I’m due with #3 next week and my husband and I will likely end up using [name_m]Damian[/name_m]/[name_m]Damien[/name_m] (because I couldn’t convince him on [name_u]Dorian[/name_u]). I strongly prefer the [name_m]Damien[/name_m] spelling - it looks much more elegant and softer and sophisticated. [name_m]Damian[/name_m] is harsher to me.
That said, I recognize [name_m]Damian[/name_m] is the default spelling. If we choose [name_m]Damien[/name_m], will we be subjecting our son to a lifetime of correcting people? [name_m]Damien[/name_m] was #264, so it’s not like it’s an unheard of spelling.
I also feel that [name_m]Damien[/name_m] meshes better with my other two kids’ names - [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] and [name_m]Silas[/name_m].
Am I crazy that [name_m]Damian[/name_m] seems, to me, so much different in vibe than [name_m]Damien[/name_m]? [name_m]Will[/name_m] we forever have to correct people on the spelling? I already need to spell [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] and [name_m]Silas[/name_m] for people, so I’m somewhat used to it…
I much prefer the calmer [name_m]Damien[/name_m] rather than [name_m]Damian[/name_m] which just looks harsh to me. I know a Daymean which is completely different spelling altogether so in comparison [name_m]Damien[/name_m] isn’t that difficult to spell. If you had of asked me to spell the name, the spelling I would give is [name_m]Damien[/name_m] (which is the best spelling if you ask me!) I do agree with you with the point that [name_m]Damien[/name_m] matches better with [name_m]Silas[/name_m] and [name_f]Adeline[/name_f], which both also look/sound very soft to me. Good [name_m]Luck[/name_m]!
I also prefer [name_m]Damien[/name_m]. It looks more sophisticated, and (it might just be because of the [name_m]French[/name_m]-speaking part of my brain) it’s also the spelling that’s more familiar to me. I’ve known two Damiens and no Damians, so I would automatically spell it the way you want to.
(Also, it’s a shame you couldn’t convince your husband about [name_u]Dorian[/name_u]; it’s a lovely name, and it’s been on my list for a long time. [name_m]Damien[/name_m] is also great, though.)
[name_m]Damien[/name_m] would be how I would have spelled it if asked.
My personal experience on less common spelling: I grew up with a name that was the less popular of two viable spellings, but still well known (about same popularity as [name_m]Damien[/name_m]). It was the difference of -anna and -ana. Without fail, everybody spells my name with the more popular spelling. It is rare that I find someone who actually uses both n’s without my prompting on first go. That being said, there are many who, after learning the correct spelling, do in fact consistently spell it right afterwards. A majority of them do not and communications to me are littered at work with the wrong spelling, even though they had to look up my name to even send me an email and spell it right. Overall, I am very happy with my name and have no desire to have only 1 n in it, but it does irk me that people can’t get it right when they’ve known me for months.
I don’t know if that insight is useful at all, but just in case it is <3 good luck!
Honestly, I thought [name_m]Damien[/name_m] was the default spelling…?? I definitely think it looks much better. It has a stronger, more masculine look to me.
I completely agree with you on the [name_m]Damien[/name_m] spelling! He probably will have to spell his name for people since [name_m]Damian[/name_m] is generally the default spelling for people, but I have to do that and it’s really not a big deal to me.
I follow a musician named [name_m]Damian[/name_m], and honestly, without fail, even though I adore this man, I spell it [name_m]Damien[/name_m] every time. So I don’t think the [name_m]Damien[/name_m] spelling is all that uncommon, and it may just be a quick fix for your son in situations where somebody spells it wrong initially.
I agree that it does have a softer look too. It’s also more appealing; I find it to be more handsome than [name_m]Damian[/name_m]. [name_m]Damian[/name_m] has an almost roguish feel to it.
I think both spellings are perfectly acceptable and I see both used in real life. I prefer the symmetry of the Damian spelling but either way I think it’s a handsome name and sounds classic without being overly common.
I much prefer the [name_m]Damian[/name_m] spelling. [name_m]Just[/name_m] a personal choice… I also prefer [name_u]Aidan[/name_u] to [name_u]Aiden[/name_u], so it could be an a vs e thing for me
Have you considered the name [name_m]Damon[/name_m]? One of my sons has a friend with this name, and I always thought it was pretty cool.
I’ve never known or met a [name_m]Damien[/name_m]/[name_m]Damian[/name_m] and I’ve only seen it written on here, both spellings and only a handful of times. I’m personally preferring the [name_m]Damien[/name_m] spelling…at least at this moment.
Another point on “default” vs. “alternative” spellings - everyone’s default is not the most common or “traditional” spelling. My name is the traditional, default spelling of a name that has seen a lot of alternative and creative spellings. I am regularly asked to spell my name, and people who guess don’t always guess correctly (I often get [name_f]Stephany[/name_f] and [name_f]Stephenie[/name_f] [thanks, Twilight!]).
Which is to say, even if you named him [name_m]Damian[/name_m], he would still encounter people whose default is [name_m]Damien[/name_m] and have to correct the spelling of his name. So if you really like the name, I don’t think you need to worry about doing him a disservice by choosing the spelling you like. It helps that you’re choosing an extremely common variation, so [name_m]Damien[/name_m] feels like a purely aesthetic choice rather than an attempt to be different or creative.
I like [name_m]Damian[/name_m] but I love [name_m]Damien[/name_m].
As a [name_f]Lilian[/name_f]-not-[name_f]Lillian[/name_f] I can say that it is only slightly inconvenient to not have the more popular spelling of a name. Go for [name_m]Damien[/name_m].
