fixing spellings

[lipsty.livejournal.com]

If your parents gave you a perfectly reasonable name, but they totally messed up the spelling, would you spell your name the correct way, or would you not want to hurt your parents' feelings? For example, I know a girl called Aleesha, who is about to get her PhD,and I can't help but think that spelling her name Alicia would be a better option. Similiarly, I know someone called Keeliegh and, if I was her, I'd be very tempted to change the spelling to Keeleigh, Keelie, or even Keeley.

WDYT?

Comments

[frost.livejournal.com]

Yes, I would change my name's spelling.
Sorry Mom and Dad! ;P

[frost.livejournal.com]

Keeliegh is really weird looking, haha. The "i" and "e" are the wrong way 'round!

[lipsty.livejournal.com]

I know - it's weird! Her dad was going for Keeleigh, but just got the spelling wrong.

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

I actually have a client right now named Elijiah...dad celebrated a little too much before filling out the birth certificate. He only spells it that way when he has to, otherwise its Elijah.

[gipro2003.livejournal.com]

My mom spelled my name wrong on my birth certificate also: Guilia instead of Giulia. I ALWAYS go with the correct spelling though, except on a few official documents. (I'd love to have it changed, but it is too much of a hassle in Germany, especially since I don't live there.)

[snoglobel.livejournal.com]

My friends mother ALMOST named her Heater instead of Heather. Luckily she only mispelled it on the first photo not the certificate...

We still call her Heater as a joke though.

[heyskeleton.livejournal.com]

I think it would depend. If it were a gross misspelling, like Keeliegh vs. Keeley, then yes, I'd feel the need to change it. But when it's a legitimate variation (or one that is at least sensible and not a total butchering), as I believe Aleesha to be, then no, I wouldn't. (I actually prefer Aleesha to Alicia)

[spaceandclouds.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with you! =)

[solitudete.livejournal.com]

Alicia does look nicer/more professional to me, but Aleesha isn't too bad imo. If my name was Keeliegh, hell yeah I would change it. It's hard for me to say if I would change mine. My name is spelled nicely (Erin) but it would have to look pretty bad for me to fix it, I suppose.

[jeweledvixen.livejournal.com]

I would change the spelling of my name. I would change it legally when I turned 18. Aleesha looks made up and childish. Dr. Aleesha Smith just doesn't have the same gravitas as Dr. Alicia Smith.

[thellamaqueen.livejournal.com]

I've thought about it before (my name is Krysta, and I kind of like the "Christa" spelling better), but in the end I'm pretty sure I could never go through with it. By this point in my life, "Krysta" is part of my identity. It is my name - Christa is not.

[lustdumpster.livejournal.com]

absolutely. i've thought a million times of how thankful i am that if i HAD to be named ashley, at least i wasn't named ashlee, ashleigh, ashlie, ect.

[cathubodva.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, me too.

[retrodancekitty.livejournal.com]

I sooo agree with this!!
I'm doing massive research for my thesis and I pity every researcher that has to sign his/her work with a mispelled name, it lessens credibility.
I'm thinking of Stephenie Meyer (Twilight writer) too. And in her case it proves to be true haha.

I actually twicthed my on middle name, from Arline Ann to Arlene, because Arline is a much less known variant and looked mispelled to me (too close to airline to be a name!)

[daydream11.livejournal.com]

But Stephenie is a legitimate variation, just one that is ridiculously uncommon.

But wait - are you saying that less known variants don't count as legit spellings or are you saying that they do, but are simply less desirable?

[lorienellen.livejournal.com]

That is a very hard call, I really have no idea if I would or not. I want to say YES I don't like weird spellings! But if it were a name I lived with for 18 years, maybe I'd like it for being creative and different. I guess it depends on how bad the spelling was - I now we've seen some awful ones in here.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

I would absolutely change the spelling of my name. Though, I guess it would depend on how bad it is and why they did it in the first place.

Ex:
If they named me Ahlyzabyth because they thought it "looked cool," I would be Elizabeth/Elisabeth the second I turned 18.

If they named me Aleesha because I was named after my mom's grandmother who spells her name that way, I would probably consider keeping it.

[lipsty.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree with that :)

[becomingun.livejournal.com]

This exactly.

[kilobites.livejournal.com]

I agree.

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

I think its an age thing, too. When I was a kid we wanted weirdly spelled names. It was actually a game - how weird can you get and it still be legit lol. Now....well....yeah...its still a game, nothing to actually do to a child lol. I did go to school with a billion Amys and more than one became Aimee, Amie, Amee, etc.

[sunshinefleur.livejournal.com]

I know someone who actually has, lol. his name was supposed to be Michael Brian (lastname), but his dad was drunk when he filled out the birth certificate (he was very excited to finally have a boy apparently) and spelled it Michael Brain. he got it changed when he turned 12.

[hwar.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I would probably change it if it was spelled really strangely or so that people mispronounced it. But, for example, I know an Alisha (Alicia) and her daughter Coryn (Corinne). Those aren't spelled badly enough that I'd change them if they were mine...by the time I was 18 I'd probably be used to it.

[sageharper.livejournal.com]

If it was my first name; it would depend on the name itself, why my parents had chosen to use that spelling, and how much of a hassle it was to get it spelt/pronounced as they intended.
I'm inclined to say that it probably would get amended to whatever I felt comfortable with, as ultimatly I did that anyway (to something entirely diffrent, though there's nothing much in it in terms of people getting them right). If I'd been named Saige then I'd probably have loathed that even more, but then 'creative' word names like that rub me up the wrong way.

That said though my middle name is Clair (vs, Claire or Clare) and I'm sticking by it for the duration. Really it doesn't cause me issues, and the sentimental reasons outweigh those. That and I honestly just don't like the other spellings as much and have bad associations with them.
Maybe I'm swayed more that way because I have amended my first name, so wouldn't want to completely disregard my parents in that sense (well my surname is theirs, and is staying put, but they didn't exactly chose that ... as an aside that gets misspelt all the time, but no that's not my problem).

I don't necessarily feel that there is no place or reason for non-standard spellings; it's a case by case thing. Nor would it occure to me to judge someone harshly because their name had a diffrent spelling; that's a reflection of their parents, not them. Plenty of people have parents that do odd things then go on to lead sucessful lives.
With that said when chosing names myself I'm inclined to take the path of least resistance on that score; just think it'd be easier for all concerned.

[mrssubee.livejournal.com]

there's a kid in my school -his official name is Cameroon (Cameron) and yes, now as a 5th grader(The kid is 10) he ALWAYS spells it Cameron- that's what he goes by- he was so embarrassed by the way his Mom spelled it
yeah, I guess I'd consider changing my name if it embarrassed me or caused problems

[krosp.livejournal.com]

Sorry but this made me LOL.. I can just imagine this poor little boy being embarrassed by that bizarre spelling (I know it's a country so it probably has a history but still).

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

I would almost feel resentful that people weren't going to take me seriously just because I had a weirdly spelled name, so for that reason, I probably wouldn't want to change it. I just don't understand how you can see someone named, I don't know, Dr. MyKaylah Blank, and not take her seriously as a doctor, just because her parents had bad taste in names. But clearly many people think that way, so I don't know.