Benjermin? Is it really a name?

[Anonymous]

Okay, I encountered a name recently and didn't know who to ask except all-knowing DCUM.

A child at my late elem. DC's school has been going by Benjamin for many years. I know as they were friends with my DC back in 1st and 2nd and I helped DC write thank you notes for presents by first looking up child's name in the yearbook.

End of 5th, DC tells me child goes by Benjermin now. And yes, this year's yearbook has "Benjermin."

???
Google tells me it's used in Canada and their family does come from there but so does my DH's family and he's never heard the name.

Anybody heard this name before?

[Anonymous]

What? No.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like the child decided he wanted to change his name and his parents decided to allow him to create a "use name" that was a variation on his given name.

I'd be surprised if the name was actually changed legally. It's just what he prefers to be called. In many school systems in this area, parents are allowed to enter the child's preferred name in Synergy and the school will use that anywhere legal name is not required.

[Anonymous]

No, I never heard of it before.

[Anonymous]

Must be a typo.

[Anonymous]

Google says it’s real

https://www.babycenter.com/baby-names/details/benjermin-508515

[Anonymous]

I prefer Glenjamin

[Anonymous]

Anything can be a name if you believe in yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Google says it’s real

https://www.babycenter.com/baby-names/details/benjermin-508515

OP here, yes, first thing I did was google the name.
It's not a typo. DC says the teacher in their class wrote it that way as well.

[Anonymous]

I mean a name can be anything you want it to be. I went to school with a Cookie, a Duffy, Junior, Trey (he was the 3rd), Bear, on and on.

Benjermin just sounds like some phonetic spelling. Whatever.

[Anonymous]

Google Marijuana Pepsi. I think she’s a PhD.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like Anferny.

[Anonymous]

My job involves talking on the phone to parents. a lot of people pronounce their son's name as Benjermin, but it is spelled Benjamin. I used to clarify there was no 'r', they acted like I was an idiot. They would even respond with, "It is Benjermin." Now I spell it back as Benjamin, no one has added the r. It is generally lower income, no post high school education, black families. (Yes I know the income, education, & race because it is asked during intake.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My job involves talking on the phone to parents. a lot of people pronounce their son's name as Benjermin, but it is spelled Benjamin. I used to clarify there was no 'r', they acted like I was an idiot. They would even respond with, "It is Benjermin." Now I spell it back as Benjamin, no one has added the r. It is generally lower income, no post high school education, black families. (Yes I know the income, education, & race because it is asked during intake.)

OP here

I know my post can come off like I'm making fun of these families but the puzzling thing to me is that this family is not any of these things. I was trying to figure out if this was some foreign variation of Benjamin. Okay, I can see how a parent could allow a kid to spell their name however they like. Thanks everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Google says it’s real

https://www.babycenter.com/baby-names/details/benjermin-508515

Well it must be real then.