Creative Spelling In Names and Why They HURT

by Christy Heather Roberts (follow)

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I had a name list as long as the universe when I was pregnant with my first daughter. I spent many, many hours on naming websites, crossing off names because they were ‘too popular’, ‘dated’ or ‘they look hard to spell’. The last deal-breaker is an important one when your name is Christy with a C. And an H. And a Y. Every single time you spell your name.



Yes, I am an 80’s victim of the uncommonly spelt common name. The fact that my name is not Christine, Christina or Kristin doesn’t bother me too much, but the fact that I have to spell my name every single time I make an appointment or identify myself on the phone does. I don’t care that Christy is the ‘Old’ version of the name – the same can be said for Khloe, which is the ‘Old’ version of Chloe, and still confuses people. I just care that I am saddled with a name that is the less popular version of a name that is spelt differently.



I worked as a travel agent and I have seen every variation of spelling – random ‘H’s’ and ‘Z’s in the middle of names like Ahnna and Jeszica; silent letters at the front of names like Xlinda (Pronounced Linda); inexplicably doubled letters like Hharrissonn.

I understand that people, especially the armies of Jessicas, Jennifers, Rachels and Amys that grew up in the 80’s and 90’s don’t want their kid to be Bailey P or Sophie A. But instead of calling that child Bha’lee or Zophiy (pronounced the same way), why not call them something else? There are millions of wonderful, underused names out there, a world of beautiful colour words, nature words, historical names or even completely made up names. (I invented the name Amry. I loved it. My best friend said it sounded like Camry. I didn’t use it but it is STILL A GOOD NAME and you can SPELL IT EASILY.)

Think of the forms that your child will need to fill out in their lives – think of the job applications. Think of the travel agents trying to get their tickets right. Think of the child, spelling ‘Lara’ for the 100th time that week – “It’s L-a-a-h-r-a-h. No, two ‘h’s’. And two ‘a’s’” its hard enough to learn to write your name without having to wander around the alphabet to get it onto your picture.



If you doubt me, then try watching Giggle and Hoot read out the names of the kids who send in their artwork; it can be tricky business. So, with this in mind, call your child anything you like; call her Lake Movie Star Manhattan Donovan or Latoya Jasmine Elizabeth Lillypilly Jones but spell it so it makes sense; let her name be a beautiful inscription on a beautiful artwork but from the heart of an oddly-spelled child, don’t let half her conversations begin with why her name is spelt ‘Like That’. Trust me, it’s painful.

#kids
#naming
#names
#girls names
#boys names
#baby
#pregnancy

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