While I was comparing 2 names, I just realized that I have some ‘pet peeves’, for lack of a better word, with the spelling of names and which I find more appealing. Like for example, how some people prefer names spelled with a C rather than a K, or I rather than Y, or vice versa. Those are some common ones but I think I have some weird ones.
I tend to like names that sit all on one line or plane, with no hanging letters (like lowercase g, j, y…). For example, [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] appeals more to me than [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f] even though they’re pronounced exactly the same.
I also tend to like names that start with letters that can be written in one stroke. It wouldn’t stop me from choosing the name but letters like E, F, and H have multiple strokes. They also tend to be capital letters that look weird to me in my own cursive writing - like I’ve never liked cursive Q, Z, H, K, or F. Again not to say I wouldn’t still pick a name that started with those letters but it’s a pet peeve of mine.
In combos I like when certain sequences or sets of letters are repeated, if they’re far enough apart that they don’t sound repetitive/run together. Like, Isabel[name_f]El[/name_f]izabeth is out because they’re too close together and have the same sound, but something like Maisie Claire would be okay because they’re far enough apart and the ‘ai’ syllable sounds different.
Does anyone agree with me or disagree? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you have your own pet peeves or preferences about certain letters/spellings? I’m curious
I have a bit of a pet peeve about K vs. C. I don’t like Ks at the beginning of names that can be spelt with a C, except in the case of [name_f]Kalliope[/name_f] in one of my combos, and that’s because the first has the original Greek spelling too. But I really like Ks instead of Cs in the middle of names. Like I prefer [name_m]Luka[/name_m]/[name_m]Lukas[/name_m], and [name_m]Nikolai[/name_m] to [name_u]Luca[/name_u]/[name_m]Lucas[/name_m] and [name_m]Nicolai[/name_m]. I have no idea why, I just think they look better.
That’s an interesting post, some observations that I can relate to.
Lots of people rant about how annoyed they are with the kre8tive spelling trend, but I find it kind of interesting how differently names can be reconfigured, for lack of a better word, and how the perception of even really traditional names can be changed by this…
I’m curious… has the trend for creative name spelling started to taper off in the past couple of years? Or is it still going strong? I’ve noticed with local birth announcements that the standard spellings tend to be preferred. But is this true everywhere now?
Something I don’t like is too many vowels, especially As, in one place without enough done sort of break them up. [name_f]Ariana[/name_f], for example, or [name_f]Alia[/name_f], [name_f]Avia[/name_f], [name_f]Aliana[/name_f], [name_f]Maia[/name_f], Aelia, [name_f]Leila[/name_f]. However, for some of them, if the spelling is changed, i.e. [name_f]Aliyah[/name_f], [name_f]Maya[/name_f], [name_f]Leyla[/name_f], then they’re alright again.
I dislike the look of “sharp” letters next to each other. This means, W, Y, and V
Which b means names like [name_f]Alyvia[/name_f], [name_u]Kevyn[/name_u], and [name_u]Vyvyan[/name_u]. They just look too pointy and jagged.
I’m in a minority here, but I prefer K names to C namss, with the exception of [name_f]Catherine[/name_f], which I prefer to [name_f]Katherine[/name_f].
I prefer K to C but dislike it when K is used on a name normally spelt with a C eg. I prefer [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] to [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] but dislike [name_m]Kaleb[/name_m].
My most hated letter combination is yn and I am not a fan of names starting with B. Vowels, M and L are my favourite letters.
I do not like combos where one name appears taller than the other but prefer names with a few tall letters.
I don’t have too many visual pet peeves–most of mine have to do with flow/sound. Letter-wise, I usually find H, D, G, B and sometimes W really ugly; in part due to sound and in part due to the…convex-ness(?) of the letters. I also cannot stand anything with -rg- together; especially [name_f]Margery[/name_f], [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], and [name_f]Margot[/name_f]. And I dislike most names that end in Y (but have absolutely no problem with Y’s in the middle of a name.)
I have tons of preferences/things that are best characterized as “name kinks” that will make me instantly love a name. These include:
Is- beginnings
elia/-ilia endings
ph sounds
lots of vowels ([name_f]Aurelia[/name_f], Oenone)
vowel-consonant-same vowel patterns (like in [name_f]Asa[/name_f], [name_f]Atalanta[/name_f], [name_f]Emilia[/name_f])
oe-'s and ae-'s
I’m more fond of spelling ‘right’ than k vs. c in particular - I like [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f] and [name_f]Katharine[/name_f] better than any K spelling of [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f] or any C spelling of [name_f]Katharine[/name_f].
Whenever their inclusion doesn’t involve wrecking a classic spelling, I love v’s, x’s, y’s and z’s. I like y’s when they are legitimate. [name_f]Aaliyah[/name_f] yes, [name_f]Katelynn[/name_f] no.
I vastly prefer [name_u]Lee[/name_u] to [name_u]Leigh[/name_u], and I dislike all the -leigh names. -lyn is nearly as bad, though I’ll let [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] pass. (I prefer [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f]/[name_f]Gwendoline[/name_f] though).
I like the emphatic spareness and simplicity of 3 letter names - [name_u]Lee[/name_u], [name_u]Zia[/name_u], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Noa[/name_f], [name_f]Mae[/name_f] / [name_m]Zvi[/name_m], [name_u]Ari[/name_u], [name_m]Eli[/name_m]. [name_m]Even[/name_m] four letters starts to lose that quality, though [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Zara[/name_f], [name_u]Yael[/name_u] / [name_m]Joel[/name_m], [name_m]Levi[/name_m], [name_m]Zane[/name_m], [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] and so many others look nice to my eye. [name_m]Long[/name_m] names have their own draw but mostly for the sound, not the look. Visual appeal is about impact for me.
I tend to like “harsh” letters more than “soft” letters. For example, I like Ks, Ms, and Ns more than I like Cs, Gs, and Os. I would definitely still use a name that has the softer letters, but I feel like my OCD/perfectionist tendencies come out when I’m trying to write the soft ones. If I don’t write them just the way I want, I have to erase and do it over.
I definitely agree. That might be part of my problem with Ys, besides people putting them in names that did not have them originally. It also goes back to the softer, I guess circular, shape of those letters that make me want to rewrite them all the time.
Visual appeal means a lot to me in a name. For instance, I much prefer Emilia as opposed to Amelia, and so on: Julien/Julian, Matthew/Mathew, Ilse/Ilsa, Maura/Maire, Inge/Inga, Harlow/Harlowe, Isobel/Isabelle, Nicolai/Nikolai, and Catharine/Katherine. And I pronounce all them exactly the same! Some names that I just love the look of include Eulalie, Aster, Lucia, Francesca, Tatiana, Vivienne, Pascal, Magnus, Raphael, Arthur, Ishmael, and Scully.
