Baby Names

***Why name spelling matters***

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Re: ***Why name spelling matters***

  • one thing im confused/curious about is how does a name come about to be correct, or a "real" name. seeing as for example: Jessica was first found in a william shakespeare play. that is the common spelling that he just came up with. so what makes that a real name as opposed to a name someone else comes up with?
    This is my question too. When I first looked up my dd's name years and years before she even existed, I found it listed as an old Germanic name derived from Adelaide. So to me this is a real name. Now that she is here and this has been her name for four years, it is a popular name. Most name sites will say it's an American made up name. So how are you supposed to know if it's a "real" name or not? Some are obvious, some are not. 
    Always consider your sources. Just like "eaglefreedomnewsz.Com" is probably biased and just making shit up, so is "babynamesa-z.com"

    On this board we tend to source from behind the name,  it shows etymology, variants and even "family" trees. It is not infallible, but it's a fairly good quick check resource. 

    Some names/variants evolve over time. I'm guessing Adalyn is your daughters name.  Adeline/Adelaide are from similar roots, but over time regional pronunciations of the -line ending as -Lynn became popular, and add in people who feel different spellings make a name more unique,  well, you get totesyouniquebabynamez.com saying its a totes legit name, never mind that the first time Adalyn was recorded was in 1908, and lacked consistent usage until the 80s.
  • Yes that's her name. Spelled Adelyn though. That looks like the site I originally found it on too, I remember the tree. I still love her name regardless that people think it is made up, I just don't want her to look it up someday and think we were trying to be unique and make up a name. I loved it because I like Adelaide but dh didn't. The Lyn sounds better with our last name than Adeline, I do like that name too though. But I also liked the meaning- Noble beauty, and the possible nicknames. She goes by Addie half the time. 
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  • I don't care if someone misspells his name wrong.  it happens, people are human. They spell my son JAYSON'S name wrong all the time.  :)  We just correct them and move on.  Works out just fine. 
    I'm glad YOU don't care. But he will. Why do I know? How come I'm the authority on this matter? Cuz I'm a victim of parent crazy name spelling abuse.
    People have misspelled my name my whole life, I just laugh and correct them. Nobody ever spells my nickname right because the only Ande with an "e" anyone thinks of is Andes Candies. And my name is something most people learn in school, or at least if you pay attention it is. I still don't undestand how people are so dumb as to not know of the galaxy right next to ours.....like really? Andromeda has been around for freaking ever yet 90% of people I meet have no clue what it is. So the people saying that names have to have some kind of historical/etymology  backing are incorrect, cause my name has Greek mythology, a galaxy, a constellation that's been named since like the 1800s and lots more and people still ask how my parents found it or made it up.




  • I definitely agree!
  • "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"

    @sourpatchkids
    Ahh, Kimberly that is my life. My name is Jessica, and almost every single person calls me Jess. I don't like it at all! My husband and my best friends call me Jessica. Everyone else just can't seem to remember, or they're too lazy? Even my parents call me Jess. They're the ones who named me! It's so annoying. I love it when people ask me what I prefer, although you're right..they often just call me by the nickname anyway. I have even been called Jess by strangers, like the bank teller. Why do people who don't even know me, think they can call me by a nickname? I don't say "Okay, thanks Bill!" to a store clerk named William. That would be rude!
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  • I bet my husband would like to know people's thoughts on ' Rhys ' and it's variets and how it comes that Noone can spell his name correctly or pronounce it this drives him nuts 
  • I think there are far too many other things to worry about than how someone chooses to spell their child's name. :smile 
  • This is why I love ancient names with ancient spellings. I love it that there's no debate as to meaning. Such as "Gage" that we used for a middle name -- "Gauge" means measurement, but the old French word "Gage" means "an oath". 
    Mom of 4 -- Boy1 2010, Twins (Boy2 and Girl1) 2014, and Baby Girl 2016. Currently homeschooling through 1st grade with Boy1, and working to build out a MudpieLullaby as a WAHM. 
  • Craziest thread ever... Probably shows what's wrong with America.  Who's business is it how or what you name YOUR child?  It matters way more how your raise your child. 
  • This is a really great read.
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  • harpseal135harpseal135 member
    edited July 2017
    Craziest thread ever... Probably shows what's wrong with America.  Who's business is it how or what you name YOUR child?  It matters way more how your raise your child. 
    Ummm...this forum has people from all over the world posting on here, so it's not just an American thing.

    Also,  if I were hiring and it came down to choosing two of four candidates for interviewing, they all had comparable resumes and their names were: Jayxon, Danielle, Olyvia, and Justin, my two to interview would be Danielle and Justin.  Sorry, but it's true. 
  • :x
    Unfortunately, I think most people who want to use creative spelling might not understand that.
    I agree
  • April0826April0826 member
    edited April 2018
    Actually, there's a child at the school I work at named "La-a".
  • hellothere-2hellothere-2 member
    edited April 2018
    I find it dumb when parents give kids normal names but weird spellings of it.
  • marinasrosesmarinasroses member
    edited June 2018
    it's totally unfair to judge someone based on their name, which by the way THEY didn't choose. 
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  • it's totally unfair to judge someone based on their name, which by the way THEY didn't choose. 
    it's totally unfair to judge someone based on their name, which by the way THEY didn't choose. 

    Yes, it is unfair but it does happen. Whether people do  it consciously or unconsciously, why would you strap your child with this lifelong trouble? People have honestly stated that they DO judge so I would believe them that it happens. 
  • it's totally unfair to judge someone based on their name, which by the way THEY didn't choose. 
    In regards to things like resumes being ignored because of yooneek name spellings, I have a small theory. I would assume it's mostly subconscious, but maybe when someone sees a resume or whatever with a yooneek name, they get that first impression of "uneducated", as discussed in the OP's post. Now clearly, children don't pick their own names, but if you believe the child was raised by uneducated people, then maybe there is a higher chance that this person is less educated than your other candidates, or was raised in a less traditional way, which maybe does not fit your work environment.

    It's just a guess, and I'm not defending that kind of bias at all. Resumes should be judged based on their content, not on the name.

    But back to the topic, I'm not a huge fan of crazy spelling changes in names. I think if you want to be "creative" and invent names, that's what screennames and such are for. I use the screenname Genavelle on many sites, but I would never name a real human that. For my future kids, I want to pick names that are less common, because I grew up with a really common name...but I want their names to still be recognizable.


  • I have a daughter named Aliviyah. That's one of the spellings of Olivia that many people thing is "wrong". I chose to spell her name the way I did because I didn't want her to be restrained and confined within the rigid borders of the standard name spellings. The spelling Aliviyah has more of an aspect of freedom and matches her personality perfectly. My daughter loves her name and the way it's spelled. Aliviyah reminded me of flying. That's part of the reason I chose it. Olivia reminded me of an older lady or of the name of a little kid's doll. 

    Names don't have to be seen as a "part of language". They can be seen as the swords we lead ourselves into the battle of life armed with. Spellings like Aliviyah and Jaxon are special and stronger weapons, not just your run of the mill ones. Some parents choose to arm their children with beautiful and special and unique names. 

    Naming your child is about picking a name that you like or that means something to you, not about playing by the rules or being influenced by other people. I am having a daughter and I was considering the name Lynleigh. I think that name is cute and has a sweet ring to it. The spelling makes it look elegant and I really like that. Keep your opinions to yourself. There is no. wrong. way. to spell a name.

    P.S. I'm a teacher and when I see a name I don't know how to pronounce, I say "I am so sorry but would you mind saying your name for me? How do you like to pronounce it?" All the rest of you teachers need to learn to deal with it, because it's not your place to intrude. You have no say in what a person is named, the least you can do is show some respect. 

    Stuck in the box

    Nobody is saying you shouldn't be allowed to name your baby whatever you want, but you and they will always have to deal with some judgement and consequences of that decision which should really be thought through. If you're arming them for battle, it's going to be the battle of defending their names and spelling them four times every time they meet someone new.

    My boys have very plain, traditional names that (I feel) will stand up over time. I'd rather they show their uniqueness through their personalities and not through a strange name. For example, I'd rather have a daughter known as Natalie the one who's good at soccer or who likes to sing, rather than Nadaleigh with the weird spelling whose parents were trying too hard.

    There are tons of ways your kid will be different and unique through their life! They don't need to be defined by their name.
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  • I have a daughter named Aliviyah. That's one of the spellings of Olivia that many people thing is "wrong". I chose to spell her name the way I did because I didn't want her to be restrained and confined within the rigid borders of the standard name spellings. The spelling Aliviyah has more of an aspect of freedom and matches her personality perfectly. My daughter loves her name and the way it's spelled. Aliviyah reminded me of flying. That's part of the reason I chose it. Olivia reminded me of an older lady or of the name of a little kid's doll. 

    Names don't have to be seen as a "part of language". They can be seen as the swords we lead ourselves into the battle of life armed with. Spellings like Aliviyah and Jaxon are special and stronger weapons, not just your run of the mill ones. Some parents choose to arm their children with beautiful and special and unique names. 

    Naming your child is about picking a name that you like or that means something to you, not about playing by the rules or being influenced by other people. I am having a daughter and I was considering the name Lynleigh. I think that name is cute and has a sweet ring to it. The spelling makes it look elegant and I really like that. Keep your opinions to yourself. There is no. wrong. way. to spell a name.

    P.S. I'm a teacher and when I see a name I don't know how to pronounce, I say "I am so sorry but would you mind saying your name for me? How do you like to pronounce it?" All the rest of you teachers need to learn to deal with it, because it's not your place to intrude. You have no say in what a person is named, the least you can do is show some respect. 

    Stuck in the box

    Nobody is saying you shouldn't be allowed to name your baby whatever you want, but you and they will always have to deal with some judgement and consequences of that decision which should really be thought through. If you're arming them for battle, it's going to be the battle of defending their names and spelling them four times every time they meet someone new.

    My boys have very plain, traditional names that (I feel) will stand up over time. I'd rather they show their uniqueness through their personalities and not through a strange name. For example, I'd rather have a daughter known as Natalie the one who's good at soccer or who likes to sing, rather than Nadaleigh with the weird spelling whose parents were trying too hard.

    There are tons of ways your kid will be different and unique through their life! They don't need to be defined by their name.
    YES YES YES

  • jmiller237702jmiller237702 member
    edited July 2018
    While I totally understand the OP's point, it seems like such a loose argument to me. Words, after all, are just signifiers for meanings; all words don't actually "describe" the objects they name really. Like does the word hammer truly describe the object of a hammer, or can it be called something else entirely? 

    But what really it boils down to is do parents even need "legitimate reasons" for deciding to name their own child?? What exactly is a legitimate reason, who gets to decide what a legitimate reason is, etc etc
  • Wow. This thread is something else. For what it's worth, my maiden name has the same spelling and pronunciation as a very common English word and many people still pronounced it incorrectly. My first name is the most common spelling of a very common first name (I always had my last initial appended to the end of it in school to differentiate me from another) and many people spell it incorrectly. People will do as people will do. Personally, while I love my name, I have always hated that I shared it with so many people.
  • al_vyal_vy member
    edited August 2018
    While I 100% understand where the OP is coming from and (mostly) agree, I want to point out that there are names out there that exist in a culture but would be considered the "wrong" version of the name. I'm specifically thinking of Yiddish names that are culturally and etymologically correct (and have reasons for being spelled the way they are); yet, they are often left out of name dictionaries and seen as misspellings of (predominantly) Hebrew names. This is one of the only examples I can personally think of in this category, though I wouldn't be surprised if there are more.
    I do understand that those are exceptions to the OP rules, but I did want to point it out.

    ETA  (and this is my opinion, so it's fine if we agree to disagree):
    It's perfectly acceptable to use names from fiction as a name for your child. Have a book that is important to you and your SO agrees on the name? Go for it! Love a character and everything they stand for? Sure, why not! 
    At the end of the day, it is your child to name. If you want to give them a "made-up" name, that is your prerogative. 
  • edited August 2018
    Jhon is actually not uncommon in Latin America, it's not a random choice...
  • durcondurcon member
    edited September 2018
    ***Removed for TOU Violation***
  • durcondurcon member
    edited September 2018
    ***Removed for TOU Violation***
  • I'm constantly having to check to make sure people's names, especially children's names are not spelled in some uncommon way. Spelling names correctly makes life so much easier. Plus, you'll never find a keychain with the name Jax at a gift shop!
  • That's hilarious. No other person can give my child a nickname. Okay. Did you go to school or have friends?
  • Completely agree with you! Spelling really matters! 

    My own name is a bit of a spelling nightmare. Hannah is not usually written with an "h" in English (the "h" is completely silent), so people often write Hanna or even Anna, which is a more common name.
  • Well said, that's completely true.
  • shaz3333shaz3333 Just Joined
    edited April 2020
    Spelling someone's name correctly is extremely important because a name is part of one's identity. Messing up a person's name or other relevant information can be interpreted as a sign of disrespect, and at the very least, makes you appear unprofessional.
  • It's perfectly acceptable to use names from fiction as a name for your child. Have a book that is important to you and your SO agrees on the name? Go for it! Love a character and everything they stand for? Sure, why not! 
    NGL every time I see someone who insists they named their son "Jamie" after the Outlander character (or any similar name based off a highly sexualized character) I can't help but think "You named your child after some fake dude you rubbed off to?"
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