Alternative spellings get a terrible reputation. They look ugly, wrong, too treighndee, unnatural, phonetically incorrect, and a wide variety of other unfortunate issues to name nerds and some parents. But today, I’ve gathered some gorgeous alternative spellings to fix all of your qualms with these variations. Classic, striking girl names spelled in cleaner, more sophisticated ways are abundant on this list, and I hope you agree. Feel free to put some of your favorite alternative spellings in the comments section below, dear readers. If you celebrate Easter, I hope you had a fantastic celebration yesterday (if you don’t, I hope yesterday was enjoyable for you as well!) So, Name Warehouse readers, I think it might be time to take a look at these stunning alternative spellings.
Emelia- If you love Emma and Amelia, but feel like Emilia isn’t as visually smooth as your favorites, may I introduce you to Emelia? She stays even closer to Amelia, making it much easier to teach others how to spell it if they aren’t familiar with the E variations. “Amelia with an E’” instead of “Amelia, but replace the A with an E...the first A...and then change the E in the center to an I.” Emelia retains more of the #2 Emma that so many parents love in Emilia’s visual appearance, but still provides the same lovely sound as #7 Amelia.
Esmae- Let’s be honest here. Clear your naming expertise from reading my blog and think about how you would instinctively pronounce the name Esme, who only ranks at #433 in the US, entering the top 1000 a sparse 9 years ago, without any name knowledge. Ez-mee is the case for many people, and while this is sweet, the real pronunciation is Ez-may, with the ending like the month. Mae is such an in demand middle name that is visually beautiful, and showing teachers and employers clearly how to pronounce the name is very important to some families. So this stylish yet tame spelling of Esmae, who ranks at #1551, incorporates both practicality and trends by shoving the sweet -ae of Mae on Esme.
Lyla- If you’ve got a Lily in the family and want to avoid Lil- beginnings, or just prefer the smooth, powerful look of this spelling of the name Lila, Lyla may be perfect for you. At #120, Lyla certainly isn’t rare, but I love how streamlined this spelling looks. Lila appears dainty and sweet, while Lyla exudes more of a powerful elegance. Fun fact: the Lila spelling is actually significantly less popular than Lyla, at #227, although Lyla is a bit of a newer name, her predecessor having about 3 decades more experience than her.
Katharine- I used to be a die-hard Catherine gal. I would only settle for the most classic, traditional spelling, and to me, that was Catherine. Dependable. Sophisticated. But in my opinion at least, the slightest bit boring. I thought that Catherine was just kind of a boring name. Ahh, but I was wrong. Once I glimpsed feisty, striking, determined Katharine, I could never look at Catherine as a boring or dull choice again. Not only does Katharine allow easier access to Kate and Katie, she also looks a lot more interesting and adds some fire to the traditional Catherine, who ranks at #243. The most popular spelling of Catherine today is Katherine, but I prefer the spelling which includes an A in the center, who ranks at #2655.
Isabel- Isobel is lovely. But I think that Isabel retains the beautiful A in Isabella #5 and Isabelle #117 yet with the same tailored glory of Isobel. Soft, feminine, and beautiful, yet without too many frills if you prefer tailored names like me. The -bel ending as opposed to the -belle ending really makes Isabelle look smoother and more grown-up to me, a more fitting name for a variety of ages. Isabel currently ranks at #135 in comparison to her #978 spelling Isobel, but I really do think that the A gives you plenty of bang for your hypothetical popularity buck.
Elinore- Ugh, that -e ending just gives Eleanor some added flair. If you find Eleanor’s sound stunning but aren’t so sure about the lea inside her despite her sound completely ignoring these letters, the more intuitive Elinor might work. Now, I’m all for downsizing a name to make it less frilly (hence Imogen Alaska instead of Imogene), but Elinor robs some of the dramatic beauty that so many people love in Eleanor. That’s why I love the added -e, which puts back just enough of the gorgeous Eleanor but keeps the name still phonetically predictable and slim as can be. Elinore ranked highest in 1911, at #690, and has yet to reenter the top 1000 since 1929 (current rank #6459). However, Eleanor, the original spelling, ranks at #27, quite a popular choice.
Adalene- If you love the Add-uh-leen pronunciation of Adeline but are struggling to find a way to hint at that particular pronunciation if it’s not the most intuitive where you live, here’s a lovely way to do it! Without overdoing it on the Es (Adelene), Adalene communicates that pronunciation while keeping a feminine and adorable visual aspect, as she looks pleasing to today’s trends. If you’re concerned over your Adalene being annoyed by spelling issues, rest assured that among the Madelienes, Madelynns, Madelines, Addelyns, Adelines, and Adalines, your daughter will certainly not have to spell her name out any more than any of the other girls with some variety of the names listed above, ever though this variation only ranks at #5573.
Thank you so much for reading, friends! Have a wonderful rest of your days, and I hope to see you again. I really appreciate your ongoing support and enjoyment of my content, and your ideas and suggestions help me make more articles!
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon