Re: Aubri, and names that end in i - you made me think of something! Yes, that was a big fad. I think we did get over that fad eventually, and this is a new fad era. -ie, -ee, -eigh, is the current rage. It somewhat makes sense in names ending in -ley to go -lee or -leigh. To some extent, a lot of the old standard middle names are being brought out front, like [name]Lee[/name] or [name]Ann[/name]. Where one used to have maybe two separate names, like [name]Mary[/name] [name]Ann[/name] or [name]Jamie[/name] [name]Lee[/name] (or if you like, [name]Kathie[/name] [name]Lee[/name], lol), names are being more smushed together. Like [name]Julianne[/name] or a girl I went to junior high with, Danamarie, which is like a take on [name]Annmarie[/name], only her parents like [name]Dana[/name] for some reason. I think we are seeing a revival of double names and hyphenated names like this, which expands the repertoire a bit - [name]Marianne[/name] might be a name as [name]Mary[/name] [name]Ann[/name] is, but Marykate isn’t really. [name]Mary[/name] and [name]Kate[/name] are two names that sound great together, so people are looking for combos that swing.
With [name]Lee[/name] or [name]Leigh[/name] in particular, to get a name like [name]Kaylee[/name] - that is really two names smushed together. [name]Kayley[/name] isn’t anything. The y serves to pretend it’s more substantial but it defies the reality, [name]Lee[/name] is part of the name, and the ending is, for better or worse, correct, or if you like, [name]Kayleigh[/name] or [name]KayLee[/name] or [name]Kaye[/name] [name]Leigh[/name], etc. [name]Kaley[/name] or Kaily or such is sort of a relative abomination of the natural spelling, but this is where it begins.
[name]Haley[/name], on the other end, is [name]Haley[/name]. [name]Hayley[/name] maybe. It is a surname. Hay or Hae or Hai is not a name with [name]Lee[/name] or [name]Leigh[/name]. But you can see where people get all mixed up and swept away with the fad - if it ends with a “lee” sound, spell it any way you like. Again with the relative abominations.
So your example, [name]Aubrey[/name] - which I believe is also surname like, and originally a male name if I’m remembering correctly. It’s a little twist on [name]Audrey[/name], so people give it to girls. I’m not sure how it ended up with a y at the end. It’s related to Alberic and [name]Avery[/name]. With the -lee semi-rule followed not at all, people take liberties with names ending in -ey or -y. I think this is in keeping with the “preferences” set a long time ago, this time with a new round of names, some completely invented and some dug up from all over the globe and through time.
Going back in time somewhat: If someone was [name]Katherine[/name], she could have been [name]Kathy[/name], [name]Kathie[/name] or [name]Kathi[/name], or [name]Kate[/name], [name]Katy[/name], [name]Katey[/name] or [name]Katie[/name], but I believe quite a few long names - nicknames most usually end in -ie, almost as a rule. [name]Maggie[/name], [name]Dottie[/name], [name]Charlie[/name], [name]Betty[/name] is sometimes [name]Bettie[/name], [name]Lizzie[/name], [name]Carrie[/name], [name]Annie[/name], [name]Sadie[/name].
Some like [name]Tammy[/name] are more common, but sometimes [name]Tammie[/name] or [name]Tammi[/name]. [name]Sandy[/name], [name]Jodi[/name] or [name]Jodie[/name], [name]Debby[/name] or [name]Debbie[/name], [name]Wendy[/name], [name]Keri[/name] or [name]Kerry[/name] [name]Suzie[/name], [name]Susie[/name], or [name]Suzy[/name], but I’ve never seen [name]Susy[/name]; [name]Patricia[/name] is almost always [name]Patty[/name], and sometimes [name]Patti[/name], unless she’s a [name]Tricia[/name]; [name]Pattie[/name] looks more like hamburgers than a person - it’s a name that looks weird in the almost plural, so singular, [name]Patty[/name]. [name]Ali[/name] is [name]Ali[/name] - [name]Aly[/name] and [name]Alie[/name] look weird. [name]Allie[/name] is common, [name]Ally[/name] is slightly unusual, and Alley I think is rare, due to its resemblance to the noun ‘alley,’ and I have never seen an [name]Alli[/name], and probably won’t now because it’s the medicine that helps you lose weight, with a long i, like [name]Ally[/name] - [name]Al[/name]-eye if it’s the opposite of enemy, and [name]Al[/name]-lee if it’s a person’s name. [name]May[/name] also be why it’s unusual. So there, we can think of a few names where people build up a comfort with the right way and uncomfortable with the wrong way to shorten a name. There are no rules, but people tend to follow the current or blatantly go against it. But most of these are nicknames unless their parents went with the flavor of the 60s and that was actually their full name.
For boys, no way, no how. [name]Danny[/name], [name]Joey[/name], [name]Johnny[/name], [name]Ricky[/name] - but [name]Richie[/name]. [name]Marty[/name], [name]Tony[/name], [name]Kenny[/name], [name]Davey[/name], [name]Donny[/name], [name]Ronny[/name], [name]Terry[/name], [name]Larry[/name], [name]Mickey[/name], [name]Mikey[/name], – but [name]Louie[/name], [name]Arnie[/name], [name]Howie[/name], and aforementioned [name]Charlie[/name], which for a boy can also be seen [name]Charly[/name] or [name]Charley[/name]. As we can see, there are some exceptions to the no way, no how. But it’s obvious - the y is quite a lot more favored in masculine names. This is why girls start using i for similar names, [name]Dani[/name], [name]Ricki[/name], [name]Marti[/name], [name]Toni[/name], [name]Ronnie[/name], [name]Teri[/name]. This is the aversion to y - if you have the same nickname as a boy, it tells the world you’re not a boy. I believe I have seen both [name]Franky[/name] and [name]Frankie[/name] on girls and boys. Can’t really remember - boys tend to go be ‘[name]Frank[/name]’ eventually, and I think more girls are [name]Fran[/name] anyway, at least in the olden times. 
I almost think sometimes, like in [name]Katy[/name] or [name]Katey[/name], people affect the y to go against the grain. It looks less normal. And like medicines like [name]Alli[/name], people are also consumers and getting ideas for altering spellings from brand names, etc. I really think that’s true.
So yeah, back to full length names that end in -ey, but not -ley. I really think people think the y is not zippy, hip, with it, “today,” or “tomorrow” for that matter. A masculine name can become more feminine, like that. People make their preferences probably from a young age, names they would have liked to have, what is masculine or feminine about a name, etc., and alter the spelling at will. The confusing one is -eigh for unless it starts with L, tends to be pronounced “AY” as in we’re cool like Fonzeigh, and his friends Richeigh, Potsi, Joaney, also Chachy and Loreigh [name]Beth[/name], and [name]Jennee[/name] Piccolo. Does seem a right way and a wrong way.
And then you’re other remark at the end - they don’t dislike the y, but they like to move it in where there ought to be an i or to affirm an “ay” sound, to the extent that those of us opposed to the idea find a y that is supposed to be there, such as in [name]Bryony[/name], to have a “made up” look, almost to the point of backlash, suggestions of [name]Briony[/name] took place (I think it is a legitimate alternative, but non-standard). Names like [name]Naomi[/name] also get passed over for having the gall to end in i. [name]Just[/name] a few examples I remember from here. I think the affectation of an added Y in the middle is more from several international variations, most likely Slavic, as well as names like [name]Lynn[/name] and [name]Cynthia[/name]. While I’m at it, I wonder how “[name]Cindy[/name]” became standard nickname for [name]Cynthia[/name], while [name]Cyndi[/name] – when this is closer to how it is spelled – gets mocked. [name]Cyndy[/name] has too many Ys, [name]Cyndie[/name]? Ok, I’ve gone long (as usual)! I just have a lot of thoughts and I get on a roll sometimes.
