No, I’m not talking about kre8tyve spellings, I’m talking about honest to god, alternate spellings. When you come across them, how do you decide which one to use? [name]Do[/name] you use the on that’s more popular ([name]Katherine[/name] vs. [name]Catherine[/name]) or do you use the one that means more? [name]Do[/name] you take into account the origin ([name]Maia[/name]= Greek, [name]Maya[/name]= Hebrew)?
I have the issue with a few names. [name]Elinor[/name] v [name]Eleanor[/name], [name]Cecelia[/name] v [name]Cecilia[/name] just off the top of my head.
I like to look at the history ie [name]Cecelia[/name] is a variant of [name]Cecilia[/name]… so to me, [name]Cecilia[/name] is the more ‘right way’. But then if I was dying for my little one to have the NN [name]Cece[/name], I might pick [name]Cecelia[/name]
My only rule of thumb is even if something is 100% legit, if there is the chance that people MIGHT think I’ve made it up, I’d be less inclined to use it (like [name]Cecylia[/name] - it’s Polish).
If it is an accepted spelling I would use it. I love [name]Isaac[/name], [name]Markus[/name] and [name]Viktor[/name]; all are legitimate spellings but there’s something about the “k” in them that I like more than a “c”, but [name]Isaak[/name] looks off to me.
So I really base it off of which spelling says “Use me! I’m it!”
I think you do take the origin into account. Also, the popularity of a spelling other than the one you end up using can be an annoying issue, but if you try to stick with the “original” or “historical” rather than the most recent or updated spelling, (e.g., [name]Elise[/name] versus [name]Elyse[/name]/[name]Alyce[/name]) you won’t get too many misspellings. The website behindthename can show a “family tree” for a certain name, and shows chronologically which variations came from what. ‘[name]Elise[/name]’ is a good example to type in and hit “show family tree”; it is one of many, many variations, but it is relatively close on the tree to the “ancestral” [name]Elisheba[/name], from biblical Hebrew.
I like to think of myself as a literature junkie, so if there is a clear favorite in “classic” literature ([name]Catherine[/name], not [name]Katherine[/name]), that influences me quite a bit. This contradicts what I said earlier about using the historic/original choice, though, since [name]Catherine[/name] and [name]Katherine[/name] appear to have branched from the Greek mythology name Hekate (and [name]Katherine[/name] is closer to Hekate).
There isn’t really a right answer. [name]Just[/name] go with the one you think looks nicer?
I tend to love ethnic variations.
Indeed it is! My half Polish cousin is a [name]Cecylia[/name] 
I can’t deicde between the spellings [name]Edmund[/name] and [name]Edmond[/name] which actually puts me off the name. [name]Edmond[/name] looks nicer I think but [name]Edmund[/name] has better name sakes (Sir [name]Edmund[/name] [name]Hillary[/name] over [name]Edmond[/name]'s Cookbooks)
I wouldn’t use an alternate spelling if it seemed made up (even if it wasn’t). [name]Just[/name] because, unless you explain it to everyone you meet, some people mightn’t realise your spelling is legit. And, since I don’t like made-up spellings for names, I’d hate for other people to think I’d done it myself!
I’d choose [name]Edmund[/name]. It seems the more “classic” of the two choices.
I prefer the Irish [name]Edmond[/name]
I love [name]Aine[/name], spelled as such. I feel like to use it in a first name spot, I’d have to go with [name]Anya[/name] or at least [name]Anja[/name], but if I want to use the [name]Aine[/name] spelling, it’s going to have to go in the middle spot to spare her a lifetime of explanations.