or anything, I appreciated many of the honest comments left on my thread offering criticism and suggestion. It's the "smart" and petty comments that I'm referring to that I saw mostly on this thread, which I find pretty immature for a board like this, but that could just be me. I like to save my smart comments for in person and not on the internet!
I have literally no idea what your argument is. You're nonsensical right now.
But - to repeat myself:
I'm educated and don't disrespect language. I'm sorry you find that "offensive" "immature" or "arrogant." But, from your posts here, it seems that you don't actually know what those words mean.
Quite frankly, I don't understand your argument or what you are trying to say. The only thing that makes sense is that you want to spell some name however you want and you'd wish people would shut up about it.
Sorry. No. Not going to happen for all the reasons already presented. And - for clarification's sake - we're not talking about valid variants in this thread - we're talking about terrible misspellings (like Michaela versus Makayluh).
I'm sure you're so educated, congrats! Seems to me you're getting a little too heated for a simple message board, not really my thing to go back and forth on these. But I'm still open to opinions and suggestions about names! Have a good night!
@bromios Out of curiosity, do you see made up names in other countries or is it just The US that seems to be on this crazy train.
Definitely I think we are among the worst offenders. They do it a certain amount in England, but not nearly to the same extent. Actually, Australia and New Zealand are pretty bad as well... I think that this probably has something to do with English being such a mutt of a language and people thinking that this means anything goes, whereas a lot of other countries tend to be a little more language savvy. To take an extreme example that was in the news, Iceland requires names to be declinable in accordance with the rules of their language. It may seem a little stringent, but there are actually some practical reasons for it. If the function of a word in a sentence is determined by its case ending, then it becomes a little challenging when you have an indeclinable name. Not absolutely insurmountable, and I'm not sure how I feel about the rule in Iceland, but I do see that there is a real logic behind it that is rooted in language.
@bromios not sure if this is true, but a friend of mine whose mother is French said there was a list of approved names in France and one couldn't name a baby anything that wasn't on that list (at the time). An interesting concept.
Dirtly lurker here. Just have to say "THANK YOU!!!!!!" to @bromios, and "Why the heck would you name your dog Jack and your kid Jax?" to @KaseyMyLove. That just sounds really, really confusing.
I'm of the "spell the name traditionally" mindset, and if you want to use a nickname, spell it however. I don't see a problem if a kid name Jackson decides he wants to be called "Jax." I have a friend Katherine who decided she wanted to be called "Katye" in middle school. I wouldn't spell it that way, but it's her nickname.
And kids do have opinions about their names. My cousin's name is Jakob (spelling is Norwegian) and they wanted to call him Jake. He decided at a young age he did not want to be called Jake, so they began to call him Jakob.
I have an English degree, and I'm all about proper, traditional spelling.
(I'm getting tickled at the red, squiggly lines under these names....)
*Edited. I have an English degree, but I still can't type.*
Started adoption process in Jan. 2011.
3 failed matches in 2012.
Surprise pregnancy in Aug. 2012. Precious baby boy "HC" born May 2013.
Began researching EA in 2014.
No longer pursuing EA due to fibroid complications.
As a former teacher: AMEN!!! Don't get mad at me if you named your daughter Calea, but you pronounce it Kay-luh. I'm not trying to mispronounce it and offend you by pronouncing it the best way I see it: Kuh-lee-uh.
As a current teacher I hate the first day of school just for this reason. My favorite was the girl named Heaven pronounced like Haven.
Jackson nn Jack- Jaxon nn Jax
I like Jax better ;;)
You could easily call Jackson Jacks. Same sound, correct spelling.
Also, Kathryn (and all it's variants) have Katie as a nick name...even though there is no hard T sound in Kathryn. Same goes for Margaret/Maggie/Peggy, John/Jack, Robert/Bob, Elizabeth/Betty/Betsy, Kathleen/Kate, James/Jim...I'm sure there's more.
True.
Eta Although when someone who reads the name Jackson (say a teacher)and decides to call that person a nn, they are more likely to say jack rather than Jacks.
This argument is completely invalid. No random person will be giving my child a NN. A NN is decided upon by the parents and/or child.
My sisters son is named Nicholas. But he goes by his mn at home. At school they call him by his first name, of course. Well they often call him Nick for short. Happened at camp also. Nobody in are family calls him Nick. It's not a big deal to my sister. But she wasn't there when they started calling him that, she didn't even know for awhile. He never said anything because it doesn't bother him. So who knows. Maybe your child will end up with a nn you didn't give. It happens. ;-) ok I'm done here. Have a good day.
ETA now my mom, that's a different story. She didn't want us to have nn. So she would definitely say something about it. But I like when I'm called Liv, although it is something I've only gotten used to as an adult.
The child is not getting a NN without his/her consent. If they are being called Nick it's because they want to be. No one just gives someone a NN and says "I'm going to call you this whether you like it or not."
My name is Katherine. People ask me all the time if I go by Katherine or Kate, Katie, Kat, Kathy. I choose to be called Katherine. If someone calls me something else I don't respond. Period, end of discussion.
A teacher would ask a Jackson, "What do you want to go by?" not " I'm calling you Jack. Deal with it."
And a child named Jaxon can still choose to go by Jack anyway. If you don't like Jack don't name a kid Jackson, Jaxon, or Jaxson.
While I agree with the OP 100%, I have to say that my name is Kimberly and 95% of the time people call me Kim without asking. 3% of the time people ask what I'd like to go by or just call me by my full name. Growing up and up until a few years ago, every time I met someone new and every time someone asked what I like to go by I would always tell them that I preferred Kimberly. 95% of those people still called me Kim. So that made for a fun time. I'm over it and just roll with it now.
So is there any legit way to make a name? Like Alex could name his son Alexson? I have a friend named Kendalyn, which I always thought was epic. (Ken' duhl-yn) She was named after a friend of her mother's. This friend was named after her parents, Kendall & Lynn. IMO not cool to name a child after their parents like that, but I thought it was a nice name. Her sister was Kaitlyn and they went by Kenni and Katie. I'd never met a male Kenny till recently so didn't think that was weird.
@bromios this post was very enlightening for me! I am now convinced to not use any made up spellings, made up names, multi spelling names or hard to pronounce names.
Is The Bump's name list legit and complete? I'm looking up all the names I "like" now and some that I'm almost positive are legit aren't on the website. Also finding names on the website list that have the origin stated as American. I thought I'd seen one stated as made up but can't find it now. But there's some pretty yooneek names in that list. How to know whether I've just never heard the name or it's made up?
Alriiiiight. I'll stick my head in the hornet's nest. Why do I do these things? I don't know. I avoided this thread because it is clear that my opinion is in the minority, so why bother getting all the ladies in a tizzy? Well, guys...here is why. I'm interested in language, and an honest discussion of the subject can be fun. Feel free to flame away, tell me I don't get the point, tell me I am just to uneducated to understand these advanced concepts, or tell me my amateur understanding of linguistics amuses you. It's a David vs. Goliath battle I'm stepping into, and I'm well aware of it.
To begin with, I do want to say that I respect where you guys are coming from. Choosing an unusual spelling when the there is nothing wrong with the traditional spelling just to be different is not a choice I would make. Personally, in most cases, I would play it safe.
My argument is that in the case of Jax vs. Jacks, I'm on team Jax. (That is assuming the child is not a conjoined twin.) I feel that spelling the name Jaxon improves the name Jackson. Eliminating three letters when one results in the same pronunciation. It is a more simple, elegant spelling. I don't feel it is comparable to Djackssen or other changes that might be made simply for the sake of making a change.
As a linguist, I find it fascinating that given the freedom, some people are choosing spellings closer to a phonetic spelling. Sure, you can assume the person didn't know how to spell "Jackson." But wouldn't the more sensible assumption be that the person made a choice to disregard it? What literate native speaker of English has never seen the name "Jackson?" It's everywhere. Probably one of the top ten most common last names there is. I know someone with two little boys named Jax and Jett. Freaking most adorable kids ever. I never see them and think, "My stars, how will I ever remember how to spell these confusing names?"
(In my defense, academically, most of my theories within the realm of linguistics stems from an interesting English grammar class back in college. The text was, "English Grammar: Language as Human Behavior.")
A quote from page 8, "English is not Classical Latin or Greek; rather it is a dynamic, living language, the product of the many millions of people who use it."
Another relevant quote on page 11, "There is no unique authority on our language, and looking up a word in 'the dictionary' is a comfortable fiction. In reality, we are looking up a word in "a dictionary."
Page 13, "The eighteenth century grammarians argued that English could be perfect and permanent if not for the laziness and carelessness of its users. For them, change was the equivalent of language decay. But modern linguists argue that change is inherent to all languages; without the flexibility to change, languages would not be able to serve the continuously evolving needs of the people who use them....If you look at earlier forms of English, for example, you will find that 'shoes' used to be 'shoon,' and 'eyes' used to be 'eyen'; 'climbed' used to be 'clomb'...Although no one person decided to make a change, together over the years we have changed English a great deal..."
(Sorry for the weird quote, no italics on iPad)
So hopefully those few quotes might reveal that there is disagreement on the subject of things like correct spelling and grammar, even among educated linguists.
Another important question to consider is this: Is language a science or an art?
Like in science, it can be observed and laws can be developed to describe what is going on. But language exists outside of books. It is used everyday for self expression. Just look at Shakespeare. Once he wrote something down, people liked it, used it, and now there are several words and phrases we use everyday that didn't exist before his creative expression. Artists like Bach and Van Gogh were unappreciated in their time for combining elements from different schools of thought and generally being creative within their mediums. Now we look at them as geniuses.
Perhaps the creator of the name "Jaxon" will not go down in history, but it is a very beloved name that isn't going anywhere. Jax is the new Max.
In summary, I'm a linguist. But first and foremost, I'm an artist.
Creating things, changing them, making them beautiful...that is what makes the world go round for me. Not sitting around and bopping people over the head with rulers when they say, "Can I?" instead of "May I?" (Actually, little known fact: that is where the website name "the Bump" is derived from...).
As an artist, when you have the rare opportunity to choose any word you want, to say over and over again for the rest of your life (a baby name), that is the pinnacle of self expression. Sure you can play it safe and pick a name from the top ten list. You can paint a realistic landscape. You can even choose to do a paint by number so you never have to risk anyone ever making fun of you or god forbid, the baby. Or you can do something a little crazy and memorable like Salvador Dali. The awesome thing about it is that there aren't any rules here. The sky is the limit.
If I want to name my kid Orangejello (pronounced "Or-ang-ello), by gosh, I can. (Seriously, I know an Orangejello. He is a character, and how could he not be?) I'm gonna go ahead and not do that though. But I personally can't help respecting the balls it takes when other people do it. In fact, I would find it mildly offensive for someone to say my friend Orangejello, that he didn't have a real name. If someone uses it on a birth certificate, it becomes a name. Like it or not. You can rant all you want in defense of names out of books, but why would you bother? These are real people, and you are slamming a very serious piece of their identity just to get a pat on the back.
******
"I don't feel I need to explain my art to you, Warren."--AJ, Empire Records
I taught a Maxx a few years back and made a point of pronouncing the double x. We were close enough that he didn't mind the ribbing. Regarding Jaxon, I would have assumed it was a European name and said 'Yahkson'. Unfortunately the celebrity baby names that have come out in the last few years have only fuelled this trend.
If I want to name my kid Orangejello (pronounced "Or-ang-ello), by gosh, I can. (Seriously, I know an Orangejello. He is a character, and how could he not be?)
Yes, yes he is a character. A character in racist jokes.
All I can say as a teacher who has to deal with roll call at the beginning of each semester is: please, for the love of all that is holy, be merciful when naming your children!
I actually don't mind those who still use English phonetics to get at a sound they want (Allison vs. Allyson). I don't think one could definitively say there was a "correct" spelling of the name since it is a name and therefore usually outside the realm of a general English lexicon. But what is difficult to deal with are spellings that don't follow phonetics at all. I once had a student named Mychael (a girl) who seemed shocked that I pronounced her name like "Michael." It was supposed to be pronounced more like McKale or McKayla. Foreign pronunciations are cool with me as long as they're spelled accordingly -- give me Siobhan or Shivan but not some strange combination; alternate but still phonetically possible pronunciations are fine. But phonetics that don't make sense make me crazy. However, I will say that what is worse than poor phonetics is the use of numbers, symbols, etc. The worst I've ever heard of (at my school) was "A-a," pronounced "Adasha."
However, I will say that what is worse than poor phonetics is the use of numbers, symbols, etc. The worst I've ever heard of (at my school) was "A-a," pronounced "Adasha."
You are so full of crap on so many levels. First, numbers and symbols are not allowed in a legal name by law. Second, nice try trying to pass a racist urban legend off as your own.
I had a student with a weird spelling and the mom also names her sister Maddison. I have a sister named Madison so this always drove me crazy. I asked mom how she came up with the spelling. Highly educated woman looks at me with a straight face and tells me that she thought about how the name would look on a resume and Maddison looked more professional. Insert blank stare from me.....
I thought this was going to be about names with the worst spelling. I agree, don't make up names for your kid or spell it completely odd. I had a tough spelling for a name, nobody gets it right but at least it's somewhat normal.
What about names from modern literature, but don't have a historical base? I have a friend who wants to name her baby (if its a girl) Lirael after the main character in the book by that name.
Amen! Also a teacher, also cannot stand made up names/spellings. I do appreciate foreign or unusual spellings, as long as they are legit. My DDs name is Maija (pronounced like Maia) which is a Latvian/ Finnish variation. Her dad is 2nd generation Latvian. But I cannot get behind Kaylee, Mckayla, Kaedyn, Emrald, Maxx, Cameal or any of the other weird spellings. The worst I ever had was a Syvannah.
Amen! Also a teacher, also cannot stand made up names/spellings. I do appreciate foreign or unusual spellings, as long as they are legit. My DDs name is Maija (pronounced like Maia) which is a Latvian/ Finnish variation. Her dad is 2nd generation Latvian. But I cannot get behind Kaylee, Mckayla, Kaedyn, Emrald, Maxx, Cameal or any of the other weird spellings. The worst I ever had was a Syvannah.
I have a Kammyl this year, pronounced Camille. I just want to call her Camel.
What do you think about the "leigh" way of spelling names? EX. Ashleigh, Bayleigh, Leigh Ann. I personally don't like it. Is there a historical meaning for that way of spelling?
What do you think about the "leigh" way of spelling names? EX. Ashleigh, Bayleigh, Leigh Ann. I personally don't like it. Is there a historical meaning for that way of spelling?
I don't know why, but I always get this special, ghetto, trashy feeling when I see this spelling. I really don't know why though.
What do you think about the "leigh" way of spelling names? EX. Ashleigh, Bayleigh, Leigh Ann. I personally don't like it. Is there a historical meaning for that way of spelling?
I don't know why, but I always get this special, ghetto, trashy feeling when I see this spelling. I really don't know why though.
I've actually seen the spelling of Ashleigh on an older British man before. So it's not new. Didn't Leigh used to be the male version of Lee? I've seen male actors named Leigh before.
What do you think about the "leigh" way of spelling names? EX. Ashleigh, Bayleigh, Leigh Ann. I personally don't like it. Is there a historical meaning for that way of spelling?
I don't know why, but I always get this special, ghetto, trashy feeling when I see this spelling. I really don't know why though.
I've actually seen the spelling of Ashleigh on an older British man before. So it's not new. Didn't Leigh used to be the male version of Lee? I've seen male actors named Leigh before.
it doesn't change it for me. It is something that I don't have power over.
I agree with @saham07. I don't like it. And I have a niece named Bayleigh and I know that's gotta be hell for her trying to learn how to spell it.
But @bromios thank you for answering that for me. And the "Leigh for Lee" does make sense as a whole, but not for the end of a name. Just seems like too much work for the kid to me.
But I guess that would be boring, right? No drama if you politely state your opinion and then let the matter drop.
And we are to believe that you anticipated no drama in response to your post?
Are you aware that many, many times trolls post ridiculous, over-the-top names to get a rise out of us? And many times people come on here legitimately hoping to use that same ridiculous name. Kinda hard to distinguish the troll from the tasteless some times.
As someone with a French variation spelling of a common English name, don't do it. I am of french heritage so I understand why my parents did it but I'd still prefer to have it the English way since I live in an English speaking area. I couldn't imagine it being different just because my parents wanted me to be more youneke. I world have changed it the day I turned 18. (I almost debated it anyway)
My name is Kaela (common spelling Kayla). I've met a few others with this spelling before but not many.
I don't mind it. If job applications are getting thrown out because of my uncommonly spelled name, I'm oblivious. It don't believe my life would have been much different if my parents had spelled it with a Y.
Here are the common "annoyances" (they don't bother me, but if you were sensitive they might)
- every time I order a coffee the barista will spell my name with a Y. I don't bother spelling it out unless I'm asked. -people will learn that my name is spelled with an "e" and then eff up the order (Keala) -I'm occasionally asked how my name is pronounced. Sometimes people say it in weird ways like "Kale-Uh" or "Kyle-uh)
Here are some pros: -I have a fairly common maiden name so I am able to use the first name- last name format for emails and screen names that would definitely have been taken if my name was spelled commonly -I am much easier to find on social media etc. with this spelling. Classmates see the spelling of your name on attendance sheets, presentations etc. & are more easily able to "friend" you (yes, strange, but that's the world we live in: it's easier to do this & less socially awkward than asking for a cell phone # when you are just acquaintances or bridging the gap between acquaintances & friends). Employers might also seek you out on LinkedIn when you submit an application, a tweak in spelling helps to find you (search a common name with the last name "Smith" or "Jones" and you'll be weeding through hundreds). -Additionally, I run background checks at work at times and common first name- last name combos take a long time to process. This creates a delay any time you are applying for a job or even volunteer position. - I just flat out like my name & it doesn't bother me in the least that it's slightly different than the thousands of Kaylas out there.
Re: ***Why name spelling matters***
I personally would skip the Jackson/jaxon altogether and just use Jax.
I have been to dozens of synagogues, from Progressive to Orthodox, from New York to California and points in between, and I've never found the transliterations to be anything but consistent. Each letter makes a sound that is recognized in English. The only exception is the letter Tav which ashkenazis Jews, or older texts pronounce with an S sound as opposed to a T that young'ns like me grew up with.
Even translations of Hebrew to Greek, which is where we got a lot of our Bible names is consistent. For instance, Yacov is always Jacob, not Jycb.
@bromios not sure if this is true, but a friend of mine whose mother is French said there was a list of approved names in France and one couldn't name a baby anything that wasn't on that list (at the time). An interesting concept.
(I'm getting tickled at the red, squiggly lines under these names....)
Precious baby boy "HC" born May 2013.
@bromios this post was very enlightening for me! I am now convinced to not use any made up spellings, made up names, multi spelling names or hard to pronounce names.
Is The Bump's name list legit and complete? I'm looking up all the names I "like" now and some that I'm almost positive are legit aren't on the website. Also finding names on the website list that have the origin stated as American. I thought I'd seen one stated as made up but can't find it now. But there's some pretty yooneek names in that list. How to know whether I've just never heard the name or it's made up?
Worst I've ever seen Airwrecka (Erica).
Married 07/13/13
DH-25 & Me-21
Fur baby- Chevy (Jack Russell)
TTC #1 Sept '14
I don't know why, but I always get this special, ghetto, trashy feeling when I see this spelling. I really don't know why though.
I don't know why, but I always get this special, ghetto, trashy feeling when I see this spelling. I really don't know why though.
I've actually seen the spelling of Ashleigh on an older British man before. So it's not new. Didn't Leigh used to be the male version of Lee? I've seen male actors named Leigh before.
it doesn't change it for me. It is something that I don't have power over.
I agree with @saham07. I don't like it. And I have a niece named Bayleigh and I know that's gotta be hell for her trying to learn how to spell it.
But @bromios thank you for answering that for me. And the "Leigh for Lee" does make sense as a whole, but not for the end of a name. Just seems like too much work for the kid to me.
Married 07/13/13
DH-25 & Me-21
Fur baby- Chevy (Jack Russell)
TTC #1 Sept '14
My name is Kaela (common spelling Kayla). I've met a few others with this spelling before but not many.
I don't mind it. If job applications are getting thrown out because of my uncommonly spelled name, I'm oblivious. It don't believe my life would have been much different if my parents had spelled it with a Y.
Here are the common "annoyances" (they don't bother me, but if you were sensitive they might)
- every time I order a coffee the barista will spell my name with a Y. I don't bother spelling it out unless I'm asked.
-people will learn that my name is spelled with an "e" and then eff up the order (Keala)
-I'm occasionally asked how my name is pronounced. Sometimes people say it in weird ways like "Kale-Uh" or "Kyle-uh)
Here are some pros:
-I have a fairly common maiden name so I am able to use the first name- last name format for emails and screen names that would definitely have been taken if my name was spelled commonly
-I am much easier to find on social media etc. with this spelling. Classmates see the spelling of your name on attendance sheets, presentations etc. & are more easily able to "friend" you (yes, strange, but that's the world we live in: it's easier to do this & less socially awkward than asking for a cell phone # when you are just acquaintances or bridging the gap between acquaintances & friends). Employers might also seek you out on LinkedIn when you submit an application, a tweak in spelling helps to find you (search a common name with the last name "Smith" or "Jones" and you'll be weeding through hundreds).
-Additionally, I run background checks at work at times and common first name- last name combos take a long time to process. This creates a delay any time you are applying for a job or even volunteer position.
- I just flat out like my name