Creative spelling or just made-up names that appear to be some sort of inappropriate compromise (like the aforementioned “Timberly”) irritate me a little more than is strictly justified. Sometimes it appears to be a genuine mistake. I’m constantly perplexed by people who would submit essays or print signs without checking their spelling, but it takes a completely incomprehensible level of casualness to misspell the name you chose for your baby.
My weak contribution: A little while ago I knew a woman who was pregnant. Someone suggested the name “Eloise”, but misspelled it as “Elloise”. The mother-to-be had apparently never heard the name before, and liked it, but unfortunately (in my opinion) she insisted on the first spelling she had seen. So now there is probably a girl out there who will go through life telling people her name, then explain that one L is not enough for her.
I met a Sophocles once – very handsome young Greek guy
At work I had a customer who’s legal name is Candy Valentine (saw it when I checked her credit card and ID). Thinking she had changed her name, I asked her about it and she said its her birth name. I tried to make a lame joke and asked if her siblings had equally interesting names. “No,” she said, looking a little sad. “No, they all got normal names.”
Yeah, I don’t know about the rest of the world, but in the U.S., you’re going to have to spell and pronounce Eloise 100% of the time. Approximately .01% of people will know that Elloise isn’t the traditional spelling.
While those are clearly actresses I can vouch (living among the locals as I do here in Utah) those are Utahn names alright. Panquitch is a real place as well. Some LDS also don’t bother giving girls middle names so they’ll have nothing to worry about usurping when they move their maiden name to a middle name on marrying.
Having a little more fun with middle names seems much better, to me. And names of mythical heroes are pretty cool, if done right (“Hercules” might be a bit much). I like “Odin”.
I (vaguely) met a girl named “Afroditi” (the spelling was something like that anyway) but she was Greek - maybe it’s normal there. It kind of works for a woman - from a man’s perspective - but seems a little “sexy” when I consider it from the point of view of the parents.
Infovore, that’s **Trick’s **whole point. It’s supposed to be heaven spelled backwards – but they f’d it up. So it’s just…a weird name that isn’t anything spelled backwards, and shows they messed up.
Deuce means “two”. I could see a person given the nickname “Deuce” instead of “Junior”. Never heard of it being given as a legal name. It’s like the name Trey used instead of III or the Third.
Dick Sargent, who played the second Durwood, er Darwin, er Dumbo on “Bewitched” was born Richard Cox. Yeah, that’s right, Dick Cox.
Yeah, it would be okay (maybe a little questionable due to the potty humor aspect) as a nickname. As a real name it just makes no sense.
I know of another little kid called “Five”. But it’s a nickname and his real name is Whatever, V. Because his parents understand how naming people after someone works.
The worst offenders in this trend of “cutesy spellings of trendy names” have got to be the parents of McKayla, Makayla, Mikayla, etc. I bet most of these people don’t even know it started as Michaela, a feminine form of Michael. They just heard it, like the sound of it, and made up their own spelling.
