See the results of this poll: Which spelling do you prefer Ryder or Rider?
Respondents: 27 (This poll is closed)
- Ryder : 23 (85%)
- Rider: 4 (15%)
To me [name]Ryder[/name] just looks more like a name though I usually don’t like “y” spellings either. This is an exception.
I’m not too crazy about [name]Kelly[/name] for a boy, I’m not sure if I as a boy liked to have girl name ( I know it’s unisex but still…) , especially named after a woman. I do like [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kellan[/name], I think it sounds good!
I’m torn! On the one hand, I’ve always liked [name]Ryder[/name] better because that’s how I’ve always seen it spelled as a name. On the other hand, I hate the trendy ‘Y’ and can understand completely why your husband wants to use [name]Rider[/name]! [name]Violet[/name] hasn’t morphed into “Vylet”, [name]August[/name] hasn’t morphed into Oghest, and [name]Jasper[/name] hasn’t morphed into [name]Jazper[/name], so why has [name]Rider[/name] become [name]Ryder[/name]? I’m not really sure I understand it but the more I think of it, the more I like [name]Rider[/name] better. I think both have their downfalls–[name]Ryder[/name] looks more trendy; [name]Rider[/name] will have more spelling problems–but both are great names. I think [name]Rider[/name] [name]Kelly[/name] or [name]Rider[/name] [name]Kellan[/name] is fine–why not? It doesn’t sound any worse than [name]Rider[/name] [name]William[/name] to me. I think you would do fine with any of those options! You could also do something like [name]Rider[/name] [name]Kelly[/name] [name]William[/name]/[name]Rider[/name] [name]William[/name] [name]Kelly[/name] if you want to honor all three family members.
While I imagine some of the recent preference for [name]Ryder[/name] over [name]Rider[/name] is due to the trendy “y,” I was always under the impression that [name]Ryder[/name] (and [name]Rider[/name]) began as occupational-names-turned-surnames and moved to first name status along with names like [name]Sullivan[/name], [name]Brady[/name], [name]Finnegan[/name], [name]Harrison[/name], and other last names. [name]Ryder[/name] and [name]Rider[/name] are equally traditional in my book, and I prefer [name]Ryder[/name] since it is less literal. I think [name]Ryder[/name] [name]William[/name], [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kelly[/name] and [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kellan[/name] are all fine, though I think I prefer [name]Kelly[/name] to [name]Kellan[/name], which strikes me as more trendy? I wonder if [name]Kelvin[/name] would honor [name]Kelly[/name], too? [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kelvin[/name] is nice…
[name]Ryder[/name] is a perfectly legitimate spelling, and the kid is less likely to get teased for having a “word name” since it blends in so well. Also, I like it myself, along with [name]Ryker[/name].
I like your combos, particularly [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kellan[/name] (and, alright, [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kelly[/name]!), as well as the PP’s suggestion of [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kelvin[/name]. However, my suggestion would be [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kelton[/name]. 
I like [name]Ryder[/name] mainly because it looks more like a name to me - and that is how I’ve always seen it spelled as a name. Out of your choices I love [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kellan[/name].
I personally prefer [name]Rider[/name], but that preference is a reaction to the trendy-looking Y, not a result of research as to which spelling is more traditional or legitimate. I had the same reaction, I think with more justification, when an acquaintance recently named her son Stryder. [name]Ryder[/name] and Stryder look “made-up,” [name]Rider[/name] and Strider “real.” I agree with ashthedreamer that [name]Ryder[/name] [name]William[/name] [name]Kelly[/name] or [name]Ryder[/name] [name]Kelly[/name] [name]William[/name] might be an agreeable compromise in the middle slot. Best wishes!