Thoughts on spelling?

SkiChic626 · June 2016

I also posted this on the Baby Names board, but I like the sunshine and rainbows of our page better. Which spelling do you prefer? I never even gave Nicolas a thought, it was always going to be Nicholas, but now I've been Googling too much and am having second thoughts.

ballofmeat · June 2016

As a person with a weird name spelling, I wish my parents had gone with something more common. It gets frustrating correcting people on pronunciation and fixing paperwork. My vote is Nicholas.

SkiChic626 · June 2016

@midwestbaby I agree. My name is Kathryn, which actually isn't an odd spelling, but my whole life I've gotten Katherine....no, it's soooo annoying! The reason I'm considering Nicolas, without the H, is because I've learned that it's actually the traditional way to spell it, and westerners are the ones who added the H. I learned something new!

Stephanie7693 · June 2016

I would go with the common spelling. Nicholas is my son's middle name, and nobody has ever spelled it wrong. Also, my daughters name is Lacee. I wish now I would have gone with Lacey or Laci instead since it gets spelled wrong a lot, but people tend to ask because Laci is a common spelling too. It's still a pain though. I was young when I had her and didn't think it through in that way

jamiesc58 · June 2016

My dh is Nicholas and nobody ever spells it incorrectly.

jacmkelley · June 2016

My Little brother is Nicholas, and no one ever spells it wrong. I was always jealous because my name is Jacqueline, which is the longest way to spell it and people always shorten it.

SkiChic626 · June 2016

@jacmkelley Jacqueline is actually how I would spell it if I didn't know someone spelled it differently!

Jaspertheyoungturnip · June 2016

Totally agree on the uncommon spellings. Unless there's a special meaning, it will probably just annoy the baby when they grow up. My name is Molley, and I've had my name spelled every way under the sun except correctly. Molly, Mollie, Molli, even Mali once.

lilpinky7878 · June 2016

Agree my name is lyncee pronounced Lindsay allllllll thew school soo many teachers effed up my name even my graduation now my soon to be daughter her name is alina spelt the way it sounds

MamaKSquared · June 2016

I'm going with the popular opinion of leaving the H. I have a pretty common name, but an uncommon spelling and it really just gets annoying correcting people constantly.

Katienu · June 2016

Nicholas for me too... and I am Katherine too and people do the opposite to me and spell it Kathryn! You can never win.

ThisisNumber3 · June 2016

I agree to go with the more "common" spelling even if its not the official traditional original spelling.

Katm89 · June 2016

LOL I am one of the 4 people that voted for without the H, but after reading some of the comments... I realize my opinion cannot be trusted. I am choosing to name our child "Atom" if we have a boy ... so as you see uncommon spelling doesn't bother me... however.. I believe Nicolas is the traditional European spelling and I have seen people with that name...

AliKay20 · June 2016

Nicolas...looks like a brand drug name or something but I'm associating cough drop brand Ricola. Now I can't untie the two.

Nonetheless, it's trying too hard. Stick with Nicholas!

ccfc1984 · June 2016

I'm a "use the common or traditional spelling for your culture person". For example, if you're an Irish person living abroad, using the proper spelling of Seán if you want makes sense because even if it's not the most common spelling in the area, your cultural links to the name make it possibly worth it. However, I think if you're not Irish, it probably makes more sense to use Shaun or an easier pronounceable version of the name.

I've got an Irish name, with a few traditional spelling options as well as English spelling options so pretty much no one spells my name right, or pronounces it right here in Asia. It doesn't bother me, because I have a cultural link to the name so it means something, especially while living abroad, but if I didn't I can imagine it being very annoying.

In your case, the traditional and common spelling in English and Western cultures is Nicholas so I'd go with that, unless you have particular links or cultural connections to the Nicolas spelling which may make that worthwhile.

lotsofsunshine · June 2016

Where I grew up, Nicolas was the common way to spell the name. So, the other spelling, (though Ive seen it before) if more foreign to me. That being said, I have a boys name with a girly spelling. So no matter what, my name is always screwed up. I actually really like my name, so it doesn't bother me when people butcher it.

Had to edit because my brain doesn't always work until after I've posted.

Car0liiine · June 2016

Nicolas makes me assume you are from a non-Anglophone country. If you aren't American, or Australian or from the UK - I would suggest you spell it without the h. But if you are, I prefer Nicholas.

Alygohome · June 2016

Spelling a kids name wrong doesn't make them look unique it just makes the parents look uneducated and unable to spell (coming from someone whose parents thought that would make me "unique" with spelling)

ccfc1984 · June 2016

@Alygohome I don't disagree with you but Nicolas isn't wrong. It's a valid traditional spelling of the name in many places. I'm not a fan of doing anything name related solely because it's 'unique' though.

SkiChic626 · June 2016

@Alygohome that's correct, Nicolas isn't wrong, it's actually the original traditional way to spell the name (i.e. Prince Nicolas of Sweden). However, western culture added the H later on, and with the H is how I'm used to seeing it spelled.

ccfc1984 · June 2016

SkiChic626 said:

@Alygohome that's correct, Nicolas isn't wrong, it's actually the original traditional way to spell the name (i.e. Prince Nicolas of Sweden). However, western culture added the H later on, and with the H is how I'm used to seeing it spelled.

The anglicisation of names is an interesting topic. We don't really think about it with names that were anglicised a long time ago, because they seem 'normal' to us, but it can come across as very culturally insensitive when done to names now. I know as an Irish person it makes me twitch when I see traditional Irish names spelled in a 'new' way to make it easier for pronunciation in English speaking countries. I don't have the same negative reaction to anglicised Irish names that were common when I grew up. Interesting topic.

Car0liiine · June 2016

@ccfc1984 I'm not Irish, but I cringe when I see Sean spelled any other way! (I understand dropping the accent mark, however.)
I have been surprised to find that some name spellings that I thought were "younique" turned out to be the older spelling. I have a hard time with letting go of the spelling I thought was traditional as the "proper" way.

ccfc1984 · June 2016

Car0liiine said:

@ccfc1984 I'm not Irish, but I cringe when I see Sean spelled any other way! (I understand dropping the accent mark, however.)
I have been surprised to find that some name spellings that I thought were "younique" turned out to be the older spelling. I have a hard time with letting go of the spelling I thought was traditional as the "proper" way.

It's a funny one, because for me (as an Irish speaker) dropping the accent mark (fada) makes no sense. Then it wouldn't be pronounced 'Sh-awn' in any language! I'd prefer a full anglicisation to just dropping the thing that makes it be pronounced as it is in Irish. Sean without the accent is another word in Irish, pronounced differently which means 'old'.

Car0liiine · June 2016

@ccfc1984 That is so interesting! I love linguistics

Katm89 · June 2016

I've read that a lot of people are saying use the "h" because we're in America... but if we have a girl we are choosing the greek spelling of the name we like... its totally up to you... plus people in America are knowledgeable enough to know that something is correct just a different cultural version... for example a lot of people are naming their daughter "Maisie" now... My cousin on my husband's side just named her daughter that... I heard people commenting on how it sounds odd.. but they really like it... its actually the scottish version of "Margaret" I love that its a classic but totally unique ... naming your child may seem risky and odd to go with something different but then in five years you will see the same name you have chosen pop up everywhere haha... ain't that the way...

Five years ago DH and I were joking about what to name our child... he likes traditional names and I don't... so I told him the only way I would name my son Adam is if it was "Atom"...and he fell in love with it because we love science... we thought omg we came up with something soooooo unique... turns out its actually on baby name websites and has climbed in popularity in the past five years... its almost in the top 1,000 in California... so @SkiChic626 as you see no matter what you pick someone out there will hate it and someone out there will totally get why you chose it...

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