Anonymous wrote:Could be worse. I read another board recently with some new-to-me baby names - Eowyn and Elspeth. Really. I would MYOB about anyone's baby name even when the name makes me cringe

Both are real names. I went to school with an Elspeth. I think Eowyn is Welsh. Or it could be from LOTR!

Anonymous wrote:Ask her how do you pronounce that? She'll get it.

Yes! Because clearly this mom doesn't realize that "Mahdulynn" does not appear to be pronounced the same as Madilyn. If it was texted to you, you could have texted her back asking how it's pronounced.

Anonymous wrote:There should be a service that you can pay to anonymously tell your loved ones that their baby names are reprehensible.

Hey, great idea, PP.
You should start a business.

Could you sell it like "Oh, Larla, what a cute name! I love that name! But you know, I was always sooo sad as a child to not be able to find any of those cute little printed license plates or whatever with my name on them, do you think perhaps you might want to consider a more traditional spelling like Madeleine?"

I am sorry, that kid can't have duh in her name. That's hideous.

Ooooh. Normally I would say you should stay out, but that is bad! Her pregnancy hormones are not doing her any favors. Ugh. That's not a good change to the name.

can you ask why she chose that spelling? Kind of feel her out to see why she came to that spelling and then say she might prefer a spelling without the "duh" in the middle.

I'm sure people have questioned the way I spelled my daughter's name, but it is just a less commonly used spelling of her name, basically replacing a -y with an -ie.

Anonymous wrote:Could be worse. I read another board recently with some new-to-me baby names - Eowyn and Elspeth. Really. I would MYOB about anyone's baby name even when the name makes me cringe

Elspeth is actually a classic name and a classic spelling!

Eowyn is I believe a Lord of the Rings character.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Pps are getting close and I'm getting close to going to bed so here goes:

Mahdulynn

Ooh! I win for being closest. Yes, you need to say something!!!!

oh and also Evyynn

(Evan)


Gagggggg

Could be worse. I read another board recently with some new-to-me baby names - Eowyn and Elspeth. Really. I would MYOB about anyone's baby name even when the name makes me cringe

Offer a compromise. Madelynn.

If it were my friend, I would pray she's pranking me and then keep my mouth shut. I mean, she explicitly said she "spiced up" the spelling, so it's not like she doesn't realize that's not the typical spelling. Then again, this is one of the more atrocious creative spellings I've seen in a while... so the PP's suggestion to innocently ask about the pronunciation might be my compromise. But also, a lot of hoping this is all a giant prank.

Absolutely.

In the scope of things, if you tell her you do not like it, you may hurt her feelings because chances are she is not going to change the spelling just for you and since her child will have that name, she will always know from now on that you do not like the spelling of the name and it will always be an awkward thing between the two of you.

Keep quiet about it and just be happy she is happy.

That is what friends are for anyway, right??!

Weird spellings are the worst. The poor kids will spend the rest of their lives slowly spelling out their name for EVERYONE. It also doesn't change the fact that they share the same name with people. Jane and Jayne will both answer to the same name being called...

Wow, I really hope this is a joke!! Tell her you love the name, but are worried about how cruel children can be and that having "duh" or something similar in the name could cause a problem in the future.