"Unusual Spellings of Baby Names Out of Control"

[Bathsheba]

I'm just reading Monday's (July 6) Herald Sun newspaper. Last Friday 980 people responded to a poll asking "Are unusual spellings of baby names getting out of control?" The results were:

YES: 91.2% (894 votes)
NO: 8.8% (86 votes)

What do you think?

(Please try not to be too harsh regarding specific names as we don't want to upset members with this name or who have chosen a particular name for their children).

Personally I prefer traditional spellings but in some instances I think it would be a good compromise to change the spelling of a name if for example another family member shared that name.

[maz]

im one thats out of control lol.

BUT all my boys names are tradionally German

[Bathsheba]

Nah, I LOVE the names you have given your children Maz!

[Trillian]

I don't usually have an issue with creative spelling, so long as it doesn't take away from what the name is supposed to be in the first place kwim? I have seen some shockers that don't even look how you would pronounce them. I think it shows a lack of foresight at times because children with really unusual spellings will spend the rest of their life correcting people and making sure that it is always spelt right on official documents etc. But I haven't ever seen anything that's even mildly bad on here with overly creative spelling - there are some gorgeously unusual names, but nothing that would ever make you go what the?

[Bathsheba]

I've mainly seen some shockers in the newspaper birth announcement section... names that are meant to have vowels having them removed and replaced with about 5 unnecessary consonants.

Also meant to add that I have an interest in numerology and can kind of understand making small changes so that a child is given a name with a number combination that is more fortuitous.

[Arimeh]

Hmmmm I probably shouldn't comment...lol

[feeb]

LMAO

mel and maz you both have cool names not weird spellings and out there!

[Trillian]

LOL, I have had 31 years of having to spell my name for people, and my name isn't even 'creative' LOL. Thats why I have a beef with it

[MantaRay]

No-one can ever spell my name either and it's not that difficult. So that was a factor for me with choosing names - I wanted easy to spell names for my kids. But that is a personal preference - other people are perfectly entitled to choose whatever names they like and spell them however they like. It is a personal choice.

Having said that, there is one birth announcement I saw one years ago which concerned me a little - the daughter of Collingwood supporters was called Victoria Park. Pity for them that's no longer the home ground for the Pies!

[*Ali*]

I don't know if it is out of control as so much as more prevelant. For me if a name isn't phonetically correct it annoys me.........I am a teacher though and I love my phonics!

[Bathsheba]

If it's any comfort Trillian it's not just names people have trouble spelling... it's spelling in general. People are losing the skill. I guess it's because people are not reading as much as they used to also maybe the fact that these days (with the internet etc) people are become more visually oriented... things have to look good up on the screen. Whereas in the past maybe it was more important for something to sound good because more information was exchanged that way? From ear to ear (in the past) rather then the increasing trend of eye to eye. Just a theory.

[Trillian]

LOL Bath, that's a whole other thread right there.

[Fleur]

Hmmmm I probably shouldn't comment...lol

but, I think the difference is that your kids names are unusual in themselves, kwim? (& pretty cool too )...not some everyday name that has been jazzed up to make it seem more interesting... like spelling say 'Jane' in some strange way...(just as an example)

I am a fan of different & unusual names and I don't mind a slight spelling variation... I agree though it gets a bit OTT when you have to constantly tell people how to spell / pronounce it, surely it just makes life frustrating for those kids?

ETA - Bathsheba you have just hit on one of my pet hates...definitely another thread there! but yes I agree

[LaDeeDa]

Having an unusual name myself I am so over correcting spelling and pronounciation.
That being said - I gave DS a "normal" name - Lachlan and 3 times in the last week I have had to correct people's spelling of that too .....

In my opinion from having lived with it it's a PITA.....my name anyways - noone on the forum

[NaeNae]

DH has a real problem with too any alternative spellings for names - he likes things done as traditionally as possible.
Me, I am a fence sitter, I love subtle variations of a name as long as it still resembles the original if that makes sense.
BUT I do agree with the poll, I think there are far too many variations its trying to go through a baby name book to find the right name let alone the right spelling I do love unusual names though.

Nae x

[Phteven]

LOL, I think that it's gone a bit too far and in a few years it will look really dated. People will take one look at a name on a job application and know that they came from that era where people just went through the baby name book and stabbed the most random name they could find in the hope of conferring individuality on their child.
As for the spellings, traditionally people have been a bit lax about spelling and there have always been alternate and regional spellings but adding a whole heap of extra letters to look tryndeigh is just annoying.

[maz]

I wanna give a little run down to why we decided to spell our children's names the way they have so there is a little understanding as to why some people prefer to do something out of the box

I remember when Nikolaus was at kinder there was another NIcholaus B (last name very simular to ours) and at the christmas party a nana commented
oh I bet its not 'aus' its quiet uncommon
hmmm me being me came right back and said
so your german aswell are you
nana quickly made an exit

Ive spelt both Nikolaus and Wilhelm the traditional way...although I did have a little chat to the art teacher at school about Nilolaus' name when she continuously miss spelt it but all hs teachers have been wrapped by his variation due to both my Nikolaus and hte other Nicholaus being in the same class this year.
Wilhelm....I get sick of him being called William...grrrr its not his name
Vyolett...i had to spell it different...I really didnt want another child with i as their second letter in their name
Mateauz - omg my dad couldnt believe the way we spelt it. Its ment to be Mathias and for me it looked was to girly. We get Mah - tooez all the time and people get surprised when I say no actually it Mah- tea - az. And for those who dont know Mathias is Matthew in German meaning son of god fits him perfect me thinks

We also decided to pick names that would be able to be shortened into nicknames when the kids get older - eg Nik, Wil, Vy and Mat but that is if they choose it.

FWIW - we have more troubles having to spll our last name and its every common

I hope thats helped some understand why some of us parents decided for a reason...we all dont put letters in a hat and pull them out to make up a name

[DaintreeDream]

I'm not a fan of creative spelling at all.

I hate seeing an unnecessary added letter in names, eg: our boys name is going to be Mason, I hate it when people add in a 'Y' for instance, Mayson... I personally do not see the point! Just means that he would be spelling his name out all his life for the sake of having a 'Y' in his name.

I have spent my life pronouncing and spelling my name to people and really it is not that weird, so I decided that when I chose names for my children they would be names that whether or not popular, when said the person would be able to recognise and spell it and when written it is recognised and readable.