# Help me spell my daughter's name! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316 "2003-01-27T19:46:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mske](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@mske](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mske)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/1 "2003-01-27T19:46:12Z")
Mrs. mske and I are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first child, due in early to mid-march. All indications are that it will be a girl. We are very excited. We have picked out a name, but are having a hard time deciding the final spelling of it. The options are Allison/Alison/Alyson. I myself am leaning towards Allison, but am not 100% sold. Which variation do you like? I appreciate the input! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/2 "2003-01-27T19:53:35Z")
Alice-on Alesson Aylysyn Or Alison which i like best… Though looking at Aylysyn I kinda like that… ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/3 "2003-01-27T19:54:48Z")
Allyson ---
**Author:** ![Winnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e480ec/32.png) [@Winnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnie)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/4 "2003-01-27T19:57:00Z")
My preference is Alison – probably the most commonly spelled version. I’m highly against spellings of names that would require my child to have to correct people for the rest of their lives. Good luck and congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/5 "2003-01-27T19:57:57Z")
Allison seems to be the standard, default spelling, so I think you should go with it. Variants are cute for about five minutes, but after that they’re an open invitation for everybody to misspell your daughter’s name for the rest of her life. ---
**Author:** ![merge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@merge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merge)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/6 "2003-01-27T19:59:18Z")
I think I would also go with Allyson/Alyson… just to keep away from the “norm” nice name though… ---
**Author:** ![Breezy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@Breezy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breezy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/7 "2003-01-27T20:01:39Z")
Allison ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/8 "2003-01-27T20:08:37Z")
I love Alyson I spelled my daughters name Kelli. She is 5 years old, my family members still spell it wrong. Sometimes it is hard to find things with her name on them. (barrets, stationary, ect. ) But she is the only Kelli in her class. ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/9 "2003-01-27T20:10:10Z")
Alison ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/10 "2003-01-27T20:14:28Z")
Al. To be a little more helpful (from [this](http://www.20000-names.com/female_a_names.htm) site): “ALISON: Diminutive form of Old German Alice, “woman of noble estate.” Variants include Aili, Alisann, Alisanne, Alisoun, Alisun, Allcen, Allcenne, Allicen, Allicenne, Allie, Allisann, Allisanne, Allison, Allisoun, Allsun, Ally, Allysann, Allysanne, Allyson, Allysoun, Alysan, Alysann, Alysanne, Alyson, Alysoun.” I vote for Alison or Alyson. She’s going to be telling people how to spell it her entire life; might as well make it as short as possible. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/11 "2003-01-27T20:18:59Z")
I like Alyson myself. I think it’s pretty. ---
**Author:** ![LittleBabyNothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LittleBabyNothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LittleBabyNothing)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/12 "2003-01-27T20:20:47Z")
I like Allyson. There are so many versions that she’ll be asked how to spell it whichever one you pick ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_Schmeese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Marconi\_Schmeese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_Schmeese)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/13 "2003-01-27T20:31:10Z")
Allyson - and you can call her “Ally” - by then no one will remember the train wreck that was Ally McBeal. ---
**Author:** ![Mamapotomus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@Mamapotomus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mamapotomus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/14 "2003-01-27T20:45:30Z")
Names that have to be spelled out for people constantly are a huge pain in the ass. Sure, as the parent _you_ like it but you won’t have to spend the rest of your life on Earth correcting people on how to spell it. Don’t get me started on legal forms, drivers licenses, insurance paperwork… –Mamapotomus, daughter of a creative speller ---
**Author:** ![cadolphin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@cadolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/15 "2003-01-27T20:46:45Z")
I really like Alyson. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/16 "2003-01-27T20:53:15Z")
I’ve always liked the name “Laura,” so spell it L-A-U-R-A but pronounce it “Alison.” ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/17 "2003-01-27T21:06:01Z")
I’m also going to vote for going with the traditional spelling of “Allison.” Having to spell one’s name over and over, and still have it misspelled half of the time gets very tedious, very quickly. Make her life a tiny bit easier by giving her a name which requires as little explanation as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Loneraven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@Loneraven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loneraven)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/18 "2003-01-27T21:10:35Z")
Alyson, it’s lovely. And you can call her “Ally” whatever spelling you choose, and that’s an equally lovely dimunitive. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/19 "2003-01-27T21:10:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TWDuke \* > \*\*I’ve always liked the name “Laura,” so spell it L-A-U-R-A but pronounce it “Alison.” \*\* Hey - that’s what my parents did with me. except for the part about pronouncing it “Alison”. I like aLlIsOn. The capital/lowercase combination is important. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316/20 "2003-01-27T21:12:04Z")
And that was supposed to be small, not big. I will, someday, learn to preview, dangnabit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-spell-my-daughters-name/151316.md?page=2)