Dear Babynames.com,
I love reading the naming blogs, BUT I have to say my #1 pet peeve is when the “experts” advise not to use a name that is going to cause your child to spell it. I agree that very unusual spellings can make a name seem less “classy” but simple variations seem perfectly fine to me. My main irritation is that even the MOST simple of names, take John or Catherine for example, which are VERY traditional, have variations in spellings, and will require your child to spell out their name. Therefore, I don’t see the point of trying to avoid spelling your name—it’s so common that I don’t think that should be an impediment. I’ve had to spell out my name my whole life, and honestly it never bothers me. I’d love to see a poll taken, where people answer whether or not it actually bothers them to spell out their name, before putting such an emphasis on avoiding it…
Sincerely,
Joni
Dear Joni,
Thank you for your input. We always encourage our readers to tell us about their real-life name experiences. We would love to hear from others about this issue. Did you have a common name with an unusual spelling? Was it a burden for you? Let us know.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.
Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.
