Ever been told you spelled your child's name wrong?

Catherine - posted on 05/27/2010

I think everyone has the right to name their children whatever they want and spell their names however they want but I don't think you can get annoyed when people misspell their names. When there is a traditional way of spelling a name that is what most people will typically use as the spelling. It is your choice to use a unique spelling - knowing full well that it is a unique spelling. You can not expect people to automatically know your version of spelling your child's name.

I also agree with the comment about not being able to find personalized items for your children. My son's name is Carson which isn't spelled unusually but it's not a very common name and we can never find things with his name on it.

Danelle - posted on 05/27/2010

Well my name is Danelle but it is pronounced as Danielle.(thats what they wanted to name me obviously. lol) My mom spelled all of our names in unique ways. So i'm constantly correcting people. They always think that for some reason i leave out the I. But i dont. Its a pain sometimes but i've gotten so use to it that it doesnt bother me anymore.

Elizabeth - posted on 05/27/2010

Lien isn't that unusual a spelling. I find it very common in alot of the 'asian' names. I have worked in a library for the past 10years (BC) and it is very common here (Australia).
I get told my middle name isn't a proper name and just something my parents made up. WRONG! Leonta was my G-Grandmother middle name. I love it - always have. Just wish i knew what it meant...... :)

Denise - posted on 05/27/2010

sorry spelled sierra wrong i would have spelled it this way ciera shyann

Denise - posted on 05/27/2010

i like how u spell shyanne if iwas 2 have another girl her name would have been spelled this way 2 it would have been sierra shyann

Denise - posted on 05/27/2010

yes i have a 12 yr old yrs her name spelled differenty and her school and dr. have told that i spelled it wrong her name is allyssa actually it should be spelled alyssa but i wanted her be her own individual person even her middle name spelled differently arielle instead of ariel so the spelling doesn't matter spell it as u like

Rachael - posted on 05/27/2010

yes. people tell me alot that i spelled my son's name like a girl. but in every baby book i looked at it was listed as for either gender. and i first heard the name spelled like i spelled it on a guy that i used to work with. i just ignore them.

Jill - posted on 05/27/2010

Yeah! And who says it's wrong...what's with names, we are Mother's we can spell our kids names how ever we want! Like my daughter! Maddison with two D's!

Chelsea - posted on 05/27/2010

my daughters name is kaelyn and my cousin told me there is only one way to spell that name right and its kaylynn. i couldnt believe he said it, i told him its my daughter ill spell her name the way i want

Patricia - posted on 05/27/2010

my daughters name is randi rae. it is after my brother, randy. so i wanted to name my granddaughter after my brother, ricky, so she is rikki (nickname,i guess). her name is riqueal brooke. it is pronounced along the line of raquel (welch), but riq (like rick), people first meeting her will pronounce it riqwal so we just say rikkie. my brother,ricky (richard) has the nickname roscoe and he calls her "little roscoe".

Liz - posted on 05/27/2010

Does it really make that much difference in life how the child's name is spelled? My rule of thumb to my expectant friends: Anything you feel passionate about is wonderful, as long as it's "playground worthy". My neighbor when I was a kid named their boy Robin...their last name was Hood. Begging for a beating on the playground. So, tell them no, you didn't spell it wrong, you spelled it differently because you like it that way. And they can just deal!

Kendra - posted on 05/27/2010

My sister's name is Jordanne, pronounced Jord- ann. Once a teacher told her that she was saying her name wrong, that her name was pronounced Jordan. LOL she was like, um I know how to say MY freaking name!

Colleen - posted on 05/27/2010

We named our daughter Emily, but chose to spell it Emma-Leigh. Everyone calls her Emma Leigh or gives me a hard time about how she'll ever learn to write her name in school... I figure they got to name their children what they wanted, why can't I? If you think about it, it has the same number of letters as Stephanie... People just want to cause problems but who really cares?

Cindy - posted on 05/27/2010

You can spell your child's name however you want. The problem is they don't want to learn to pronounce it correctly. I have a 4 year old named Alyssia (Ah LEE SEE ah). I get all sorts or mispronunciations.

Cheryl - posted on 05/27/2010

I named my son Devon and I was told I spelled it wrong. A very wise friend of mine said to me "You had him, you spell it however you wish".

Nyssa - posted on 05/27/2010

No one has ever told me we spell our children's names wrong, to do get mis-spelled sometimes though. I have a Johnathan, not that different, but people are always dropping the first H and putting an O for the last A. I spelt it the way I pronounce it. I also have a Mathew, just one T please. He is named after his great-grandfather, same spelling, and I love the story my husband tells of how his grandpa would sign his name Math, not Matt.

Tiffany - posted on 05/27/2010

Ahhhh.. The name game.. I chose to spell my son's name Calvin because it was "different" enough although I did get some opposition from my sister who wanted it spelled with a 'K'. lol.. My daughter on the other hand has a "different" name along with a "different" spelling. Her name is Kennadi (pr. Kenna-Dee) after her dad, Kenny & her middle name is Lara (pr. Laura) after her Memom Laura. I cannot tell you how many people spell/pronounce her name wrong. I say go for what you choose & don't worry about what anyone else says!!!

Lois - posted on 05/27/2010

I do feel it is your choice. Some spellings can make it difficult for the child later but a name is personal.

Kimberly - posted on 05/27/2010

HONEY ~ BOTH my children have their names spelled "DIFFERENT" and let me tell you I have dealt with that their whole lives. His is Matthu Whitten Briian and hers is Ashleigh ~ now they are 21 & 25, NOW it is COMMON to see the spellings because others have seen them and said "HEY I want my child to be different too". When they told me I spelled them wrong, I smiled and said w/ southern charm ~ no I believe YOU spelled it wrong because I KNOW how to spell my childs name. NEXT :) :) :) Hang in there ~ I LOVE the spelling :)

Nycole - posted on 05/27/2010

yeah i get told everyday that my name is spelled wrong because it is spelled nycole instead of nicole so i would worry about it let it be the way you want it and if they dont like oh well

Sharon - posted on 05/27/2010

Jorga is the "real" name of one of the girls that play on CSI. I think it is beautiful.

Angie - posted on 05/27/2010

Yup! My Marcie and Mollie are usually spelled Molly and Marcy and people often tell me I should have spelled it the other way because that's what most people do. Like your daughter, they were named after a family member and that's how they spell their names. Personally, I just smile and ignore whoever tells me that.

Rebecca - posted on 05/27/2010

And may I add, that I think the whole "uniques spelling" thing has gotten to a point where people almost expect it. I have Caleb and Jacob, and people misspell their names ALL the time. Kalab, Kaleb, Jakob, Jackob......it's like they assume I wouldn't spell them traditionally. It kind of irks me.

Rebecca - posted on 05/27/2010

Ok, so I personally don't like to spell my kids' name with alternative spellings. I'm old fashioned I guess. But if someone else wants to do it, that's their right to do so. The only thing that bothers me is when the name is completely misspelled, for example: my husband went to school with a girl named "Delia" but her mom pronounced it "Delilah." To me, that's completely misspelled and doesn't make sense. It's not the same, IMHO, as Ashley, Ashlee, Ashleigh, Ashlie, etc.

Adrienne - posted on 05/27/2010

Our sons name is Grahm and everyone wants to add an a, and spell it Graham....ugh

Sarah - posted on 05/26/2010

My sons name is Alijah, at the hospital the nurse said "Thats starts with an E", I wanted it to be unique

Tara - posted on 05/26/2010

I have 3 girls who I choose to spell their names different but are common names I have Allisha(alicia) then there is Brittani, and my youngest has it the hardest always spelling her name wrong Bayleigh.

Amber - posted on 05/26/2010

lol. YES! When I was preg with my daughter my youngest brother was 2 he was sitting next to our mother when she asked how I was going to spell my daughter Anyssa's name. When I told her he looked at me and said,"No. You are spelling it wrong. I don't know how to spell it right but that is wrong!"

I know not what you meant when you asked the question but I thought it was a cute story to share. Don't worry about everyone else's opinions. It is your life.....not their business. :)

Tisha - posted on 05/26/2010

Jennifer, i get that all the time. My name is Tisha (pronounced Teesha). I am white but all the time I get the whole "That's a black name" comment. My response is always what you said, " I didn't know names had colors." Or I tell them that I am just pigment challenged. It's their ignorance!

Amber - posted on 05/26/2010

I have. My daughter's name is Leila (pronounced Laila). I actually picked her name out of a baby book spelled the way I spell it. If I'd known it was going to be so hard for people to say her name correctly, I would have just spelled it Laila to begin with. By the way, I definitely think it's your decision on how to spell your child's name, just remember they are going to have to be spelling it too so try not to make it too strange or difficult.

Tammie - posted on 05/26/2010

I agree, tell them where to stick it. My name is spelled with an "ie" when traditionally it was spelled with a "y". My name is still spelled wrong all the time and I will be 40 this year.

I'm sure my daughter will hate her father and I once or twice in her life. Her name is Jenah. I like it that way, it is different. Of course, as someone else commented, she will never find anything with her name spelled right on it.

Cathy - posted on 05/26/2010

Of course it is your choice. Tell everyone where to stick it! LOL

Erin - posted on 05/26/2010

I agree Tracy! I always ask too!!! My married name always gets mispronounced! It's hilarious! There is even a disagreement among relatives about how to properly say Loseth... My husband says its low-seth...and gramma says luh-set...? Who knows...

Tracy - posted on 05/26/2010

I've had mine and my son's names misspelled more times than I can count. As a result I never assume how to spell someone's name, I always ask to make sure.

Ashley - posted on 05/26/2010

I have the same problem with my daughters name Addisyn, alot of people have told me that the correct spelling of the name is Addison which i found to be a little more "boyish" than it being spelt with "syn." It really makes me mad sometimes but the bottom line is i love her name and so does she!

RaKel - posted on 05/26/2010

I was told all through school my name was spelled wrong. I became a game for me to see what teacher would say something and the new creative way they thought my name should be spelled. It is a family tradition to have a 5 letter name with 2 capital letters in it. My name is RaKel. A traditional spelling would be Raquel. However there are thousands of Rakel's in other countries that would say we have the traditional spelling. Some people just can't see outside of their self imposed box. Good luck!

Danelle - posted on 05/26/2010

im getting that with the name we've picked out for our daughter- Thea (pronounced tia) apparently everyone likes the name, but noone likes how its spelt. and now some are saying theyre guna call her theodore or write in her birthday cards tia. one grandma actually got her whole work crew to write out different ways to write it! :( this was a reason why i didnt want names to be discussed with anyone till our daughter was born. now ive gotta out up with the last few weeks with everyone trying to change her name. ...my partner has such a big mouth..

Jamie - posted on 05/26/2010

My daughter's name ia Haylea. Which is usually spelled Hailey, but I wanted something a little different. The first time it happened was the at the hospital the day I had her. I was in bathroom and I heard the nurse ask him what our daughters was and he told her and she asked did you spell it right. I yelled from the bathroom yes we did!!! I didnt care much for that nurse and everytime she came in to check on my daughter she would scream. Other nurses could touch her and she would be just fine.

Katherine - posted on 05/26/2010

LMFAO, what are the odds of THAT Krista?

Krista - posted on 05/26/2010

Katherine, there is actually a guy around here whose mother has about three brain cells to rub together, who DID name her child "Brain" instead of "Brian".

Annette - posted on 05/25/2010

All the time!! My daughters name is Emmilie (pronounced Emily) but it was amazing how many pronounced it Emeal when she was born. Our son is Jaxyn (jackson) and although I do prefer the original spelling (hubbys choice), I don't care what people say anymore.
My sister had such a hard time when she spelled her sons name Michael instead of Micheal. There was such a big debate among those whose opinions really don't matter.
In the end, there is always someone who feels they just have to make a comment. People really should just keep their opinions to themselves.

Linda - posted on 05/25/2010

Yes, but what does it matter? It is your child, not theirs, it is none of anyone's business how you spell your child's name. I spelled one of my daughter's middle name as Renee, I have had several tell me I should have spelled in Renae, I just smile and shrug, I have a son whose name I spell ALAN but people want two L's and/or an "E" in the ending. He wasn't born to them!! Lien is a special person and even more special because of the spelling!!!

Nikki - posted on 05/25/2010

I spell my sons name AYDEN everyone says it should be AIDEN or AIDAN , but i chose to spell it that way because I like it that way, if they dont like it so be it , its my son

Nina - posted on 05/25/2010

my kids are Shyanne, Brayden, and Keira...I mainly get it with Shyanne but have had problems with all of the names. I dont think there is a wrong or right way to spell a name!

Joanna - posted on 05/25/2010

My husband gets confused every time he sees the spelling of our daughter's middle name (Elyse). I picked it out, and told him the spelling, but every time he sees it he is confused that I didn't spell it Elise. Still, 2 1/2 years later, haha. Silly men.

Emma - posted on 05/25/2010

I have the same problem with my daughter Jayda - I am told her name is unusual and should be spelt Jada, but we liked the way it flowed with the "y" so we stuck with it. Who cares how you spell your childs name, it is special and more unique if it's not spelt the "common" way :) I love Lien by the way :>)

Katherine - posted on 05/25/2010

My daughters name is Alice, but I spelled it Alyce. People say Alise ALL the time, and look at me like I'm a moron. You can't tell someone they spelled THEIR child's name wrong!!! It's their child! DUH. As long as you don't spell Brian , Brain it's cool. :)

Jurnee - posted on 05/25/2010

LOL, My daughters name is always mispronounced. We wanted an name that was traditonal, yet not common. We chose Liane(pronounced Lee Ann). We also wanted her to be called Liane, not Lee. She is now 16 and her nickname is Lion. Although it is always mispronounced, she is happy not t have a common name. My older daughter was always Nicole S. in school.

Medic - posted on 05/25/2010

I get it all the time with both my kids, Daemyan pronounced Damian, and Jacquelyn. I have one to top that though, we were at the drs office and they called both my kids so we got up and were walking towards the nurse and she kept calling their names Daemyan James and Jacquelyn Salem and I told her that we were comming she said "I'm not calling your kids, y'all are white" I was like WOA who said names had color???

Sharon - posted on 05/25/2010

When I first told my family and friends how we were going to spell my daughter's middle name I got that until I said flat out: Well then you give me a new name because either way that is how we are going to spell it.

Even to this day I get that because I decided to keep the daycare's way of spelling Sophi ......I know there is suppose to be an e on there but it reminds me to much of my grandmother and the i has that slash for a dot like when you spell hispanic words.