Possibly risking offending some, but genuine question.

Jalima1108 - the names you mention (Niamh, Siobhan etc.) are spelt and pronounced differently being of Irish origin so the Aussies are blameless on that count!

I don't like names to be shortened. Why give a child one name and call it by something different? I named my daughter Jacqueline, but everyone called her Jackie, which I think gives quite a different image.

And Naomi was always tricky - sometimes pronounced NaOmi with the emphasis on the O - and sometimes NAYomi ( emphasis on the A).

And I also came across TJ! I used to dread seeing the name Aaron on the register as I never knew how to pronounce it. Some children were called Arron (with a short A), and some were Airon with a long A. I invariably plumped for the wrong one!

When I was teaching I came across a little girl called China Blue.

My eldest grandson is called Bill and I admit I would have prefered him to be William, though obviously shortened to Bill. I have a young relative who has called her son Elwood. Many years ago I worked with someone called Baron - he always said it was useful when trying to book restaurant tables, as he always booked in the name of Baron C rather than Mr C. ?

Oh, and I have probably mentioned before, there are strict rules about what names you are allowed to give your children here in Germany, so this thread would never take place here. The current trend is for OT names - which for obvious reasons haven't been around for a few generations.

I was christened Jacqueline but have always been Jacky. These days, people tend to shorten it "Jacqui" and other versions with the "q" in. Actually, they're more correct than the version with "k" in!

We gave two of our sons middle names which were to be used as their everyday first name. They curse us for it!

there is definitely a trend in what is known as "yooneek" spellings, not accepted alternatives. such as Jaxon instead of Jackson, Lillee instead of Lily etc . sometimes these are accepted spellings in other languages but that's coincidence not intent

Thanks for this thread Phoenix. We have been on quite a meander, but it has been interesting and entertaining - and at times a bit boggling! Our name choices (and what we sometimes feel burdened with) can stir up such a lot of strong feelings in us. Good fun on a lazy Sunday.

I hated my name when I was young as it is so unusual but I think I've grown into it.

I know strange spellings of names isn't all phoenix (or any of us probably) has to worry about but threads like this are often a little light relief and help the world go round.

If you have worries that you would like to tell us about maddy please start a thread.

All I can say is if that's all you've got to worry about you are b....y lucky, Phoenix

My sister is a teacher. Several years ago she was teaching at a school and a mum brought her youngest son in to collect the older ones one day. "This is our Gooey" she said, "he'll be starting in September". My sis remarked (tactfully) that Gooey was a very unusual name, and the mum replied proudly that she had read it in a book. A few weeks later, sure enough, the child's application is received - his name was Guy!

varian I have always been known by my middle name, my initials as a child would have spelt "lid" if my parents hadn't changed the order of my names. As I've lived with it for 62 years I don't have a problem being referred to by my first name in Doctors etc, although my present GP always says Mrs...., perhaps that's because she's younger than me. I chose who can use my middle name these days, friends or professionals, depends on amount off contact.

Nannandgrampy my DGS2 is Jaxson, my DD's DGF Surname was Jackson (as is my DM's), he is named as a tribute to a much loved DGF. My DD's name can be spelt 2 ways but was also shortened at school, to complicate things a lot of her friends call here by another (chosen) name. My name has 3 different spellings, not an unusual name for my age group but not common either. I have joined a Meet Up group where there are now 3 of us with the same name, one spelt exactly the same as mine

My eldest DS is named Chris, but when DD was tiny, she couldn't get her tongue round that, and always addressed him as 'Weese'!
Thirty years on, the family still call him Weese, including DGD who has further mangled it to Uncle Weesie!

Feenix - DD's friend Aimée (with an accent) is in her mid 30s now.

phoenix Some of us nanas wonder where our DGCs parents arrived at the spelling I have got an Aimee dgd she is 19 now so this spelling thingy has been going on a long while now.

I went out with a Krzysztof years ago Cold - but yes, his parents were Polish.

5 yr oldDGS is Stanley and his good mates are Arthur, Edmund & Bill . Other classmates that I know are Mabel, Lorca, Savannah & Gregory.

Jalima1108 well that is obviously because no-one knows how the hell to pronounce Irish names, which is hardly surprising when you look at how they're spelt! I know how to pronounce some such as Siobhan and Niamh, but that's about it.

My OH, and quite a lot of other folk I know, have always been called by a middle name. Why do parents do that? It just makes for a lifetime of complications and confusions when filling in forms, passports etc.

In some cultures it is common to place family names first so that the actual name is a middle name. It is common in Sweden and took me a while to realise when I was looking for an address of someone I knew as Jessica that she was listed as Eva

My friend's grandson is called Kristofor. Why?

Do they have any Eastern European connections?

In many Scandinavian and Germanic countries spellings that would be considered "made up" in the UK are solid traditional names. You would be pretty likely to find that your doctor, solicitor or bank manager was named Kristoffer, Kristian, Kristina, Karolina etc