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This is not a column about children with wacky names. It’s not about the little boy called Notorious or his sister Awesome. It’s not about Chanel or Bongo or Stalin or Mars even though all those kids exist. There will be no mention of Apple or Sparrow. Not here. Not today.
This particular column is about Sindi. And Kymberleigh. And Lyriq and Xal (pronounced Crystal) and Paege and Beeanchor (say it out loud, you’ll get it eventually) and Jazz-man and Ararhbella and Sumher. It’s also about Jamze, Taiylah, Khrystie, Jesinta, Naithon and Maddissonne and Mersaydeez.
This column is about what happens when the alphabet vomits on a birth certificate. It’s about wacky spelling and the parents who inflict it on their children.
The Patron saint of trickily spelled names may be Kath & Kim’s Epponee Rae but tricky spelling is not a new phenomenon. And we know this because the first generation afflicted by it are coming of age.
When I do book signings, you have to be very careful to get the spelling of someone’s name right, lest you stuff up the copy of your book they’ve just bought (bless them). You must never take anything for granted. “Hello Anna, nice to meet you!” I say. “And how do you spell Anna?” Seriously. Because these days, it could also be Annah, Ana or Anar.
A couple of weeks ago, I read about a girl dating cricketer Michael Clarke. Her name was Kyly. Yes, Kyly. When I remarked upon this, someone I know called Kylie wondered, “What did her parents have against vowels?”
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Having enquired among those who know trickily spelt people and those who named them, my suspicions have been confirmed. It’s not about vowel discrimination (Tylr) or a love of silent letters (Tcharli) or phonetics (Moneeke). The root of tricky spelling is a desire to be different. Special. Unique. Which is fine on a birth certificate but more challenging in the real world where people communicate verbally.
My parents named me Mia for a number of reasons, chief among them that they weren’t a fan of nicknames and thought Mia wouldn’t be shortened. They were right about that but what they didn’t factor in was that many people are stupid. You’d think a name with three letters which was pronounced phonetically wouldn’t pose too many problems but you’d be so wrong.
For years my name has mistakenly been pronounced “My-a” or spelt incorrectly. In fact whenever someone has to write my name down, I automatically launch into: “Mia – M-I-A” before going on to spell my surname.
The other day I asked the name of a salesperson I was speaking to on the phone and she replied “Mia – M-I-A” so it appears it’s not just me.
I’m telling you this because if my simple name is going to cause problems? What hope is there for poor Beeanchor. How many years of her life will she waste explaining “It’s BIANCA, yes I know it’s unusual to spell it like that.” A burdensome number. And will it make her feel special? Or will it just make her parents feel clever?
Here’s a clue: any name that requires you to add “pronounced…” after it is an undue burden to place on another human being.
I asked on Twitter about tricky spellings this week and got some doozies. One person who works in family law said: “The best names I’ve seen through my work are La-a (pronounced: Ladasha), Abcde (Ab-se-dee) and the very popular Nevaeh (Heaven backwards)”. Someone who worked at a Brisbane maternity ward said staff keep a running list of the weirdest names. Current winner: N-ah (Nadasha).
Stop it. I’m calling DOCS.
But WHY? I asked. Often the reasons were quite specific. “My friend named her daughter Olyvia, reason given was that her name is Melyssa” said one person. I also heard from the creatively spelled themselves. Like Rihannon. “It’s meant to be Rhiannon but my dad made a spelling mistake on my birth certificate. I’m now forever correcting people.” And Tiffiny. “I hate it! I never get my emails and all because mum didn’t want me nicknamed Fany”. Then there were the traditional spellings like the Irish name Aoibhe (pronounced Ava) and the Celtic name Niamh (pronounced Neev).
But it was generally agreed by everyone that the most common reason for tricky spelling is a desire for your child to be different. Special. Unusual. Unique.
In researching this column, I came across a forum on a baby names site with the following question from a pregnant woman. “I love the name Chloe but I don’t like the spelling. I love changing spelling around…is there anyone that thinks that Khloei is just too weird of a change? Or Lili? And for a boy or girl the name Aiden going to Aydyn?”
The response was fairly rigorous and unanimously negative. As one person said: “I am not completely opposed to spelling variations, within reason (e.g., Alan/Allen, Catherine/Katherine), but completely odd and invented spellings are not my thing.”
I wanted to reply: “If you really don’t like the spelling of the name, have you considered, I don’t know, CHOOSING ANOTHER NAME?”
Like Apple. Pronounced Apple.
NOTE: This column/post is dedicated to my (real) friends Nikoll and Garry. And while I’m sure that many people will have quite strong views on this subject, please stay respectful. Be nice. Remain cool.
Comments
1,373 Comments so far
My name is Staci. My parents intentionally spelled it with an i to be unique. I automatically tell people my name and then spell it for them, then immediately have them add the e to the end, to the point where I’ve taken to saying ‘It’s Staci, with just an i’. Also my middle name is Lee-Miller. (named after my dad and grandpas even though I’m a girl) Try explaining the name Lee-Miller to someone.
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My middle name is ‘Maria’ on my birth certificate. My parents pronounce it “Ma rye ah”. I have given up correcting how people pronounce it, it looks like ‘Ma ree ah’, so now i say it that way too. Easier than changing it by deed poll. Not sure how my parents would feel about it, but they live in another country.
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Lady Maria Island is pronounced ‘Mar-i-ah’. I think it is pretty.
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My middle name is Maria on my birth certificate, but my parents pronounced it ‘Ma rye ah’. I have given up correcting the pronounciation, it looks like Maria, so I just go with that. Not sure what my parents would think tho, lucky they live in another country now.
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We have a Lucy. Easy, right?
Nope. For her birth, we got sent cards for Lucie, Lucey, and Luci.
It’s just plain, old, beautiful Lucy. If I wanted to be arty farty, I’d have spelt it Loosey.
(no of course I wouldn’t)
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Definitely Gregor. With Gaspar I would be worried about kids cnlilag him Gas or Gassy. Also, it’s just a little too European aristocrat for me. I think Gregor is much more down-to-earth and handsome, and in general seems more wearable than Gaspar.
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We named our daughter Morgan, there has been a Morgan in every generation of my husband’s family. Then her second name is Ann, both my self and her great grandmother have Ann as the second name. I thought the same about shortening names, thinking this wouldn’t be done, but no, within 24 hours of attending child care, she is now called Morgy, which I correct without even realizing.
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Too funny! My mum named me Gabrielle on the premise that I would only ever be called that and nothing else. As soon as I started pre-school, my teachers started calling me ‘Gabbie’ and I refused to answer to Gabrielle after that. It’s rare – incredibly so – that anyone calls me Gabrielle anymore. It’s even weird for me when I have to sign my name as that when I’m at uni and whatever else. Although it’s just as rare that people actually spell my name correctly. I get Gabby, Gabi, Gabbi, Gaby…hardly anyone spells it ‘Gabbie’. Drives me nuts.
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Nobody ever believes me when I say that I didn’t meet another Kathryn (however you choose to spell it) until I was 14. I love my name. But I do get annoyed when it’s spelled in any of the other ways – even if I spell it out slowly to people. And I passionately despise being called Kath, Kathy or Katty. I’ve grown to tolerate Kate and Kat from certain people … but the latest incarnation is Kitty. Seriously people, how hard is Kathryn?! I’ve also been called Lauren a few times … I’m assuming by people who are hard of hearing. Always makes me laugh.
Also, anyone who calls their daughter Melena deserves to have Child Protective Services called on them.
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A family member called her son Jay-mie (Jamie). Thank god she had not thought of a name where you actually pronounce the dash, it would have gotten even more disturbing!
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urgh i hate parents who think they’re ‘clever’ or ‘original’ by changing a perfectly good name to something the child will have to spell out for the rest of his/her life. I have a friend whose parents named her Jazmyn, and after years of constantly having to spell it out, she just went and officially changed the spelling in her name to Jasmine.
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My parents didn’t intentionally complicate my name, but it’s Polish so hell it was never going to be easy outside those geographic lines – however it’s Ania as in ‘Ah nya’ not the following ‘Onya, Anneia, Tania, Enya and mose definitly not INYA!!!
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Ahahahaha! I love the spelling! it’s great! Mines Dutch, with a great Dutch surname to boot. Now days i look at some kids names that are ‘different’ (like, all the article above) and I think “but why?? there’s so many great names that are different just because that’s the name that they are!”
xxx Anja
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In terms of spelling, I am with Mia. My maiden name was Johnston. Pronounced with the T. I lost count of the amount of times I saw it spelt Johnson, Jonson, Jonston, Johnstone…
When I got married my name changed to Davison. I was anticipating lots of Davidson spellings, so I started saying “Davison. Like Davidson, but without the d”.
Until the day I said that and someone proceeded to write Avidson on a form. Sigh.
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I like my name, but geez I wish my parents had chosen a more generic spelling. Its really annoying having to constantly spell both my first and last names. My dad is Austrian so hence the european spelling, but my surname has 11 letters too!! I want my kids to have names you don’t hear everyday (think Violet – not Tigerlilly), but with the easiest spelling possible!!
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From one Kathryn to another Kathrin … hell yeah! I’m sick of having to spell my name multiple times (middle and surname as well) because people just don’t listen … “it’s K A T H R Y N” … and seeing, more often than not Kathyrn. Or Kathyn.
Also, I like your spelling. It’s pretty.
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Walking down the street with my toddler in the pram, two sweet old ladies came up to look at him and generally coo and awww. One of them asked what his name was, so I said Oliver. Then the other one asked me how I spelt it. Ah… O L I V E R as in Oliver?
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Loved reading this!!! You have had me in stitches (or stychehs)
I think my parents picked a winner with “Sarah,” I work with elderly people and they are always telling me “My mums name was Sarah” , “there was a lovely old lady in the town I grew up called Sarah” , “I have a grandaughter called Sarah” and “I wanted to call my baby Sarah- but called him Robert instead” (my personal fav LOL), and my response to them is: My name is as common as white bread, so there is no reason for you to be forgetting it!!
Sarah is also Haras spelt back ward – fun fact #1!!!
Fun fact #2 – Sarah can be spelt 2 ways: Sara or SaraH (the difference being the added “H” at the end, also known as the ‘correct’ spelling), I spell my name the 2nd way : )
When I fell pregnant last year my fiance and I were adament we wouldnt be giving our child a wacky name or a name with wacky spelling. 9 months later I popped out a little boy, called him Jake and for the past 11 months have been correcting people when they ask and then repeat his name saying “Jack???” or my dutch relos “Jaqu????”
SIGHHHHHHHHH lol
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I worked in childcare, and beside the four Isabellas and three Jacksons (various spellings) in one class, I also had AT THE ONE TIME:
Georgia x 2
Dakota x 2
Montana and Montanna
Savannah
Brooklyn
Dallas
Phoenix
I felt like tacking on the Pledge of Allegiance every time I called the roll
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So my name is one of the top ten baby names of last year – Zoe – yet my entire life it has been pronounced incorrectly (“Zoh”) and spelt incorrectly (Zoey, Zooey, Zoee, Zoë, I’ve even had the odd CHLOE) and it drives me mad. It’s a bloody simple name!
Anyway, my daughter has a traditional northern European name, like her Dad who is first generation German, which Like mine isn’t really phonetic – the e on the end is pronounced “ee”. I feel bad because I know she is going to spend her whole life explaining it. But then, so have I and there are lots of me! I also didn’t choose her name so she would be “different” – I chose it because I liked it and I wanted a German name. Other names I liked we’re more common, like Louisa, but that’s our niece’s name. It’s no different to “Siobhan”, which everyone knows how to pronounce purely because it’s more common here.
Anyway, that’s my two cents! Meanwhile, my husband NEVER gets his name pronounced or spelt correctly, but his crazy German-ness kind of explains it.
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whats your daughters name if you dont mind me asking?
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I am forever spelling my name to people. Even your post spelt it the other ways! I hate spelling my name for everyone, but at the same time, wouldn’t want it spelt the other ways.
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I have a friend who is Registered Nurse in ER in Victoria. She once posted on Facebook:
“I’m sorry but if your child has long blond hair and a bullshit made up name, I’m going to assume it’s a gir.”l
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Kyly used to go out with a friend of mine’s son. We used to make fun of her name too (behind her back) and call her K-eye-l-eye.
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Thanks Mia. So funny! I have a ‘weird’ name myself (it’s not that hard but people don’t seem to cope) so I’ve developed a solid theory over the years — people who give their kids weird names almost ALWAYS have ordinary names themselves. They don’t know what it’s like! So that leads to my next theory – in about 15 years all the names are going to swing back to being very plain and easy. Just give it time.
And the names of my four daughters – Emma, Holly, Zoe and Eva – easy to say and easy to spell. Bliss!
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My grandfather was a school principle and he once had a mother enroll her son explaining that his name was ‘Guy’ pronounced ‘Gooey’ – and that was a good 40 years ago!
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What a great article! My maiden name is Fish… I grew up saying “Fish, as in swimming in the sea”! I still had a supervisor who refused to believe it wasn’t spelled Fysche.
When I got married, I was sure ‘Bright’ would be easier: only people seem to think I’m spelling and saying it incorrectly and change it to ‘Wright’.
I wanted unusual but not ‘out there’ names for our children. So far we have Celeste and William. OK, so we failed on ‘unusual’ with little Will; however we just couldn’t agree on boys names!
I’ve always felt for my sister, Tegan. That’s the traditional Welsh pronunciation of ‘Teh-gan’, not the now-fashionable ‘Tee-gan’. She also has to spell it. She often used to get mail addressed to ‘Teaghan’!
Wow, this post just about screams out my name, my kids names and my sister’s first name!
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When I was born my parents had already decided on the name Alicia but had not discussed how it should be spelt, which wasn’t very clever because there are a lot of variations (Alycia, Alysha, Alisha, Elisha, Elysha and the god-awful Aleesha).
Unfortunately for me my father decided to go with Alicia which was at the time most commonly pronounced ah-li-c-ah.
Thankfully society caught up with my father and most people pronounce my name correctly now (ah-lee-sha) but I spent much of my childhood angrily correcting people.
I still get wrong spellings all the time though. One man I work with consistently spells my name Alecia in emails despite it being spelt correctly every time I reply.
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Also, I’m a journalist at a community paper and each week my colleagues and I have a competition to see who has interviewed or come across the most unusual or poorly-spelled names. Sadly the northern and southern suburbs reporters (two lower socio-economic areas in my state) always win.
Last week I saw a Jalose and a Liahm. I feel bad for those children.
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My parents called my sister Alicia pronounced ah-Li-c-ah but is always called ah-lee-sha which she hates so she calls herself Ali!
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When my nephew was born my brother messaged my family, telling us the babys name and then in brackets telling us how to pronounce it. I’d still love to know what they were thinking and if they really needed the extra letter.
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I hate when this article gets bumped on Twitter. Sigh.
La-a doesn’t exist. Neither does Abcde. Urban legends.
And yes, though this is an ‘opinion piece’, it’s a silly opinion piece. I think any intelligent person knows that for every person that hates the name ‘Khrystie’, there’s another person who hates the name ‘Mia’. So what’s the point? Do we -really- need to have an opinion on why parents name their children something? Why is Jesinta any worse than Jacinta? It’s a collection of consonants and vowels that mix together to make sounds. Does it -really- affect us in any way, shape, or form? Or do we just whinge about peoples’ baby names because it makes us feel just a little bit superior?
Bull.
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It’s one things to be creative. It’s another to be forever frowning at the roll trying to figure out how to pronounce a word that does not exist, and then getting bucket loads of attitude from parent and student alike, because I disrespected the family by failing to pronounce Kasey the first time around.
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La-a definitely exists. I’ve seen her with my own eyes.
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Same. The joys of working in a maternity ward! We had a ‘Hades’ once. Yes, pronouncd ‘Hay-dees.”
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How else would you pronounce Hades? As in Greek mythology? I think it’s a bit of a weird name to call a child but would pronounce it /ˈheɪdiːz/
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I know of an Abcde.
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There are four Donalds in my family, and I don’t like the sound of it at all, so Kiefer gets my vote. Even toguhh our surname starts with a V’ and that clashes a bit with the f’, I would never name my child Donald.
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No we whinge about them because it’s a trend. It’s stupid and makes the parents look like white trash or wankers. And btw here’s one that’s not an urban legend – a little boy called Anfernee. Say it.
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“Unique” spelling in a kid’s name displays one thing only – their parents’ illiteracy. Dumb isn’t cool.
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This is why countries like Germany approve children’s names when they are registered. No See (River) or similar there.
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Ooooh, I really don’t like the name Michaela spelt in any other way (and believe me, the variations seem endless!).
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This is my pet hate – it just burdens the child with a life of having to spell out a name that’s pronounced normally. For example, I want to call my daughter Cecilia, and even thinking of spelling it “Cecelia” makes me want to throw up. It just looks weird to me… so spelling Jessica Jezziqah or something is just UGH…
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My little girl is called Niamh. I saw it in a book and loved it.
I’m a teacher and found it difficult to pick names that I didn’t associate with students. It was being a teacher that made me decide to never name my child anything beginning with “J”. No offence intended, I’ve just taught a lot of Js who misbehaved: Josh, Jayden, Jake, Jack, James, Jordan. (Could also be the popularity of those names too…)
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Niamh, is not strange spelling, it is the correct spelling of an Irish name. I actually prefer the traditional Gaelic spelling over Neve, which has become common.
My daughter has a Scottish name, Isla (eye-la). We get Iz-la all the time. Does not worry me in the slightest, just do a quick correction and if they still look confused I say “It’s like island, the ‘i’ is silent, it’s Scottish.”
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If I had a dollar for every Josh/Joshua I came across as a teacher (former) was a little ****, I’d be living comfortably by now.
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Totally agree! I am a teacher too and boys beginning with J is bad news…
And I also love Niamh, but my hubby vetoed it
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totally agree about J names! I am a casual teacher and had 9 boys in my class last week whose names started with a J. Needless to say it was a horrible day!!
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My sons name is josh and he was a very hard child to bring up, but now as a 21 year he is just Devine, so maybe naughty Josh’s turn out just fine through patience and perseverance from teachers and mothers !
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I named my son Linken.
Enough said
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I named my son Linken.
Enough said
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OK, i called my daughter Jakayla. We loved the name Makayla but it was so popular a few years back, so we changed the first letter. When she was born it was about 50/50 love/hate from family and friends. My daughter loves her name and often gets it shortened to Kayla or Jay. I like how its a bit different but boy do we get some interesting spellings from people lol.
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Someone does need to call DoCS, if you can’t spell some basic names you should not have children.
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There is a boy at my kids’ school called Brettlee X-X. Yes, his first name is after the cricket player, followed by a hyphenated surname. Enough said.
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My name is Darlis , I get alot of “Alice”, and very few people get the spelling right but I’m ok with whatever, probably cos I’m used to having such a “different” name.
My brother had a harder time (his name is Darlin), he thinks it’s girly and added an alias (Darren) so he could avoid using his given name….
and no, we’re not twins…
: )
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I’m right there with you Mia, my name is Lee and I am female. My mum said she thought it was a nice simple name that could’nt be turned into a nick name. Well, I have pretty much had to spell my name all my life as apparently my mum chose the male way to spell Lee. So I get asked Leigh, Lea, Leah, Lei? And my nickname is Lethal (which I quite like any way). I named my 16 yo son Riley, thinking too easy he won’t have to spell his name constantly and he didn’t until the new way of alphabet vomiters started with Ryhlee, Rilee, Rielea I could serious go on for half an hour – my husband did want to call him Jack……
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I have a general rule that more than one H or Y is unacceptable.
I’ve heard Lad-a before and it makes me laugh everytime. Did they really think people weren’t going to criticise them? Really?
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uh-oh, I have two y’s in my name – it’s not that unacceptable is it? btw, Hayleigh is the weirdest anyone has ever spelt my name…
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Born in 1971 & named Elisabeth with an ‘s’ as Mum didn’t want me being called “Liz” or “Lizzie”. Didn’t matter, as soon as I started school that’s what I was nicknamed. Most of my friends now would actually spell Elisabeth with an s first after knowing me as that’s what they’re used to. I remember my high school reference had 5 paragraphs three with my name spelled with an s & the other two with a z.
As an aside I used to live on the Gold Coast & my daughter’s pre-school teacher told me she called her son Jaxon with an “x” to be different. Gold Coast is home to some Barry Crocker names !!!!
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What about Alicia Silverstone – Bear Blu?!
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Love it and totally agree, well said.
It is almost as if people are naming their kids the way they would write a text.
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I once babysat for two kids called Salty and Peppy.
Seriously people, no one thinks you’re funny.
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LMAO that is very funny.. poor kids
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My Name is Asher. I think it is a very simple easy name but many other people struggle with it – “Natasha did you say?” or “Sorry Cher?”. But the most hilarious name I have ever heard came from a friend who teaches in the Riverland. She has a student in her class called…. Wait for it….. Abcde, yes A-B-C-D-E….. It is pronouced Ab-c-d (The c & d are like the way you would say the alfabet but in lower case)…. What is the world coming to!!
It is pronounced Ab-c-d (like when you say the alfabet in lower case)….. This is ridiculous.
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As in “Ab – see – dee” ???
OMG!
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This was in Mia’s post? Is apparently not as rare as it should be!
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My first name is Catriona, which is the traditional Scottish gaelic version of Catherine. It’s pronounced exactly how it’s spelled, Ka-TREE-owna, with the stress on the tree, but I always get Katree-OWNA, Katerina, etc (and, on one memorable occasion, ‘Treona’ – what?!).
Predictably, my friends and others refer to me as Cat, and I am 100% fine with that (although my parents aren’t) as while I love my name, it’s a pain to have to correct spelling and, most especially, pronounciation. Even my closest friends struggle to pronounce it!
I’d still name my kids traditional names. At the moment I’m in love with Hamish as a boy’s name – I wonder what mangled spellings that would get? Haymish?
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I know a few Catrionas and they pronounce their name Katrina. Interesting this name lark, isn’t it!
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And here’s the other problem – a traditional spelling, but a different pronounciation. Like Yvonne, pronounced (not kidding) phonetically… “Yev-on-ee”. The parents had apparently only seen the name and never heard it. But the poor kid will be correctiong people for the rest of her life.
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I heard of someone named Siobahn (Sheevawn) whose parents had the same issue – Si a barn!
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I think you’ll find it’s Siobhan, unless they couldn’t spell either…:)
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Or from a kindergarten teacher friend, a kid named ‘Guy’ but whose mum called him ‘Gooee’.
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I knew a kid called “Versace” the parents pronounced it “Ver-say-s” (rhyming with lace)!! Obviously not lovers of high fashion.
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My parents called me Lana as it was the only name in the baby book that my dad liked…. they didn’t thinka bout my life as a early teenager when everyone realised my name backwards was Anal. But now I like it – it’s funny and when people see that you can have a laugh about it they know you’ve got a good sense of humour
I get called Alana, Lara, Laura, Lauren…. the list goes on. When people realise they often go “Oh I’m so sorry – I called you *insert incorrect name here*” and my response is “I’ve been called a lot worse in my time – no problem!”
All in all I like my name – Lana Elise… and my middle name is special as it’s an anagram on my Nanny and Great Grandmother’s names, Elsie. I like to think it’s a bit unique…. and I’ve always wanted to marry a man with the surname Turner so I’d be Lana Turner
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And Lana means “to float” in some polynesian languages. I considered it for a daughter I never had. Didn’t think about spelling it backwards…
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I’m in my late 30s and have a hyphenated first name consisting of two very common names. Alas both are unusual spellings. What makes it worse is that my surname, although English and one syllable, is rare and difficult to spell and pronounce. I can’t mention either of my names because the combination is unique. I’ve had my name automatically shortened and assumptions made that I was “tacking on” my middle name. As soon as I start saying my name I immediately launch into the spelling because it’s too hard for anyone to get right. Like PK I’ve had lots of documentation errors. When tickets don’t match your passport it’s no fun.
As a child psychologist I’ve heard it all and can see the difficulties names can cause kids. Think first before giving your child a lifelong burden. Use the easiest and mostcommon spelling.
My 9 month son didn’t have a name until he was 5 days old because we agonised over it. Part of the dilemma was that my husband’s surname is White, so we wanted to think of something easy to spell and pronounce, yet uncommon so that he’s not always meeting himself.
My favourite names this year are from our local paper; twins – Bruce and Zeus. The spelling is fine, the combination is startling.
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I have named my daughter Lili, not because I want to be different or because I’m an idiot and can’t spell, but more because she is named for my nan who passed away while I was pregnant, my nan’s name was Lilian and I wanted it to be true to her, therefore Lili Anne was named.
I guess it’s always the same with these sort of blogs, columns etc it’s all stereotyped and generalised and people who have done something a little different are suddenly made to look stupid, made fun of.
I am not offended, there is a true and beautiful meaning behind what we have done which is more than I can say for most people who use traditional spelling.
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I quite like Lili, Jess – I think the criticism isn’t necessarily pointed at those who have a reasonable explanation for an alternative spelling or name (except, of course for Stephenie Meyers decision in the final installment of Twilight?? I don’t care how sentimental it’s meant to be, Renesme?! Seriously?!) but more at the people who burden their kids with these names thinking they’re being clever. It takes more than a name to make your child unique people!!
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So, why didn’t you go with Lilian if you wanted to be true to your nan? The Anne part is not the same either…
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I totally agree with Lynn. Jess – why are you getting all pissed off? You wanted to “be true to your nan” so you gave your daughter a messed up version of your nan’s name? Sorry, love, if you were being “true” and not a unique-seeking “tryndy” you would have gone with Lillian.
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My name is Panagiota (pronounced Pa-na-yio-ta). It’s a Greek name.
Thankfully the current Australian generation is growing more tolerant to European names. All through my childhood though, the amount of racist comments I would hear was devastating. All because of my name.
Person after person would change my name to suit them or ridicule me in front of everyone. Yes, even in job interviews, the interviewer would ask me if I had a different name to use.
NO I don’t.
But they would still use different names in official documentation – then when I would need to prove my identity, no one would believe it’s me because of all the forced adaptions of my name.
Yes true story and yes I am bitter..
However I personally love my name.
When I came to Switzerland though, I didn’t allow anyone the choice. This is my name, I forced them to deal with it. They winged for 5 seconds but were more tolerant to accepting this as my name.
However.
If I had the choice, I would never name my child a name that is not well known or long or not obvious to pronounce.
I also wouldn’t mispell a name to make my child “different”. There is enough to be teased about on school grounds, no child needs to be different.
*Sigh*
And to my friend who wanted to do this anyway – as a general comment, IT DOES NOT BUILD CHARACTER to have to deal with stupid people.
That’s all.
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Miche is short for Michellina, but pronounced ‘Misha’. When I write my name I spell it Misha, so people say it that way. Otherwise I hear ‘Michy’ or worse ‘Michylena’.
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