[name_m]Just[/name_m] out of curiosity, I wanted to know!
Certainly I’d think very few of you would like those truly unique spellings, but I’m talking minor ones that aren’t “wrong”, necessarily, but aren’t generally considered to be the original.
This came to mind because I know I personally VERY strongly prefer [name_m]Emmitt[/name_m] to [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] – I love the first, but the second looks lopsided.
I prefer these
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f] over [name_f]Katherine[/name_f]
[name_f]Anne[/name_f] over [name_f]Ann[/name_f]
[name_f]Natalya[/name_f] over [name_f]Natalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Serafina[/name_f] over [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]
[name_f]Serafine[/name_f] over [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f]
Tons! I don’t tend to like the super tryndee, but I usually prefer one or two letters switched up here and there on names.
Some examples:
[name_f]Kelsea[/name_f] to [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u]
[name_f]Kassia[/name_f]/[name_f]Kassie[/name_f] to [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]/[name_f]Cassie[/name_f]
[name_f]Kimberley[/name_f] (and sometimes [name_f]Kimberlee[/name_f]) to [name_u]Kimberly[/name_u]
[name_f]Lissette[/name_f] to [name_f]Lisette[/name_f]
I like all the spellings of [name_u]Kelly[/name_u] - [name_u]Kelley[/name_u], [name_f]Kelli[/name_f], [name_f]Kellie[/name_f], [name_f]Kellee[/name_f]
[name_m]Erik[/name_m] to [name_m]Eric[/name_m]
[name_u]Kasey[/name_u] to [name_u]Casey[/name_u]
…And those are just on my “favorites” list. A lot of names in general I prefer an alternate spelling. I really don’t care about the argument that “It sounds the same when it’s said out loud” or “They’ll have to correct spelling for the rest of their life”. I have a common name and I have to correct someone basically every time I say my name. It hasn’t killed me yet. I’m not someone who’s going to go with the “traditional” spelling just because it’s “traditional”. If I like an alternate spelling better then I’m going to use it.
I prefer…
Saela to [name_f]Selah[/name_f]
[name_u]Kassidy[/name_u] to [name_u]Cassidy[/name_u]
[name_u]Eliot[/name_u] to [name_u]Elliott[/name_u]/[name_u]Elliot[/name_u]
[name_f]Talia[/name_f] to [name_f]Thalia[/name_f] (barely)
[name_u]Saige[/name_u] to [name_u]Sage[/name_u]
[name_f]Isobel[/name_f] to [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]
[name_m]Sean[/name_m] to [name_u]Shawn[/name_u]
[name_f]Margo[/name_f] to [name_f]Margot[/name_f]/Margeaux
[name_f]Maia[/name_f] to [name_f]Maya[/name_f]
I don’t usually like to mix up the spellings of names. My name is [name_f]Abigael[/name_f] so I have yet for anyone to spell it right without help. [name_m]Even[/name_m] when I ask my friends they give me something like: “A…?” looks at me for approval. “B…?” looks at me for approval. “I…?” so on and so forth.
[name_f]Lyla[/name_f] to [name_f]Lila[/name_f]
Saela to [name_f]Selah[/name_f]/[name_u]Sailor[/name_u]
[name_f]Skyla[/name_f] to [name_u]Schuyler[/name_u] (don’t like the -r endings in [name_u]Skyler[/name_u] and [name_u]Skylar[/name_u])
[name_f]Cerys[/name_f] to [name_f]Carys[/name_f]
[name_f]Annalise[/name_f] to [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f]
[name_f]Maia[/name_f] to [name_f]Maya[/name_f]
[name_m]Myles[/name_m] to [name_m]Miles[/name_m]
I prefer [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] or even [name_f]Ysabel[/name_f] to the more common [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]/a. That’s partially because it’s less, but mostly I just think it looks nicer.
I also prefer [name_f]Katelyn[/name_f] to [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f], but my favorite variation is [name_f]Catelyn[/name_f] (or [name_f]Catelynn[/name_f]).
I’m still not a huge fan of it, but [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] is better than [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f].
Also, if you change -lee or -ly to -leigh I would not get mad at you, even though I don’t really like any -lee names.
In middle school I had a friend named [name_f]Kayla[/name_f] and for the longest time I spelled her name [name_f]Cayla[/name_f], opps. Since then I have always liked [name_f]Cayla[/name_f] better than [name_f]Kayla[/name_f]. I also think [name_f]Ciara[/name_f] is better than [name_f]Kiara[/name_f] and [name_f]Lorelai[/name_f] to [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f].
Jakoby to [name_m]Jacoby[/name_m]
[name_u]Jayden[/name_u] to [name_u]Jadon[/name_u]
[name_u]Shaun[/name_u] to [name_m]Sean[/name_m]
[name_u]Shawn[/name_u] to [name_m]Sean[/name_m]
[name_f]Jessika[/name_f] to [name_f]Jessica[/name_f]
[name_f]Leela[/name_f] to [name_f]Leila[/name_f]
I’m waaay in the minority on this one, but I prefer [name_f]Kaitlin[/name_f] (my spelling) over any of the other spellings of the name despite all the spelling difficulty it’s caused me.
Those of you who prefer Saela to [name_f]Selah[/name_f], how are you pronouncing the names?
I prefer [name_f]Laila[/name_f] over [name_f]Leila[/name_f]/[name_f]Layla[/name_f].
But otherwise, not really.
[name_f]Michelle[/name_f] to [name_u]Michele[/name_u]
Eilene to [name_f]Eileen[/name_f]
[name_m]Matthew[/name_m] to [name_m]Mathew[/name_m]
The only one I have a strong opinion about is [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] over [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]. [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] just looks so much nicer to my eyes!
Off the top of my head:
[name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] to [name_u]Vivian[/name_u]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] to [name_f]Margo[/name_f]
[name_u]Marlowe[/name_u] to [name_f]Marlo[/name_f]/w
[name_u]Elliot[/name_u] to [name_u]Elliott[/name_u]
[name_u]Austen[/name_u] to [name_m]Austin[/name_m]
[name_f]Arielle[/name_f] to [name_u]Ariel[/name_u]
Serephine to [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f]
I wouldn’t actually use Serephine but I think it looks nicer…
Some of these may be originals, but not the common spelling in the US:
[name_m]Erik[/name_m] over [name_m]Eric[/name_m]
[name_m]Dimitri[/name_m] over [name_m]Dmitri[/name_m]
[name_f]Rafaela[/name_f] over Raphaella
[name_f]Delfina[/name_f] over [name_f]Delphina[/name_f]
[name_u]Auberon[/name_u] over [name_u]Oberon[/name_u]
[name_m]Fredrik[/name_m] over [name_m]Frederick[/name_m]
[name_f]Fredrika[/name_f] over [name_f]Fredericka[/name_f]
Vivienne over Vivian
I’m starting to like Lazlo over Laszlo because I’ve seen a lot of people get tripped up over the s.
What I wonder really is…which one WAS the original spelling? The only one I could think of was that I prefer [name_f]Annalise[/name_f] to [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f]…but the way I see it, my way of spelling it is the original.
I also prefer
[name_m]Jaxon[/name_m] to [name_m]Jackson[/name_m]
[name_u]Saylor[/name_u] to [name_u]Sailor[/name_u]
[name_m]Lochlan[/name_m] to [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m]
[name_u]Peri[/name_u] to [name_f]Perrie[/name_f]
[name_f]Aimee[/name_f] to [name_f]Amy[/name_f]
[name_f]Juliet[/name_f] to [name_f]Juliette[/name_f]
I prefer:
[name_m]Jaxon[/name_m] to [name_m]Jackson[/name_m]
[name_m]Erik[/name_m] to [name_m]Eric[/name_m]
[name_f]Vivianne[/name_f] to [name_u]Vivian[/name_u]
[name_m]Jakob[/name_m] to [name_m]Jacob[/name_m]
[name_f]Cleo[/name_f] to [name_f]Clio[/name_f]
[name_m]Aron[/name_m] to [name_m]Aaron[/name_m]
… I’m sure there’s more, but oh well.
I prefer
[name_u]Emmet[/name_u] to [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] (although [name_u]Emmet[/name_u] is probably the standard one here in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f], so I don’t know if it counts)
[name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] or [name_f]Vivianne[/name_f] to [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] (these are so wildly different in my eyes)
[name_m]Iver[/name_m] to [name_m]Ivor[/name_m]
[name_m]Caine[/name_m] to [name_m]Cain[/name_m] or [name_m]Kane[/name_m] ([name_m]Caine[/name_m] to me is sophisticated and preppy, [name_m]Kane[/name_m] is trendy and [name_m]Cain[/name_m] is evil looking)
[name_m]Ruairi[/name_m] to [name_m]Ruairidh[/name_m] or [name_u]Rory[/name_u] (to me [name_m]Ruairidh[/name_m] is unaesthetic but rugged and ancient, [name_u]Rory[/name_u] is handsome but seems slightly juvenile, and [name_m]Ruairi[/name_m] is a lovely balence between the two, although even it will cause some difficulties I’m sure)
[name_m]Sampson[/name_m] to [name_m]Samson[/name_m]
I prefer
[name_m]Viktor[/name_m] to [name_m]Victor[/name_m]
[name_f]Kassandra[/name_f] to [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f]
[name_f]Seraphine[/name_f] to [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f] to [name_f]Katherine[/name_f]