# Khreatyve name spellings, again **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 19, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680 "2016-04-19T21:54:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/61 "2016-04-30T14:14:55Z")
I’m a substitute teacher, so I end up seeing a _ton_ of teenagers’ names. The ethnic names (other than Gaelic) I usually get right, often to the kid saying that I’m the first person they’ve met who’s ever gotten it right. The invented names, though, are much more iffy. I always start with what the phonetic pronunciation would be, and try to see if there’s any established name that would be relatively close to that… but sometimes there isn’t, and sometimes (even worse) there’s more than one possible match, and I have to guess which one it is. Worst of all, of course, is when I then get the same student again later, and miss it again. Yes, yes, of course I try to remember the corrections. But when you’re dealing with every single teenager in all of two suburbs, you really can’t remember them all. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/62 "2016-04-30T14:18:12Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Is this a joke, or do you really not know [that’s a thing](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Chimera_(mythology))? Of course I know it’s a thing. The point is whoever named her that didn’t. Can you imagine how many times she’s going to have to explain her name to people over her lifetime? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/63 "2016-04-30T14:57:03Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I met a cute, polite, sweet little 2 1/2 year old boy named Michael the other day. His mother said he has a brother and sister named Thomas and Elizabeth. I really wanted to shake her hand and congratulate her on her good sense. > > Not to mention that in a room full of Braedons, Aidens, Jaydens, Haydens, Caydens, Hunters, Connors, Fletchers, Masons, Chandlers, Brewsters, Scribes, Apothercarys, and Witchfinders, Michael actually stands out. I know a 5 year old Russell. Russell! I was thrilled. In a classroom full of Jetts and Axels and Baileys, Russell stood out 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/64 "2016-04-30T15:12:34Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Of course I know it’s a thing. The point is whoever named her that didn’t. Can you imagine how many times she’s going to have to explain her name to people over her lifetime? _I_ didn’t know it was a thing until I met **Chimera** , and even then, it was years before I’d heard it spoken out loud. In my head, I heard it like ‘‘CHIM-er-uh’’ which is totally different. So I don’t think it’s obvious looking at the name how it should be pronounced unless you have specifically audibly heard about chimeras. I don’t think she’ll have to explain it because I don’t think the average person has ever heard of a chimera. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/65 "2016-04-30T15:59:19Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I don’t think the average person has ever heard of a chimera. I think that was true before genetic chimerism was discovered, but it’s been all over the internet, and the solution to a couple of CSI-type shows (the reason a suspect’s blood sample doesn’t match skin or sperm evidence left on a victim). Anyway, any article or public radio show about genetic chimerism explains what a Chimera is to explain the name. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/66 "2016-04-30T16:57:07Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Hell, Spanish doesn’t have apostrophes, period. They’re one of the details that lots of ESL learners have problems with, precisely because they’re relatively rare as a grammatical feature; not so much learning to use them once you understand what they are, but understanding what they are. Fr’ench, O’T’O’H’, seem’s to have a whol’lot more apostophe’s than Engl’sh doe’s. Massiv’ amount’s of apostrophe’s more than Engl’sh use’s. Spanish does have a few contractions, although they’re not written with apostrophes. The two I can think of are del ( = de el ) and al ( = a el ), but I can’t remember if there’s also a third one. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/67 "2016-07-17T01:18:42Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > As of yesterday, I now know two women who have named their daughter Krystyna. I suspect there are more of them out there. how disappointed these parents will be to find out their daughter’s unique name is commonplace. Late to this thread, but, yes, it’s not a terribly uncommon name. I knew several Krystynas growing up, as it’s a common Polish name meaning Christine. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/68 "2016-07-17T01:28:02Z")
You can spell “fish” as “ghoti”… (“gh” from “enough”, “o” from “women”, and “ti” from “nation”) ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/69 "2016-07-17T02:29:43Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Late to this thread, but, yes, it’s not a terribly uncommon name. I knew several Krystynas growing up, as it’s a common Polish name meaning Christine. I knew a Krystyna too, back in the day: Chicago in the seventies. Her last name was a Eastern European looking but I wouldn’t have guessed specifically Polish. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/70 "2016-07-17T04:19:12Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Reminds me of an old New Yorker cartoon showing a class picture. The caption was: > > Jessica, Scott, Scott, Jessica, Jessica, Scott, Jessica, Scott, Scott, Jessica, Jessica, Scott. About 30 years ago, someone my parents knew had a baby boy, and my dad said, “What did they name him - Justin, Ryan, or Kyle?” 😛 Nowadays, it would be “OK, which spelling of ‘Caitlin’?” My friend’s daughter has a spelling of “Olivia” that is unique enough to identify her. When I first saw it, I thought, “Um, WHAT?!?!?” but guess what? The name fits her perfectly and always has. She is NOT “Olivia”. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/71 "2016-07-17T04:21:39Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > True 'nuff: I’m a vintage 1967 Jennifer 🙂 I used to know a woman who, if she’s still living, would now be about 90 years old. Beginning in the mid 1960s, she was regularly asked if she was Jennifer’s mother. As for urban legends and names, what about the Orangejello and Lemonjello twins? There aren’t as many twins, period, as some people claim exist of these names. ETA: I see someone else already addressed this. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/72 "2016-07-17T05:02:02Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Not to mention that in a room full of Braedons, Aidens, Jaydens, Haydens, Caydens, Hunters, Connors, Fletchers, Masons, Chandlers, Brewsters, Scribes, Apothercarys, and Witchfinders, Michael actually stands out. Yes! Our time has come again! [Once again](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/top5names.html), Michaels will rule the land! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/73 "2016-07-17T17:34:14Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Yes! Our time has come again! [Once again](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/top5names.html), Michaels will rule the land! Not if the Robert Conspiracy has anything to say about it… ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/74 "2016-07-17T18:49:49Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I used to know a woman who, if she’s still living, would now be about 90 years old. Beginning in the mid 1960s, she was regularly asked if she was Jennifer’s mother. > > As for urban legends and names, what about the Orangejello and Lemonjello twins? There aren’t as many twins, period, as some people claim exist of these names. ETA: I see someone else already addressed this. I’m another Jennifer (mid '80s, so on the tail end of the boom) and am often called Jen-Iffer, two distinct words, by people who remember right in the middle of saying it that I really prefer not to be called “Jen” and hastily, but not quite hastily enough, stick the rest of it in there. At some point it will probably become mildly annoying but for right now it’s still amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/75 "2016-07-17T21:11:38Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Fr’ench, O’T’O’H’, seem’s to have a whol’lot more apostophe’s than Engl’sh doe’s. Massiv’ amount’s of apostrophe’s more than Engl’sh use’s. > > Spanish does have a few contractions, although they’re not written with apostrophes. The two I can think of are del ( = de el ) and al ( = a el ), but I can’t remember if there’s also a third one. There are many others which may happen in casual speech but which are usually not written as they are pronounced: for example _para el_ (not _para él_; the _el_ is an article, not a pronoun) becomes _pal_, but if it is ever spelled out like that it is supposed to go in italics as it is not “the proper spelling”. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680/76 "2016-07-17T21:17:12Z")
I recently finally figured out where the unusual name of one of my coworkers came from. His mother tried to transliterate the word Jedi into Spanish, the way it was said by the dubbers in Episode IV. For later episodes, a lot of nouns had already been absorbed into the language and the dubbers would pronounce them the way fans say them, which tends to be several phonemes away from the original English. She did very much not spell it Jedi, but as it’s unique I’m not going to spell it out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khreatyve-name-spellings-again/752680.md?page=3)