Making it up

[lostrocket.livejournal.com]

I was wondering how people feel about tailored and made-up names. I know there is a lot of dislike for "kreatyv" spellings, and at least a moderate amount of disdain for apparently made-up names.

I mostly agree with this, but I've started feeling kind of bad because a lot of names that are now perceived as traditional began as made-up (well, I suppose all names were made-up once upon a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth, but most names currently in circulation have a long linguistic history).

I don't mind creative names and spellings on principle. My issue is when people bastardize language in order to differentiate a name. Language has rules and systems, and if you want to come up with something new I think you should operate within those constraints. Language also has history, and it would also be nice to think about the etymology of your creation (but I would definitely settle just for people realizing that you can't swap/add/subtract/rearrange letters indiscriminately).

For people who dislike "kreatyv" and made-up names, is it an across-the-board feeling? Are there ways to categorize how you feel about different tailorings?

I also sometimes have issues with names that have been borrowed from other languages, and kind of jury-rigged to fit with English, but I can't even go into that without this trailing on forever.

Comments

[tallc00lone.livejournal.com]

I think theres a certain extent of madeup-ness that gets very annoying.

I understand that perhaps taking the name Brielle, and hitching on an A to make is Briella is a fine choice. No, it may not be in baby name books, but it's a nice name, and it's not too butchered.

Now that we've covered the issue of making up names, lets face the one of making up spellings.

For instance, my father's name is Jerzy, and it's the correct spelling in Poland. Now, in the US (where I do live, btw) little girls are being named Jersey. That bugs me. Why would somebody take a men's name, change the spelling and hitch it onto a girl?! Why? Because they want her to be unique, and they think a butchered name will make her unique.

I wont even go into names like
Sisiellia
Mikensey
Haeleigh
etc.

So, there you have my views.

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

With Jersey they're probably just naming their kid after the state* without any real deep thought [doubt most of them could find Poland on a map]. Jumping on the bandwagon with place names but trying to be original.

*Though frankly why would you want to name a kid after there anyway?
Guess that's a whole other conversation.

[maude.livejournal.com]

I had to say "Sisiellia" aloud about eight times before I got that it was supposed to be Cecilia.

[lostrocket.livejournal.com]

OH your list, those are exactley the names that are very problematic for me. They are making funny with language, but most of the time what they come up with doesn't work (the first name is the very best example, Mikensey is good too).

I wouldn't be surprised, though, if the Jersey names are not actually related to Jerzy, and the parents are not (all) familiar with that name. It's such a common term, and by comparison a very uncommon name, that people are probably pulling it from the word jersey (or you know, New Jersey). Which doesn't really make it a better idea.

[thunderofsins.livejournal.com]

I had to read sisiellia out loud before i realized it wasn't "Sissy-Ell-eeah"

[ilovebruiser.livejournal.com]

Sorry, not to sound rude.. but didn't you say you were to be named Jerzy if you were a boy?

Just a little confused. Your statment seems a little contradicting?

[lostrocket.livejournal.com]

So I know Pilot Inspektor, but....Audio Science? Sounds like a University major, to me!

I dunno, sometimes I appreciate the wackier names, even though I would never use them myself. Sometimes, I think there are words that make nice names (those four aren't the best examples), and are perhaps preferable to jacking up the spelling of "actual" names.

One of my favorite French names, for example, is not actually a name, but a word meaning something like "a lot of things": Kyrielle.

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

Creative spellings and made-up names are my favorites. I love them. However, I would never spell 'creative' 'kreatyv,' lol. I'm a stickler for spelling and grammar, ironically enough, lol.

[lostrocket.livejournal.com]

I have seen people using "kreatyv" to reflect how some people have butchered names with creative spellings, and quite liked the idea.

[secret-x-stars.livejournal.com]

i don't start to dislike a name of principle of whether it's made up or not. things that will make me dislike a name is lack of aesthetics in spelling/pronunciation, perhaps if it's too long/complicated, if it doesn't seem like a name that would age well... actually, i'm more likely to dislike a name for being wayyy too popular/trendy than if it's a made up name, depending on circumstance.

but yeah, i pretty much don't discriminate... i like a name or i don't.

[secret-x-stars.livejournal.com]

okay let me try some examples lmao.

KRE8TIV SPELLINGS

Madeleine is, last i checked, the original spelling of the name. now we have a million variations, like Madelyn... which does not originate from a culture, i don't think. but i don't mind that spelling! it is easy to spell, remember, and it is pretty much phonetic.

if someone tried to spell Madeleine 'Madhelinne,' i wouldn't like it. it is too long, too complicated, and also it looks like someone tried to be Gaelic and failed.

PLAIN MADE UP NAMES
Some made up names are nice, to me. for example, the lady that was here like a month ago with the name Chasval (which, even though it's an obscure character in an anime, is a made up name for all intents and purposes). since i don't know that anime, it just sounded like a pretentious european sort of name. i wouldn't name a kid that, but i liked it well enough. i just found one on behindthename, 'Diantha,' which is just taking Diane and adding 'tha.' Doesn't look awful, sounds okay... not my kind of name, again, but it's pleasant enough.

That said, I don't like the name Jett, for example. I think it's too short, it doesn't sound good when you're 65, and why the hell do we have an extra 't'? I don't like a name like Darlinda, either. It just looks immature, again, won't age well.

RANDOM WORDS INTO NAMES
This totally depends. If someone named their child 'Myriad,' I think it'd be pretty cool. It'd be even cooler if the word happened to be obsolete now, which it isn't. Myriad looks like some strange variation of 'Miriam' or 'Mary,' which is why it works for me.

But don't name your fucking kid 'Glitter' or some shit. No.

ANYWAY THAT'S MY PIECE. :D

[so-there.livejournal.com]

misspelled names make my eyes fall out.

and made-up names make me cry. I absolutely hate the name Jaden (jayden, jaydyn, etc.) it's my #1 most-hated name right now. there are others but none come quite so readily to mind.

[imaflake.livejournal.com]

Dude! I'm glad I wound up here! I remembered you from boob_nazs, when you had Irish twins, and checked your info for communities related to having two babies/toddlers. Thanks for twoundertwo!

[lostrocket.livejournal.com]

I love your icon.

I don't mind the name Jaden. I don't really like it, but I have a feeling of "I've seen worse".

[k-t-bug.livejournal.com]

I used "Jaden" last night when my husband asked me for an example of a name I hate.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

The different spellings don't bother me much unless they're so misspelled you can't figure out what the name is supposed to be - I wouldn't use them, but I can get through them without too much teeth-grinding. The thing that really annoys me is when people spell something one way, but insist that you pronounce it a way that doesn't fit the spelling.

As far as the jerry-rigging names to work in English - kind of torn. I've studied Russian and have Czech/Polish background, so we'd kind of like to have a Slavic name for the middle name - because to spell most of them correctly, we'd be condemning the child (and us) to spelling out the name everytime.

DV

[lostrocket.livejournal.com]

"The thing that really annoys me is when people spell something one way, but insist that you pronounce it a way that doesn't fit the spelling."

I feel like a lot of tailored names have fallen into this category, because they tried to get way too creative with the spelling. Or, they just don't understand the way language works.

And re: the Slavic name for you, is a difficult thing. I love a lot of French names, but language rules are different between French and English: spelling and pronounciation would always be a problem. *deletes tangent about imports and pronounciation...I know how to stop talking, really*

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

The most important aspects of a name to me are sound and meaning, not necessarily spelling. It's important for people to know what name it is, however. I don't mind names that traditionally have i's to have y's, like Katelyn from Caitlin. I like Ks and I like Ys, and you know what the name is, so that odd spelling is ok.

I'm not crazy about made-up names, or names from words. That's why meaning matters.

[kindofquixotic.livejournal.com]

I basically agree with the original post. If someone took Madeline, and decided to make it "Madelina", I wouldn't mind at all.

It's names that look weird and made up, and names that phonetically could not be pronounced the way the parents say they would that really bug me.

Even though names were "made-up" at some point, they didn't come out of nothing. :) Names were generally derived from a word, or from the name of something like a flower. Surprised people don't really do that when they're being kreeative.

[thejoysofjess.livejournal.com]

I just hate creative spelling. I'm not sure why. It's just that I don't like excessive letters, but I'll make exceptions for some things that aren't you spelling it wrong as much as spelling it in a different languages (like lee vs leigh).

I don't like Hs that just show up for kicks though.

I suppose at some point, people HAVE to make up names, but I'd almost rather them make one up than pick a random inanimate object.

[turabiannights.livejournal.com]

The thing is that most of the "traditional" names we have now aren't just made up - they have etymologies. Alice, Matthew, Alaric, and Zeferino all mean something, or did at one point. Jaden doesn't. That's one reason I would never use a "made-up" name. What I don't like about most made up names and "creative" spellings is that they are difficult to grow up with. Who's going to have an easier time - Lily or Nevaeh Myrakle? Who's going to have to spell her name all the time? Who's going to get taken more seriously on a job interview? There are plenty of wonderful, unusual, REAL names in the world - you don't need to give your child one that will potentially hamper their success for the rest of their life. I think names like Nevaeh Myrakle, Mckayliekylie, and Daisy Boo are pretty much just proof of a parent's self-absorption and total disregard for the future of their children.

Not that I feel strongly about this at all or anything...

[k-t-bug.livejournal.com]

I think names like Nevaeh Myrakle, Mckayliekylie, and Daisy Boo are pretty much just proof of a parent's self-absorption and total disregard for the future of their children.

Wow. Amen, sister!

I also cringe when people name babies after people in the media, whether it's an anime character or Keira Knightley. Why on earth would they want to honor a non-entity like that? I'm named for my great-grandmother, and I feel that has so much more meaning, tradition and connection to my past than if I'd been named "Krystal" because my mom liked the show "Dallas."

This is something I also feel strongly about. :)

[cathkitten.livejournal.com]

I can't stand inane names. This is your child, a person! Do you really want to name her Heaven-Leigh Jade? Or something like Candi with an i? Steffannie? I always think you should give your child a name that means something to you, if at all possible. Not just because it sounds pretty at the time or makes a stir or is yooooo-neek.

[lostrocket.livejournal.com]

I agree, but sadly, inanity is subjective. I think a gold standard though should be "don't use names that end in i!" It's just setting your daughter up to be a ditz. Brandi, Candi, Steffani, Tiffani, etc etc.

[savingmysmiles.livejournal.com]

It's across the board for the creative spellings, but it depends on the situation as far as made up names. I mean, Shakespeare made up "Jessica", which is now an extremely popular name, and I've heard that "Wendy" was made up just for Peter Pan. On the other hand, I can't stand when people take perfectly good names and try to make them "unique" by making them unintelligible. They're only making things harder on their children, as well as making themselves look silly.

[savingmysmiles.livejournal.com]

Oh, I also tend to hate names like Heaven, Faith, Destiny, Grace, Hope, etc. I'm sure people use those names because they think they are feminine or want to show their faith, but I just find them distasteful. Names like "Mercedes" kind of kill me too. Why not just name a child "street lamp" or "Cushion" while we're at it?

All of this is entirely just an opinion, of course.

[x-lostinyou.livejournal.com]

Well, what I'm naming my first daughter came from a boys name from Aladdin, so... haha.

[abandoneddream.livejournal.com]

I agree with you 100% about respecting the history of words and the rules of language. I'm liking the name Aidan, but I hate that it's so popular. I was thinking about using the original spelling, Aedan, because it would be more historical and less common. But, when it comes down to it, it's still, basically, the same name. So, I guess, I like unique spellings that do have some, grounded significance.