In my previous Opinions On… post, I argued that naming your child anything relatively popular will spark enormous controversy among baby naming forums, websites, and social circles. But declare that your new daughter will answer to Sharlet or your soon-to-be born baby boy will have Xaidyn on his birth certificate, and prepare to be eaten alive. There is a lot of buzz and accusations surrounding the topic of alternative spellings, but does all of the fuss really fit the crime, if it can really be called that at all? Obviously, how someone spells their baby’s name shouldn’t force them to face the third degree from complete strangers, so this article is more an analysis of whether or not it is a worthwhile choice for expecting parents to make. Although variations of traditional spellings can make some people batty, today I’m exploring the pros and cons to determine if Sharlet and Xaidyn really are as bad as they’re made out to be.
Pros
One of the many wonderful reasons to use an alternative spelling is if you’re hoping to honor someone in your child’s name. If your mom is Jesica with one s and you’re looking to honor her by bestowing her name upon your newborn daughter, why add the second S? If your late brother was Xaindyr, why not alter your favorite name (Zayden) to be more like his with Xaidyn? If a variation spelling of a close friend or family member in your life seems right for your upcoming baby, the special spelling may personalize the honor even more, and provide a meaningful explanation in the case that someone does decide to hassle you about your unique spelling choice. Another big factor that plays into a parent choosing an alternative spelling is culture. An Irish family may choose Aiofe for their baby girl despite friends warning them that their daughter will constantly be struggling with pronunciation and spelling. Although some would argue that Aiofe is ridiculous and will surely invite teasing from peers, Eva just may not hold the cultural significance that Aiofe does for a family of Irish descent. Not only that, we can’t ensure that the most popular and established spelling isn’t a variant of an original. Zoe, despite being the traditional spelling of this Greek name, has fallen far behind her alternative spelling Zoey. When the classic spelling isn’t the most popular one, the line blurs between which one is actually considered a variant.
One more plus to using a spelling that isn’t the most popular or the original is that parents can designate certain nicknames and pronunciation. Spelling her name Madelyn instead of Madeline shows potential teachers, family, and friends that it’s pronounced -lin and not -leen. Want your son Nicholas to answer to Cole, or want to discourage the nickname Cass for your son Cassian and promote the Cash pronunciation? Spell his name Nicolas to make the nickname seem more natural, and choose Cashan to avoid an unwanted short form. Using a different spelling hints at a different accentuation for a letter or sound and might even make your child’s life a little easier when the name you love has several pronunciations. But probably the most common reason that soon-to-be parents will tweak the spelling of their child’s name is for popularity concerns. If Mason is your favorite name, but you find yourself questioning popularity, many couples will alter the spelling to Macen or Masyn to get the name they want without the widespread use. An alternative spelling can revive an overused name and make a common moniker unique for some, and if that’s all it takes for a parent to be satisfied with their baby name choice, then by all means, that’s lovely.
Similarly to reviving a more popular appellation, an alternative spelling can also alter the style of an oldie. If the name Phillip keeps popping up on your significant other’s shortlist, but you can’t get on board with the older style, Fylip modernizes the name and spices it up, grouping him with contemporary choices over dated 70s favorites. Finally, alternative spellings can be just as beautiful or more than the originals. I prefer Elinore over Eleanor, and Rueben over Reuben, and I’m sure someone would agree. Whether you’re looking for an ultra-modern and current style by changing Kayden to Kaedyn or are wanting to up the letter count to fit a strictly 5 letter sibset by altering Nora to Norah to go with her sisters Clara and Fiona, there are a lot of positive aspects to choosing a spelling that isn’t quite as established as the original.
Cons
It’s a complete lie to say that Samentha won’t get misspelled. Every. Single. Time. And while the constant incorrect spellings may be worthwhile for something truly unique, to have your child be among many Samanthas and have the hassle of a hard to spell name is a lifelong struggle with no benefit. Not only that, Samentha might get pronounced Suh-MEN-Thuh instead of the intended pronunciation. This may also put added strain on the situation, which brings me to my next point. Although many alternative spellings only tweak a letter or two, even the slightest change can result in a lifetime of the accentuation and pronunciation of your child’s name skewed. When a parent chooses Rozalie instead of Rosalie but wants the name pronounced as the latter, they will surely be disappointed when little Rozalie comes home from kindergarten with a whole new idea of how her name is said. Again, this potential confusion will last for the child’s whole life. Their name sounds exactly like a ton of other children’s names, but they don’t get the benefits of a popular name: having the name said and spelled right, or the perks of an uncommon name: standing out against the crowd. And even say that a parent loves an Irish beauty, Aiobhinn, which is pronounced Eve-een, but doesn’t want the hassle of the traditional spelling. Spelling it Eveen or another more phonetic spelling is also possibly controversial, as the use of this name without using the correct spelling could be interpreted as disrespectful the the culture it came from. Hence making an uncommon name easier to say with a variant spelling not the way to go either. Given that there are so many ways to go wrong with an alternative spelling, it may be best to stick with the original.
I mentioned above in the Pros section that one perk of alternative spellings is the ability to modernize an otherwise classic or dated name. But this can easily go much too far. To give some scary examples of real babies bearing unbearably spelled names, pity Elleanna, Blakyelee, and Kenedii for girls as well as Linkon, Axzel, and Jaxxyn for boys. As you can see, the modernizations are obviously ones that won’t stand the test of time and will sound ridiculous on a child in a couple years when baby name trends shift even in the slightest. These names won’t hesitate to plummet into the depths of the charts, with people quickly moving on to new trends, therefore I would be careful when choosing an alternative spelling, as it may soon succumb to the original, and the child will face endless questioning regarding spelling.
Although I started out with a slight bias to the traditional spellings, I’ve discovered that unless the name will cause considerable confusion or look outdated and ridiculous in a matter of a few short years, alternative spellings can be quite lovely. Evelyn will always win out over Evvellynne for me, as I don’t see a clear point for why I personally would put a child through years of doubt on spelling and pronunciation for a name that sounds exactly the same to a very popular one, but I think that there are definitely good reasons for some people to. Getting to a particular nickname, honoring a close friend or family member, and giving a nod to heritage can be very meaningful and sweet, and even modifying a name for stylistic purposes can be an excellent compromise between a couple split style-wise.
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
What’s the most outlandish alternative spelling you’ve seen? What alternative spellings do you like better than the “original”? What other topics do you want my opinions on? Comment down below or submit my form, and I will do my best to answer your request!
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