As another [name]Laura[/name] I’ll confirm the different pronunciation issues. My mother says “[name]Lore[/name]-ah” and my father “Lar-ah”. I prefer the “o” sound.
[name]Both[/name] of my daughters names appear on this list [name]Clare[/name] and [name]Katharine[/name]. We went with [name]Katharine[/name] not b/c of a spelling preference but rather to honor [name]St[/name]. [name]Katharine[/name] Drexel born 1858 (50 years before [name]Katharine[/name] Hepburn). [name]Anne[/name] is a future front runner for a girls name. What I found most interesting about this exercise was how inconsistent I am about final “h” that are silent. I prefer [name]Nora[/name] to [name]Norah[/name] but [name]Sarah[/name], [name]Leah[/name] and [name]Hannah[/name] over [name]Sara[/name], [name]Lea[/name] and [name]Hanna[/name] and I’m undecidied on [name]Susanna[/name] or [name]Susannah[/name].
[name]Elizabeth[/name] vs. [name]Elisabeth[/name] -[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Rachel[/name] vs. [name]Rachael[/name] - [name]Rachel[/name]
[name]Sofia[/name] vs. [name]Sophia[/name] - [name]Sophia[/name]
[name]Nora[/name] vs. [name]Norah[/name] - [name]Nora[/name]
[name]Cecilia[/name] vs. [name]Cecelia[/name] - [name]Cecilia[/name]
[name]Ann[/name] vs. [name]Anne[/name] - [name]Anne[/name]
[name]Claire[/name] vs. [name]Clare[/name] - [name]Clare[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name] vs. [name]Elinor[/name] - [name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name] vs. [name]Susanna[/name] - Can’t decide,
[name]Rebecca[/name] vs. [name]Rebekah[/name] - [name]Rebecca[/name] (my sister’s spelling, interesting b/c my mom now says she wished she had gone with [name]Rebekah[/name])
[name]Hannah[/name] vs. [name]Hanna[/name] (or [name]Hana[/name]) - [name]Hannah[/name]
[name]Lee[/name] vs. [name]Leigh[/name] - [name]Leigh[/name]
[name]Kara[/name] vs. [name]Cara[/name] - [name]Cara[/name]
[name]Katrina[/name] vs. [name]Catriona[/name] - [name]Katrina[/name]
[name]Kaitlin[/name] vs. [name]Caitlin[/name] - [name]Caitlin[/name]
[name]Madeline[/name] vs. [name]Madeleine[/name] - [name]Madeleine[/name]
[name]Leila[/name] vs. [name]Layla[/name] - [name]Leila[/name]
[name]Lynn[/name] vs. [name]Linn[/name] - [name]Lynn[/name] o
[name]Laura[/name] vs. [name]Lora[/name] - [name]Laura[/name]!
[name]Leah[/name] vs. [name]Lea[/name] - [name]Leah[/name],
[name]Sarah[/name] vs. [name]Sara[/name] - [name]Sarah[/name]
[name]Steven[/name] vs. [name]Stephen[/name] - [name]Stephen[/name]
[name]Maia[/name] vs. [name]Maya[/name] - [name]Maya[/name]
[name]Molly[/name] vs. [name]Mollie[/name] - [name]Molly[/name]
[name]Isabelle[/name] vs. [name]Isabel[/name] (or [name]Isobel[/name]) - [name]Isabel[/name]
[name]Stuart[/name] vs. [name]Stewart[/name] - [name]Stuart[/name]
In response to the pp: [name]Theresa[/name] / [name]Teresa[/name] is a really, really tough one for me. I like them both. If I HAD to pick, I would be in a quandry, but am slightly leaning towards [name]Theresa[/name].
For [name]Rebecca[/name] / [name]Rebekah[/name], a common misunderstanding exists regarding the Biblical origin of the spelling. [name]BOTH[/name] spellings are in the Bible. In the Old Testament, [name]Isaac[/name]'s wife’s name is spelled “[name]Rebekah[/name],” but in the New Testament (Romans 9:10), her name is spelled “[name]Rebecca[/name]” (even in the older [name]King[/name] [name]James[/name] version). Of course, neither spelling is the “original Hebrew” because the Hebrew language has a different alphabet with an entirely different set of letters/characters. (The English alphabet did not come into existence until many centuries later.) First seen in [name]Genesis[/name], the name has ancient origins, and both English spellings are legitimate. The name was fairly popular among the Pilgrims and their descendants in the 1600s and 1700s – usually spelled [name]Rebecca[/name]. I prefer [name]Rebecca[/name], which is what I named my daughter.
[name]ELIZABETH[/name] vs. [name]Elisabeth[/name]
[name]RACHEL[/name] vs. [name]Rachael[/name]
[name]KATHERINE[/name] vs. [name]Catherine[/name] (or [name]Katharine[/name])
[name]SOFIE[/name] vs. [name]Sophia[/name]
[name]NORA[/name] vs. [name]Norah[/name]
[name]CECILIA[/name] vs. [name]Cecelia[/name]
[name]Ann[/name] vs. [name]ANNE[/name]
[name]CLAIRE[/name] vs. [name]Clare[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name] vs. [name]ELINOR[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name] vs. [name]SUSANNA[/name]
[name]REBECCA[/name] vs. [name]Rebekah[/name]
[name]Hannah[/name] vs. [name]HANNA[/name] (or [name]Hana[/name])
[name]Lee[/name] vs. [name]LEIGH[/name] (for a girl, and [name]Lee[/name] for a boy)
[name]Kara[/name] vs. [name]CARA[/name]
[name]KATRINA[/name] vs. [name]Catriona[/name] (pr. the same)
[name]Kaitlin[/name] vs. [name]CAITLIN[/name]
[name]MADELINE[/name] vs. [name]Madeleine[/name]
[name]Lina[/name] vs. [name]LENA[/name]
[name]LEILA[/name] vs. [name]Layla[/name]
[name]LYNN[/name] vs. [name]Linn[/name]
[name]LAURA[/name] vs. [name]Lora[/name]
[name]FINN[/name] vs. [name]Fin[/name]
[name]BRIONY[/name] vs. [name]Bryony[/name]
[name]GREER[/name] vs. [name]Grier[/name]
[name]Leah[/name] vs. [name]LEA[/name]
[name]Sarah[/name] vs. [name]SARA[/name]
[name]STEVEN[/name] vs. [name]Stephen[/name]
[name]BLYTHE[/name] vs. [name]Blithe[/name]
[name]MAIA[/name] vs. [name]Maya[/name]
[name]MOLLY[/name] vs. [name]Mollie[/name]
[name]Isabelle[/name] vs. [name]Isabel[/name] (or [name]ISOBEL[/name])
[name]Stuart[/name] vs. [name]STEWART[/name]
I will pick up what someone else started:
[name]Lindsay[/name] v. [name]Lindsey[/name] - my pick = [name]Lindsay[/name]
[name]Leslie[/name] v. [name]Lesley[/name] (my name) = [name]Lesley[/name]! It is the “correct” English version for females. The name originated there afterall!
Besides, I also pronounce it differently than my “[name]Leslie[/name]” friends. I am “Lez - lee” and they are “Less - lee”. Maybe a regional thing but I have friends from the NE and the Midwest that pronounce it the same - incorrectly!!
My only real problem with this is that if I TELL you how I spell/pronounce it, it is on you now to say it my way!!