I have no plans of having children any time soon but I love thinking about potential names for future children. One name on my list is [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] or [name_f]Madilyn[/name_f].
I am fully aware that I am overthinking this but: I live in [name_u]Germany[/name_u] but I love [name_u]England[/name_u], I worked there for a year after finishing school and I’m visiting regularly. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though I have no direct plans of moving there, I can absolutely imagine living in [name_u]England[/name_u] again at some point. So whenever I think of baby names I try to look for names that work in both [name_m]German[/name_m] and [name_f]English[/name_f].
I really like [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] but if I lived in [name_u]England[/name_u] and wanted it to be pronounced the [name_f]English[/name_f] way, this traditional spelling would be a problem because the same spelling is used in [name_m]German[/name_m] but the pronounciation is completely different (closer to the [name_u]French[/name_u] pronounciation).
So should I ever end up in [name_u]England[/name_u] and have a child named [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] I would constantly have to correct people when visiting home that her name is pronounced the [name_f]English[/name_f] way and not the [name_m]German[/name_m] way.
If I were to spell it [name_f]Madilyn[/name_f] I think that would solve the problem: that spelling looks so distinctly non-German that chances would be higher of pronouncing it correctly. I also think that spelling looks pretty.
But, and this is my main issue: I am worried that this could be considered a made up spelling just to make the name look more unique.
So I’m curious what the perception is like in anglophone areas. Is [name_f]Madilyn[/name_f] simple considered in alternative spelling of [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] or does it give off “My kid is so very special I’m giving it a super unique name” vibes?
I’m American, but I pronounce [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] the same as [name_f]Madilyn[/name_f]. I don’t know how Brits say it.
I definitely prefer the spelling [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f]. Madilyn/Madelyn is a very common alternative where I live, so I wouldn’t bat an eyelash at it, but it just doesn’t have the same elegance.
I personally think the original spelling [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] is a lot nicer and overall a better choice, but apart from that, I think both spellings are pronounced the same. I’m American, but I think people in [name_u]England[/name_u] would probably pronounce [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] like Mad-a-lin or Mad-a-line
i like madilyn for you !! it’s definitely a less common spelling, but i definitely see it as a valid alternative, not just variation for the sake of “creativity”. would you consider the madelyn spelling? it’s similarly unambiguous about pronunciation, but is a bit more established as a variant than madilyn, which definitely removes the question of “my kid is very special so…”.
(also for what it’s worth, i’m in england, and i know a lot of madeleines, all unambiguously pronounced MAD-uh-lin)
I like the look of [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] best - it’s pretty, elegant and international in vibe. I know the pronunciations are different, but I don’t find them super, super different?
[name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] is the default spelling here in the UK as far as I’m aware, and the only way I’ve ever seen it spelt by a [name_f]British[/name_f] Mad-uh-lin, but [name_f]Madilyn[/name_f] is completely recognisable…it feels more American to me, but I don’t think it would get judged as looking ‘made up.’ If you were to tell me your name was mad-uh-lin I would automatically spell it [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f], but it wouldn’t be surprising to me if you corrected me and told me you spelt it [name_f]Madilyn[/name_f]. [name_f]My[/name_f] main association with this spelling is [name_f]Madilyn[/name_f] [name_u]Bailey[/name_u] on youtube. I personally prefer [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] but I like both.
I actually disagree with this…for me [name_f]Madelyn[/name_f] feels less established than Madilyn…and to me [name_f]Madelyn[/name_f] feels more ‘made up.’ Whereas both [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] and [name_f]Madilyn[/name_f] feel recognisable.
I mean fair, I think these things are generally due to exposure. [name_f]My[/name_f] expected form is [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] and I have come across Madilyn…Madeline I would expect to be mad-uh-line, and although i would be very surprised to be corrected to a [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] pronunciation it feels more expected than the rest of the spellings which feel very made up/alternative to me/I have no familiarity with them. So for me it goes:
I would expect [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] to be said either Mad-e-lyn or Mad-i-line. I much prefer the [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] spelling-it looks more elegant while [name_f]Madilyn[/name_f] does come across as a bit trendy.