"DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have an unusual, made-up first name. Nowadays it's common for kids to have a uniquely spelled name, but I'm in my 60s, so it wasn't common growing up. The way I've managed it is: I correct the pronunciation only if I expect to see that person again. This way, I'm not constantly feeling rude by correcting everyone."
"GENTLE READER: This is a good guideline for handling a problem that is increasingly common because, as you point out, it has become common now to give babies uncommon names. There are some good reasons to do this: family names, cultural references, and the unfortunately futile attempt to avoid what turns out to be the fad name of the year."
"But Miss Manners has also noticed the prevalence of names which are, uh, much too original: Weird spellings of otherwise conventional names. Brand names. Aristocratic titles as names. Names of objects. In these cases, originality seems to be the point, rather than an association with the name or an aesthetic. Prospective parents may have fun devising these names, but they should consider that they are burdening their children with a lifetime of having to explain and correct the usage of their names."
A practical approach to unusual names is to correct pronunciation only when a repeat encounter is expected, avoiding constant corrections to strangers. Uncommon baby names have become more frequent for reasons such as family names, cultural references, and attempts to avoid fad names. A growing trend favors extreme originality: unconventional spellings, brand names, aristocratic titles, and object names, where novelty appears the primary motive. Such originality can burden children with a lifetime of explaining and correcting their names and can be hurtful when they are repeatedly misaddressed. A separate correspondent mentions planning a club holiday party with cost concerns.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]