Best interests of the child vs parental beliefs

[Aliantha]

I know this is not my childs name, but my street name is Karen St, every time I have to tell someone over the phone they say, can you spell that for me? Like it can't possibly be just plain old Karen. The girls name, from the old days. Just plain old Karen.

It's mystifying. lol

[Sundae]

I think I've said before that Mum & I both use the call-sign alphabet when giving out initials.

I've had letters addressed to Charlie and Mum to Sierra. And before she joined the Ambulance Service (way back when, where she learned it and we had to test her), letters to Sugar.

A friend of mine lived on Slave Hill.
No, really.
I think it was named after a local landowner.
He would say, "Slave. As in bondage."

It's a lot easier now they just ask for postcodes and door numbers.
But even then you can really puzzle call centre staff. I always start with the actual postcode, then repeat it with Hotel, Papa [etc] - "Sorry, which hotel?"

Charlie Kilo Oscar signing out.

[monster]

Sundae mentioned my new neice's name! Do we think she might get nick-named Oral at all? Did we tell the proud parents of our fears

[Sundae]

I knew a boy called Robert.
He was called Sniffer.

I knew of a girl called Sultana.
Everyone called her.... Sultana.
And didn't make any jokes about it either because she was a real bruiser.

The name doesn't automatically denote the nickname.
Fingers crossed for little Orlaith though

[DanaC]

I don't have a problem with anglicising names. We've always done it. Names travel and are changed. If they didn't change, our history would be one of Guillaumes and Jeans, instead of Williams and Johns.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by DanaC

I don't have a problem with anglicising names. We've always done it. Names travel and are changed. If they didn't change, our history would be one of Guillaumes and Jeans, instead of Williams and Johns.

I know, I know.
I'm usually laissez faire about changes in spelling and language.
I scoff at articles in the hate Mail about how Americans are ruining our language and how British schools are promoting illiteracy. Change and evolve.

It's a personal grain of sand in my usually tolerant mollusc of a world view.
Probably because I grew up in an envirnment with a strong Irish influence. So when I hear Siobhan pronounced See-ob-han it makes me twitch a bit.
And of course, my bloody parents... argh, that's an old story.

Chill out I say to myself now.
Shush.

Anyway, I haven't got the name-badge for my uniform at work yet.
Today, the colleague on the till next to me could not remember my name. She kept calling me Ruby.
That was far less annoying than having my name pronounced wrong, and I've told her if she wants to call me that she can.

Cross fingerers I'll get it by next week. And some extra evening shifts. Although that's nothing to do with names and all to do with £££

ETA I love the name Guillaume.
We have a troubled boy at school with the English version of the name.
I call him that in my head because I think it softens his behaviour.

Doesn't mean I don't put him in time out or send him the the Headmaster of course...

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by monster

Do we think she might get nick-named Oral at all?

That's funny... when you alluded to her potential negative nicknames, I immediately assumed Beest was thinking "whore-la."

[DanaC]

I just thought, Orlly?

[footfootfoot]

Yeah, I thought you should preemptively teach her to arch an eye brow.
Orly?

[monster]

yarly, Orly was my first thought. beest just has a filthy mind.

[monster]

could have been worse -D'raven.....

[DanaC]

Don't. Just stop right there.

[DanaC]

My family have been, in general, mercifully unimaginative in our naming patterns. Probably the most unusual would be Fleur, my cousin's lass. But most are fairly solid, traditional names. Sam, Joshua, Stacie, Calumn, Paul. Closer to home are Sophie and Amelia. My own generation was similar: Danielle, Martin, Stephen, Paul, Neil, David, Shirley, Karen & Gary (twins :P) ...I'll stop there, not gonna name them all :p)

I like unusual names, but not the ones that sound 'made-up'. Sometimes I hear the names people have come up with for kids and think...that's the sort of name I'd have dreamed up for a cookie roleplay character in an online world.

[Griff]

I like Fleur! The inventive spellings thing can be a problem when teaching kids to read. Singing the Wilabee Walabee beginning sounds song to a kid with a bunch of silent consonants in front of his name can confuse.

[Lamplighter]

Our 3rd daughter's name, Rachael, took a long time arriving.

My wife and I agreed on her name and it went on her birth certificate.
But then, for reasons completely un-remembered now,
the entire family started calling her Shelly.

On Shelly's 18th birthday she vigorously announced
that from then on she would be called by her real name.
She actually ignored anyone using her "nickname" until they changed over.
Her Mom and Dad probably had the hardest time making the switch.