It has been nearly 30 years since we began the Utah Baby Namer. In the past three
decades, we have run across quite a few strange names, and stranger spellings for
somewhat normal names. And just when we think we’ve heard them all, we run across
a new one.
decades, we have run across quite a few strange names, and stranger spellings for
somewhat normal names. And just when we think we’ve heard them all, we run across
a new one.
On a recent trip to Utah we were waited on by a young woman with the name Khlcee on
her name tag. Yes, that’s how it was spelled.
“Kelsey?” I queried.
“Yes,” she answered. I gathered that I was one of the few who had pronounced it
correctly.
correctly.
I told her about this website, and she nodded her head. “I did a presentation (on having
a weirdly spelled name) once,” she said. I went on to tell her about being interviewed on
KUER, and a woman named Cliphane (Cliff’-a-nee) called in.
a weirdly spelled name) once,” she said. I went on to tell her about being interviewed on
KUER, and a woman named Cliphane (Cliff’-a-nee) called in.
We commiserated a bit about how annoying it is to be saddled with spelling,
pronouncing, and explaining your given name, ad nauseam, during your entire life. She
obviously resented the twisted logic that went into her own dumb spelling.
pronouncing, and explaining your given name, ad nauseam, during your entire life. She
obviously resented the twisted logic that went into her own dumb spelling.
“Why not just change it?” might be the logical response to this problem. And I have
considered it. I have chosen not to because I loved my mom and honor her memory,
and it was her idea. Plus, I have a really good friend with the same spelling and having
our names in common is a fun bond.
considered it. I have chosen not to because I loved my mom and honor her memory,
and it was her idea. Plus, I have a really good friend with the same spelling and having
our names in common is a fun bond.
Even thirty years on, with this site being one of the oldest on the Internet, the parade of
weird spellings and nut job names goes on. Girls are still more often saddled with
strange names than boys, and although antique monikers such as Hazel, Ella, Emma,
Ruby, and Mabel are more popular now than when we began, there are still people bent
on bestowing their kids with names such as Braxton, Brinlee, Charlestyne, and any one
of the dozen spellings of Caitlin out there.
weird spellings and nut job names goes on. Girls are still more often saddled with
strange names than boys, and although antique monikers such as Hazel, Ella, Emma,
Ruby, and Mabel are more popular now than when we began, there are still people bent
on bestowing their kids with names such as Braxton, Brinlee, Charlestyne, and any one
of the dozen spellings of Caitlin out there.
So we reiterate—think about what it means to be burdened with an unusual name.
Yeah, you want your kid to be unique, but do you really want your kindergartener to
have to learn to spell Khlcee when Kelsey would have done just fine?
Yeah, you want your kid to be unique, but do you really want your kindergartener to
have to learn to spell Khlcee when Kelsey would have done just fine?
Cari Bilyeu Clark
August, 2024
Oh hey, that’s me! Hi, my name is Khlcee, “yes, that’s how it [is] spelled.”
ReplyDeleteAs luck would have it I stumbled upon this blog post, I had no idea existed, almost a year after the fact. Having a unique name (even if it is just the spelling) is a great talking point, especially if one has to wear a name tag at work, and I love talking about my name! Each of us is entitled to our own opinions, and my friend Cari has shared hers, so please, allow me to share my own thoughts:
1) With the spelling the way it is for my name, yes, there is a lot of explaining that I get to do at times, and yes, pronouncing can be a bit of a struggle, but I still love it!
2) And I would like to make this quite clear: I do NOT resent “the twisted logic that went into [my] own dumb spelling” as Cari shared. I love my name wholeheartedly!
3) I actually recently got married and am going through the process of changing my last name, and there is nothing in the world that could convince me to change my first, because it is a HUGE part of who I am.
4) Furthermore, while it might seem more challenging for a kindergartener to have to learn to spell Khlcee when Kelsey is an option, really, they don’t really know the letters in the first place, and learning to spell your name is going to be challenging and new for anyone at some point.
Long story short, I love that there is a discourse on the idea of Utah names, because I love the topic. I find it fascinating! I’ve done research on it, read articles, looked at statistics, and presented on it twice so far in my college experience. I do wish, however, that we weren’t as quick to assume that because something looks or seems strange or unusual to us, it is immediately just as strange or unusual to the person “burdened” with the name. While we are each entitled to our own opinions, we should be cautious not to assume that someone, who we don’t know, has the same opinion. They might! And yet, that is not always the case.
Thank you for your thoughts Cari, I found them interesting to read through. I hope you find mine to be interesting as well. Maybe you’ll come back to Utah sometime, I can scoop some ice cream for you again, and we can chat.
Sincerely,
Khlcee (a girl who loves her name)
Hi, Khlcee! Sorry to have misinterpreted your feelings about your name. I am glad you feel that way about it. It's great to get a different perspective. Hope I see you next time I'm in Utah! Thank you!
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