"Unusual Spellings of Baby Names Out of Control"

[paradise lost]

Nelle -

Ruaridh's, Siobhan's, Muireall's and Iain's

Rory, Shavaun (which i realised i typo'd when first typing it, lol), Muriel, Ian.

Because its a way to make your child unique, putting your stamp on them for life...that child is part of you and their name is one of the most important and most valuable thing you can give them bar life its self.

I have to say, i totally disagree with that. I know 4 Olivia's and every one of them is an incredibly unique individual. Two of my very good friends have the same name, are utterly different and i NEVER get them mixed up in my head or otherwise. When i was at Uni i worked on a welcome desk and practically every man i met from the middle east had a name that was some variation on Mohammed, but they were all very different people. I think a sense of individuality goes way way beyond a name and that, although the name is the 2nd Very Important Parenting Job (after getting them earthside as healthy as possible) of a new parent, in the course of years it pales, as the birth does, in terms of importance. My mother gave me the most popular girls name of the time when i was born, because, she said, she felt it could fit in anywhere. On paper i could be a lawyer or a lapdancer. In person i am as unique as anyone else. As has been said by one more eloquent than me "what's in a name, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". JMO

Bx

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I have to disagree with Maz and Skye too - Liebling isn't the same as all the other people out there with his name and his spelling. He's HIMSELF.

I have an uncommon name but that just made me cross that my parents can't spell. It is fairly common in my family - Zaidie also originated from a spelling mistake, but a few women in my family have it now. As a child, you don't want to be different. You want to fit in. And teachers calling you "Crane" because they can't pronounce your first name properly isn't what I call fun and exciting.

As an adult you want to be different - but by then you realise that you're more than just a name, you're YOU. OK so some people do change their name, but more people change from odd name to normal name than from normal name to "no-one has a hope in hell of spelling this" name. A lot of people change "Jaymz" to "James" or "Seaufeighya" to "Sophia": they have the same name, but none of the spelling hassles. I do know a Jaymz but thankfully not a Seaufeighya.

[~clover~]

I know a Jaymz too.

I guess we are all different. I grew up with a long Irish last name & my first name & always had to spell both. My brother & sister are Wade & Sahra (not Sarah). They got Wayne & Sarah all the time, but none of us hate our names. (I wasn't a fan of mine, but, honestly...Skye's just a magnet for teasing!)

It does mean alot to me that DD's name is different.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Maz, I'm sooooo pleased I told my parents BEFORE I changed my name now! I didn't realise that other people were so attached to names they gave away: one reason I changed my name because the daughter I probably will never have was going to have Zaidie - as she's not going to appear any time soon, or ever, I figured why wait and give it away when I want it myself!

DS's name represents a LOT of family history (we're generally better at spelling boys' names than girls') but it wouldn't upset me if he changed it: yes, I picked it and gave it to him but he can do as he wishes with it now; it is his.

[maz]

Good on you for being able to do that Zaidie ...its something I just cant do in respect to my parents even if it was mixed up....I dont see why causing them unnecessary hurt or disapointment in their twilight years because of it...something they were proud giving me at the time.

My solution to it......... well just look at my username...that say's enough now doesnt it

[Phteven]

I'm sensing a bit of a tense vibe in here. Surely we can all disagree without getting over-wrought or upset.

[maz]

I'm sensing a bit of a tense vibe in here. Surely we can all disagree without getting over-wrought or upset.

sorry if my post came across that way hon...it wasnt ment to.

zaidie - I really do mean it......good on you! I just cant do it .... your perhaps a stronger person then me

[maz]

They all sound the same on the playground... you're going to hear it more than you see it, so why do people want names to look different? I mean Jessica is going to be sound the same as Jessyka in the end. I don't get it.

Because its a way to make your child unique, putting your stamp on them for life...that child is part of you and their name is one of the most important and most valuable thing you can give them bar life its self.

I have to say, i totally disagree with that. I know 4 Olivia's and every one of them is an incredibly unique individual.

A name is not just something spoke. As some have stated in here, a name can represent generations of a family, a nationality, a passion.

A name can by no means represent an individual...saying that name out loud may sound the same even if spelt different, yet its the way its spelt that means the earth to the parents, a priceless gift etched into history.