OOOhhh I have been waiting for a post like this…I agree with most of the others, alternitive spelling are fine, I too prefer [name]Aimee[/name] to [name]Amy[/name] and I prefer [name]Katherine[/name] to [name]Catherine[/name].
However, I cannot stand I’s on the end of names in place of a Y or a random Y put in the name to make it look “cooler”… one of my good friends had a daughter named Kassydi last year and now every time I hear the name I cringe…writing out a congratulations card and seeing it on her 1st birthday invites was too much for me.
Honestly, I do not understand why someone would ruin a perfectly good name with a “Krey8tiv” spelling…it just makes the whole name look childish and misspelled. Who wants to be saying “Oh no it not J-O-S-E-P-H-I-N-E, it’s J-O-H-S-E-F-E-E-N” all their life!
But then again I am Gracen, I blame my parents entirely…but I don’t mind the spelling, I could be Grehysyn and then there would be all sorts of drama!
Gracen x
P.S. There really aren’t any creative spellings I like at all 
I prefer [name_f]Ellisyn[/name_f] to [name_u]Allison[/name_u], [name_f]Lia[/name_f] to [name_f]Leah[/name_f], [name_f]Kinsey[/name_f] to [name_u]Kenzie[/name_u], [name_f]Jaana[/name_f] to [name_f]Jana[/name_f], [name_u]Jordyn[/name_u] to [name_u]Jordan[/name_u], [name_f]Eveline[/name_f] to [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], [name_f]Ceara[/name_f] to [name_u]Sierra[/name_u], [name_f]Maia[/name_f] to [name_f]Maya[/name_f], [name_u]Morgen[/name_u] to [name_u]Morgan[/name_u], [name_f]Laila[/name_f] to [name_f]Layla[/name_f], and there are more this is just off the top of my head!
[name_f]Aimee[/name_f], [name_f]Kristina[/name_f], [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] and [name_f]Maia[/name_f] aren’t yooneek spellings though but variants.
I don’t know if [name_f]Melisandre[/name_f] can be considered yooneek, it’s G.R.R.M’s version of [name_f]Melisande[/name_f] and I love that.
[name_f]My[/name_f] sisters’ names would fit into this category. [name_f]My[/name_f] youngest sister is [name_f]Hayleigh[/name_f], and it feels more complete to me than [name_f]Hayley[/name_f] or however people spell it. [name_f]My[/name_f] other younger sister is [name_f]Breanna[/name_f] instead of [name_f]Brianna[/name_f] which seems clearer to me.
One of my older sisters is Mikella but it is NOT a bastardization of [name_f]Micheala[/name_f]. It is pronounced like [name_f]Ella[/name_f] but with a [name_m]Mick[/name_m] in front.
I quite like -leigh endings sometimes.
I like [name_f]Ashleigh[/name_f] but to me that is just the girls’ spelling rather than [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] which is still a pretty common boys’ name her.
I also know a [name_f]Hayleigh[/name_f], an [name_f]Ainsleigh[/name_f] and a [name_f]Harleigh[/name_f] and I quite like all these spellings.
I quite like [name_f]Tahnee[/name_f] (I don’t know what the legitimate spelling is though, maybe Tanni) and also [name_f]Carron[/name_f] rather than [name_f]Karen[/name_f], [name_f]Elayne[/name_f] rather than [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] and [name_f]Lauryn[/name_f] for [name_f]Lauren[/name_f].
I prefer [name_u]Sayler[/name_u] to [name_u]Sailor[/name_u]. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t ask me why, I just like how it looks better, haha. I also like [name_u]Saylor[/name_u], but it’s actually a legitimate name (apparently it was my great-grandfather’s middle name).
The only other spelling change I condone is [name_f]Savanna[/name_f] in place of [name_f]Savannah[/name_f]…sometimes. Depends on my mood.
Other than that, I avoid spelling variations like the plague. They make me cringe almost every time. (almost…I don’t want to be ambiguous, there are some that I don’t really mind)
There are one or two names where a trendier version appeals to me… for example: Kalayna vs [name_f]Kalena[/name_f]… however, by enlarge… I dislike creative spellings.
I have a languages based learning disability, I speak/write two languages natively - not always 100% correctly though - I spent a lot of time trying to learn how to read - I couldn’t till about 5th grade. As someone who speaks two languages I understand that sometimes one spelling over the other can make a vital difference - for example [name_m]Erik[/name_m]/[name_m]Eric[/name_m] vs [name_m]Erich[/name_m]. In [name_m]German[/name_m] the c/k ending leaves the name with a hard almost guttural k sound the -ch ending changes that, it sound more like a soft hissing sound. If you choose a creative spelling to accurately clarify a sound differentiation that you prefer - I’m all for it. I find it difficult but I totally understand. So when people choose to spell their children’s names as if they were illiterate, unable to do research, and worst of all in defiance of the order of their own language it drives me up the wall. It honestly feels disrespectful to the language and your children and does not shine you in the best light.