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Help[Opinions] Are you hesitant about names that are often mispronounced/misspelled?
A recent poll about the name Cian got me thinking about names that are often mispronounced (Cian would probably get a lot of mix ups in the States, but perhaps not in the UK)
A lot of people shy away from names they could potentially love because they don't want their child growing up correcting people on how to pronounce their name.
For those of you with a name that is difficult to pronounce, how much of a hassle is it to correct someone? My surname is troublesome for many, but it hasn't affected my life in any discernible way.
What about names that are difficult to spell for those non-name-nerds or what about names with many spelling variations? My first name is Brittany and so many people try to spell it like Britney Spears. There have been countless times that I spell it out for people when they are trying to write my name, but again, it is such a minimal thing that I personally don't think people should base their naming decisions on these factors.
Basically, how much weight do these factors have in your naming decisions and in your personal experience have you had any negative experience due to the spelling/pronunciation of your name?
A lot of people shy away from names they could potentially love because they don't want their child growing up correcting people on how to pronounce their name.
For those of you with a name that is difficult to pronounce, how much of a hassle is it to correct someone? My surname is troublesome for many, but it hasn't affected my life in any discernible way.
What about names that are difficult to spell for those non-name-nerds or what about names with many spelling variations? My first name is Brittany and so many people try to spell it like Britney Spears. There have been countless times that I spell it out for people when they are trying to write my name, but again, it is such a minimal thing that I personally don't think people should base their naming decisions on these factors.
Basically, how much weight do these factors have in your naming decisions and in your personal experience have you had any negative experience due to the spelling/pronunciation of your name?
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When picking names, I follow the rule that I would want my child to be able to spell their own name in kindergarten. I'd not, for example, name my child a name that is only pronounceable in its country of origin.
All the same, there's no accounting for peoples' stupidity- my surname was, and is, almost always mispronounced; I get Reiner, Brenner, and Rainer for the easy-to-pronounce Renner. Just goes to show that you can't look too closely at pronunciation.
All the same, there's no accounting for peoples' stupidity- my surname was, and is, almost always mispronounced; I get Reiner, Brenner, and Rainer for the easy-to-pronounce Renner. Just goes to show that you can't look too closely at pronunciation.
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It would depend on how much I loved the name. If so, I'd definitely use it. Life's too short. People can easily be taught. Hey, if they get my name right at least 95% of the time, it can be done. Now a name with many spellings would be more of a hassle to me.
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Sort of. It's definitely something to take into account when you pick a name.
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Maybe.
I'm so used to having to spell my name that it doesn't really bother me, but if I was naming my own child, I'd definitely pick something short, simple and spelt in the most common way for where I live.
I'm so used to having to spell my name that it doesn't really bother me, but if I was naming my own child, I'd definitely pick something short, simple and spelt in the most common way for where I live.
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To a degree.
I'd hate to have to correct people all the time, just so they could pronounce the name in the proper way! For example, I saw a girl named Sian on the tv and as we all know it's pronounced "SHARN". Did her family know this when they named her that name? Clearly not, since she and consequently everyone else was calling her "SEE-ann"! It drove me up the wall to be quite honest! So basically, I would think twice before choosing any name.
I'd hate to have to correct people all the time, just so they could pronounce the name in the proper way! For example, I saw a girl named Sian on the tv and as we all know it's pronounced "SHARN". Did her family know this when they named her that name? Clearly not, since she and consequently everyone else was calling her "SEE-ann"! It drove me up the wall to be quite honest! So basically, I would think twice before choosing any name.
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Only if it's really close to the more common name. I think it's just because I've grown up with Ana (Spanish form, not just random spelling) and I constantly have that problem. I've given up entirely on pronunciation. With spelling, I think the issue is that it's not quite enough of a change that people really register it, so even people I've known for awhile will still sometimes write Anna. I think that if the spelling/pronunciation is different enough, people notice more & will remember after the first correction or two.
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I am.
I've always liked simple, balanced names that are fairly neutral. The only names that I like which are hard to pronounce are Marcin and Katharina. I won't ever use Marcin, but I've been toying around with Katharina but I've decided I can't really use it because it would be pronounced with a th sound instead of a t sound.
I've always liked simple, balanced names that are fairly neutral. The only names that I like which are hard to pronounce are Marcin and Katharina. I won't ever use Marcin, but I've been toying around with Katharina but I've decided I can't really use it because it would be pronounced with a th sound instead of a t sound.
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Yeah...
Sometimes I'm hyper-aware of possible confusion with a name. I had an ever-so-slightly-uniquely-spelled name as a kid and I HATED having to clarify the spelling and seeing my name misspelled pretty much everywhere.
I think that's why I often like unusual names but something whose spelling and pronunciation are pretty obvious - like nature and word names. It's cool, but still straightforward.
Sometimes I'm hyper-aware of possible confusion with a name. I had an ever-so-slightly-uniquely-spelled name as a kid and I HATED having to clarify the spelling and seeing my name misspelled pretty much everywhere.
I think that's why I often like unusual names but something whose spelling and pronunciation are pretty obvious - like nature and word names. It's cool, but still straightforward.
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No.
No.
All of the names I like are legitimate, so it's not as though I'd be giving my child a name that has no history or is a silly mess of letters. A Guinevere, for example, who has to spell her name for those unfamiliar with it is different to a Nevayah spelling out hers.
People always have to ask how to spell my surname, and they often pronounce it incorrectly at first. I still intend to pass on this surname to any future children.
No.
All of the names I like are legitimate, so it's not as though I'd be giving my child a name that has no history or is a silly mess of letters. A Guinevere, for example, who has to spell her name for those unfamiliar with it is different to a Nevayah spelling out hers.
People always have to ask how to spell my surname, and they often pronounce it incorrectly at first. I still intend to pass on this surname to any future children.
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I can be.
My last name is extremely difficult to spell because it is much different from the way we pronounce it...my surname is German, and so we pronounce it closer to the German than the English, but the way we say it makes people think it's a Chinese name or something.
Plus, my first name, Elizabeth, is very difficult for some kids, and often times teens also to spell...people have spelled it Elizebeth. I'm not as bothered by mispelling of my first name as I am of my last name though, because there's no mispronunciation to go along with it.
I prefer standard spellings of names because a variant (or a name with a bunch of spellings) will give people a hard time. Take that from the view of someone who has been teased for a hard-to-pronounce, hard-to-spell German surname. Standard spellings are often (but not always, so I don't start a fight) in the best interests of a child.
My last name is extremely difficult to spell because it is much different from the way we pronounce it...my surname is German, and so we pronounce it closer to the German than the English, but the way we say it makes people think it's a Chinese name or something.
Plus, my first name, Elizabeth, is very difficult for some kids, and often times teens also to spell...people have spelled it Elizebeth. I'm not as bothered by mispelling of my first name as I am of my last name though, because there's no mispronunciation to go along with it.
I prefer standard spellings of names because a variant (or a name with a bunch of spellings) will give people a hard time. Take that from the view of someone who has been teased for a hard-to-pronounce, hard-to-spell German surname. Standard spellings are often (but not always, so I don't start a fight) in the best interests of a child.
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I'm slightly hesitant, but then it doesn't bother me too much because my surname is only one syllable and people still mispronounce it.
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More about the pronounciation than spelling
I worry more about pronunciation than misspelling. I figure I'm not going to get creative with how to spell the names i choose, so at least I'll be teaching people the correct spelling for the name if they ask how its spelled.
My name is Lindsay, and people always write Lindsey, Lyndsay or whatever all the time and it doesn't really bother me.
Constantly having to correct people on pronunciation would be far more annoying I think. I have a co-worker named Arianne, which is lovely, but half the people we work with mispronounce her name repeatedly and I think she's given up on it! She says it "Air-ee-ahn", but people call her Ariana or "Ah-ree-ahn" all the time.
So yeah, I do consider ease of pronunciation when choosing names. I think if I loved a name that would get butchered or mistaken for another name all the time I might just move it to the middle name spot.
I worry more about pronunciation than misspelling. I figure I'm not going to get creative with how to spell the names i choose, so at least I'll be teaching people the correct spelling for the name if they ask how its spelled.
My name is Lindsay, and people always write Lindsey, Lyndsay or whatever all the time and it doesn't really bother me.
Constantly having to correct people on pronunciation would be far more annoying I think. I have a co-worker named Arianne, which is lovely, but half the people we work with mispronounce her name repeatedly and I think she's given up on it! She says it "Air-ee-ahn", but people call her Ariana or "Ah-ree-ahn" all the time.
So yeah, I do consider ease of pronunciation when choosing names. I think if I loved a name that would get butchered or mistaken for another name all the time I might just move it to the middle name spot.
This message was edited 10/22/2009, 1:34 PM
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Eh, a little.
My name is a spelling nightmare. It SHOULDN'T be, for the most part, but it is. My first name is Megan - spelled with the standard, top-100-for-the-past-30-years spelling. You wouldn't BELIEVE all the misspellings I've seen of it. Most common is Meghan, but I've seen everything: Meygan, Magen (this one is extremely common for reasons that escape me), Maygan, Mehgan, Magan, Megen, etc. And occasionally it will get mispronounced as MEE-gan, too.
My middle name is Michele, with one L. It doesn't come up very often, seeing as it's just my middle name, but I have had people ask if it was a typo or something. No, that's just how I spell it.
My last name is pretty common, but it's spelled with a C instead of a K so I always have to spell it out for people or it'll wind up spelled with a K. And then my boyfriend's last name is uncommon and no one ever knows how to spell OR pronounce it, so when I marry him and take his last name that'll be a whole new set of problems.
So I do take it into consideration, since it is a little obnoxious to deal with. I would never kre8tyvlee spell anything. But at the same time, I figure some people just can't spell, so probably unless your name is John or Mary (and maybe even then) it'll get misspelled at some point, and you just kind of have to go with it.
My name is a spelling nightmare. It SHOULDN'T be, for the most part, but it is. My first name is Megan - spelled with the standard, top-100-for-the-past-30-years spelling. You wouldn't BELIEVE all the misspellings I've seen of it. Most common is Meghan, but I've seen everything: Meygan, Magen (this one is extremely common for reasons that escape me), Maygan, Mehgan, Magan, Megen, etc. And occasionally it will get mispronounced as MEE-gan, too.
My middle name is Michele, with one L. It doesn't come up very often, seeing as it's just my middle name, but I have had people ask if it was a typo or something. No, that's just how I spell it.
My last name is pretty common, but it's spelled with a C instead of a K so I always have to spell it out for people or it'll wind up spelled with a K. And then my boyfriend's last name is uncommon and no one ever knows how to spell OR pronounce it, so when I marry him and take his last name that'll be a whole new set of problems.
So I do take it into consideration, since it is a little obnoxious to deal with. I would never kre8tyvlee spell anything. But at the same time, I figure some people just can't spell, so probably unless your name is John or Mary (and maybe even then) it'll get misspelled at some point, and you just kind of have to go with it.
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Sort of.
I don't mind the idea of my theoretical kid having to correct people's pronunciation or spell out his/her name. Heaven knows I've had to do enough of it myself. It's never been something I've turned into a huge deal.
What makes me shy away from some names with pronunciation issues is when I really dislike the pronunciation that I think will be the common mistake/variant. Like with one of my favorites, Theodora (tay o DOR a, give or take) nn Theda (TED-a). I don't prefer--but don't terribly mind-- "thee o DOR a", but I think "THEE-da" sounds so stupid. I just hate it. Enough that hearing it would ruin Theda a little bit for me.
But would I pitch a fit if someone kept mishearing Moriah as Mariah? Not really. Ditto for spelling with Karl/Carl. It would take a rather unique situation--like with Theda--to actually get under my skin.
I don't mind the idea of my theoretical kid having to correct people's pronunciation or spell out his/her name. Heaven knows I've had to do enough of it myself. It's never been something I've turned into a huge deal.
What makes me shy away from some names with pronunciation issues is when I really dislike the pronunciation that I think will be the common mistake/variant. Like with one of my favorites, Theodora (tay o DOR a, give or take) nn Theda (TED-a). I don't prefer--but don't terribly mind-- "thee o DOR a", but I think "THEE-da" sounds so stupid. I just hate it. Enough that hearing it would ruin Theda a little bit for me.
But would I pitch a fit if someone kept mishearing Moriah as Mariah? Not really. Ditto for spelling with Karl/Carl. It would take a rather unique situation--like with Theda--to actually get under my skin.
This message was edited 10/22/2009, 1:30 PM
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No.
The spelling of my name is only one letter away from the more preferred spelling, but people mispronounce it ALL THE TIME. It's Rachael, but I've been called Ray-SHELL, Ro-SHELL, and even Raw-shy-ELLE (my own personal favorite). I've grown used to correcting people, so it's really not a big deal anymore. I just remind myself that not everyone is a name nerd. :)
As far as hesitating to use a name that might be difficult for others to read/pronounce...I say, the hell with it. Like I said, I had to correct people with a fairly simple name, so if I like a beautiful name that is just a bit out of the ordinary, I'd use it, anyway. Actually, that probably WILL happen in my case; my husband has very strong Norwegian roots and wants to give our child a Norwegian name. I can't see that going over well with Americans, but oh well. He/she will survive (and they will fit right in when they go to visit their family in Norway).
The spelling of my name is only one letter away from the more preferred spelling, but people mispronounce it ALL THE TIME. It's Rachael, but I've been called Ray-SHELL, Ro-SHELL, and even Raw-shy-ELLE (my own personal favorite). I've grown used to correcting people, so it's really not a big deal anymore. I just remind myself that not everyone is a name nerd. :)
As far as hesitating to use a name that might be difficult for others to read/pronounce...I say, the hell with it. Like I said, I had to correct people with a fairly simple name, so if I like a beautiful name that is just a bit out of the ordinary, I'd use it, anyway. Actually, that probably WILL happen in my case; my husband has very strong Norwegian roots and wants to give our child a Norwegian name. I can't see that going over well with Americans, but oh well. He/she will survive (and they will fit right in when they go to visit their family in Norway).
This message was edited 10/22/2009, 12:54 PM
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Definitely
If the name just seemed perfect, I'd go ahead with it, but I'd definitely be hesitant. I wouldn't want to make my child have to always pronounce and spell their name for people, but I also don't think it's so huge of a deal that it would stop me from using an otherwise respectable name if I felt so inclined. We actually had Llewellyn on our list for awhile, but decided against it because of this issue.
My name has always been very straightforward and I've never had problems with it aside from people misreading or mishearing it as Sharon or Shawna (my name is Shannon). Once getting married in college I had my first experience with constantly having to correct people on my name (my last name now is very uncommon, but not hard to say or spell). It was amusing to me.
Our son's name is Benjamin. No common spelling variations and one that's not commonly messed with, right? I've had a few people ask me how I spell it before. Apparently some people spell it Benjamen? Shrug. I guess there's no avoiding it in this day and age.
If the name just seemed perfect, I'd go ahead with it, but I'd definitely be hesitant. I wouldn't want to make my child have to always pronounce and spell their name for people, but I also don't think it's so huge of a deal that it would stop me from using an otherwise respectable name if I felt so inclined. We actually had Llewellyn on our list for awhile, but decided against it because of this issue.
My name has always been very straightforward and I've never had problems with it aside from people misreading or mishearing it as Sharon or Shawna (my name is Shannon). Once getting married in college I had my first experience with constantly having to correct people on my name (my last name now is very uncommon, but not hard to say or spell). It was amusing to me.
Our son's name is Benjamin. No common spelling variations and one that's not commonly messed with, right? I've had a few people ask me how I spell it before. Apparently some people spell it Benjamen? Shrug. I guess there's no avoiding it in this day and age.
This message was edited 10/22/2009, 12:57 PM
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