(no subject)

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

This is kind of a response to the recent birth announcement post with the kid named 'Mikhayla'.

I've been pondering this for awhile, and it was made worse after reading a recent babynames.com letter. I'm a fan of the traditional spelling: Michaela. Yet, it seems these days, people prefer alternate spellings, like the above, plus Mikayla, Makayla, Mikaila, Mikaela (this one could be tolerated because it's close to the traditional), Mikaylah, et cetera.

Being a Kayla myself, I feel it looks like some letters have been tacked onto the front of my name. I'm not a fan of alternate spellings of my own name either - I'll tolerate Cayla, but Kaila, Kaela and especially Kaylah, because my name's been spelt like that more often than I care to count, are all out.

I've got no problems with 'unique' names, as some of my favourites are less than common names, surnames being used as first name, or unisex names, and I don't always have an issue with 'kr8ive' spellings either (for instance, the recent Zoe post - I like it with a y), but this one just sometimes feels like it's being taken a little too far - I mean, in the babynames.com letter, they had spellings like Mikala... Too many spellings is just asking for confusion.

Thoughts?

Comments

It's one thing to have Aiden, another to have Ahdynn...

[daydream11.livejournal.com]

I'm actually one of those people who like the name Kayla spelt like Caela (my favorite out of the spellings, actually), Kaela, Caila, or Kaila, but that's about it. Anything else would look too made-up for me, though. ^_^;;

Anyhoo, I'm not a fan of name spelling variations most of the time, because most of the itme people go crazy with them. Like I can understand Mikayla, because it's actually spelling the name as it sounds (reasonably, always reasonably, but Myc'Kailah would drive me insane because It Makes No Sense.

Re: It's one thing to have Aiden, another to have Ahdynn...

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

I've never seen it spelled Caela or Caila, and I don't really get it. It just makes me think I should be saying 'kay-ELLA' or 'KY-la' instead, you know? Like, Kayla is spelled how it sounds, and I do understand the E, because it is more of a phonetic 'y' sound when used in this context... but I could be biased being a Kayla.

Having said that, I do think Kaila/Caila looks very pretty written.

Myc'Kailah... *shudders*

[babyjess8.livejournal.com]

I also dislike crazy creative spellings. I do like a little bit of difference in some names, but others should be just left alone.

Mikayla, Madison, Aidan, Jayden, Riley, Isabel etc have been popular and I think parents are just TRYING to be different. But there comes a point where it just looks ridiculous (apostrophies, random capitalisation, adding 'y', 'h', substituting 'a' for 'ay', 'ai', 'ahy')

As a teacher, I hate that there are so many spelling versions of the one names. Kids generally want to fit in, and having to pronounce or spell their name over and over makes many of them upset/angry.

One name I saw recently makes me shudder - Rieleigh (Riley)

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

...have been popular and I think parents are just TRYING to be different.

That's a good point. And it's stupid that they try so hard to differenciate their kid from every other one by giving them names spelled crazily. I mean, if you're that worried about it, why not give them an uncommon name?

My name's the traditional spelling, but because it's not all that common, I had a delivery driver at work say to me (after looking at my badge) 'That's different. How do you pronounce it?'. It just made me laugh, but I can imagine how kids would feel having to spell their names over and over because their parents were cruel enough to name them Rieleigh.

[title-track-1.livejournal.com]

I dislike most of the creative spellings because really, think about the kid and everyone trying to read the name off of paper for the rest of their life.

Some of the spelling just BUTCHER the name and make everyone spend extra time trying to figure out how to announce it. I like uncommon names but i also like names that aren't going to make my childs life hell everytime theres 'roll call'

Even with my name being simple, Christina, i never had very many problems growing up since it's mainly the traditional spelling but now everytime i have to give my name within the past few years it's always asked how it's spelled or assumed spelled

Krystina, Christiana, Christena, Kirstyna, etc....

I can't even imagine how it is for those other kids.

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I guess that's why I asked the question - when are creative spellings taken too far? There's a fine line; some make sense, some are just like, WTF. But you know you've a problem when you're asked to spell Christina. (I think I automatically spell it the CH way, though.)

Does it annoy you having to spell your name all the time? I mean, my surname's uncommon, so I'm used to spelling/pronoucing that, but having to tell people your first all the time must be a pain, especially having a relatively common/traditional name.

[title-track-1.livejournal.com]

It's UBER annoying.

Everyone always assumes it's with a K and then when i say "no it's CH" they look at me weird and ask me to spell it. Then i guess 9 letters is wayyy to long for people to pay attention to so i end up spelling it twice or three times.

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

Wow, that sucks. I hate Christina with a K, so I don't understand how people can assume it's that way. Whenever I have to take a name down over the phone at work, I always go with the traditional spelling unless they say otherwise.

What a bizarre world we live in.

[turtle-dove-1.livejournal.com]

I always think of "Michaela" as "Michael-a" and couldn't use it myself. Mikayla says "Mick-ayla" to me...at this point i'm kind of in the "to each their own" boat.

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

I definitely see your point. I'm just biased, haha. I do agree 'each to their own' though... until it goes too far, of course.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I've never seen it spelled Cayla before... I like it!
I hate Mikaela and all spellings of it.
And I prefer Zoey rather than Zoe.

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the only alternate spelling of my name I think I can handle. It looks pretty written.

I'm not a fan of Mikaela/Michaela/Mikayla either, but if I were to use it, it'd be the traditional way.

I don't see why people rag on Zoe spelt Zoey. To me, Zoe looks incomplete, unless it had an accent on it (Zoë/Zoé).

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

I'm a pretty big sticket for traditional spellings, even on a more unique name. I prefer Michaela over anything else, but I'd be alright with Mikayla, since it looks the second most correct.

All this substituting of letters and sounds and substituting letters/sounds for others ones drives me MAD. Jaiden will still be pronounced the same way, whether it's spelled Jaiden/Jaden/Jaidan/Jayden/Jaidyn/etc. The same goes for any other name. A name does not make a person unique. Sure, I suppose it can help, if you're the only person with that name, but overall it's personality.

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

All I can really say is good point, and I agree. Like I said to someone else, if parents want their children to be 'different', instead of butchering a popular name, give them something uncommon.

Unrelated topic: where is your icon from? It sounds/looks so familiar and yet I can't place it. :)

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

In general I'm not a fan of crazy spellings either, but I don't mind Mikayla all that much. I think it's because Michaela and Mikayla are two completely different names to me: I'm living in The Netherlands and here we pronounce Michaela way differently.

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. I guess sometimes it does depend on where a person comes from. I've noticed a few people think 'Marko' is spelt wrong, when it's actually a Slavic (I think) spelling.

How do you pronounce Michaela?

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

Mee-kha-ELL-ah. The 'kha' part is sort of hard to explain...it's a gutteral sound, if you know what I mean.

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like that, better than pronouncing it 'Mikayla'. And yeah, I know what you mean. :)

[sheshellabella.livejournal.com]

I always see Michaela as Michael-uh, and have always seen Mikayla as, well, Mikayla, but probably only because that's the way it's spelled in my family. I dislike the name, either way. I prefer Kayla, spelled Caela or Caila because I'm not a fan of K names. I never really have been and don't know why. I'm open to kr8iv spellings and definitely have some eclectic name tastes but really dislike the name Michaela/Mikayla all together. I like the Michaela spelling best though.

About the Zoe thing: to each her own but I like it better with the accent above the O or with a Y at the end :).

[sheshellabella.livejournal.com]

ps: A girl on the dance team at my school spells her name like this:

Kaylah < Kayla

Another girl, softball player, spells hers like this:
Kailah

Last but not least (and certainly the worst):
Khaila (eek)


Thought that would entertain ya.

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

I've noticed a few people see Michaela the way you do, and I guess where people are from or family histories need to be taken into account.

I think I replied to someone else saying I'm not a fan of the name either, and that I don't really understand the Caela/Caila spellings. I don't mind creative spellings, as long as it still seems phonetic enough. As I said to someone else, those C spellings make me think I should pronounce the name 'kay-ELLA' or 'KY-la'. I guess it's like you pronouncing Michaela differently.

So, definitely each to their own, and I guess that's okay here, because it's not too far fetched - although, Khaila is just scary. I get the H in Kaylah, even though I think it looks like someone just stuck a random letter on the end to be different.

Like you, I prefer Zoe with a Y or an accent (only over the E).

[sheshellabella.livejournal.com]

I don't know why I said accent over the o. I meant the e. Oops :P