Picking out a name for your bundle of joy is a monumental decision that determines what their family, friends and the government will know them by.
But in recent years, exaggerated spellings have become commonplace. A “tragedeigh” is the internet phenomenon term for a name that has an unconventional or odd spelling such as “Oakleigh” – pronounced like Oakley – or “Eethan”– pronounced like Ethan. “Tragedeighs” have become more prevalent.
Parents add extra letters to common names, change the name’s ending to a more uncommon – but undoubtedly odd – spelling, or even combine two names into one jumbled mess. People have the right to choose a name for their child they adore but they must remember that they are naming future adults and employees.
Celebrities and social media influencers have been known to give similarly “tragic” names to their children. For instance, YouTube star, Txunamy Ortiz has a “tragedeigh” for a name. Yet her fan base does not necessarily consider the name to be out of the ordinary. The name Txunamy, with the pronunciation of Tsunami, does not raise eyebrows in the public’s eyes.
In fact, some people see it as a beautiful name. However, to me this ordeal seems quite immature. Going out of your way to create an imaginary spelling of a name comes across as pretentious and childish, defying grammar rules in an attempt to present it as somehow more special.
There are a myriad of social complications that come from “tragedeighs.” These complex names will not merely be known by family, but employers as well. This can cause issues within the workplace, possibly leading to the continual misspelling or mispronunciation of a “tragic” name. There’s also the scenario of bullying in schools. Classmates may jeer and mock their names, leading to shame for the recipient who had no choice in their name.
Hence, I propose that we put a stop to these naming practices. There are already bans in place that prohibit certain names for babies in America. Some examples would be “Majesty” or “Queen” in certain regions.
From my perspective, these bans are valid.
According to the BBC, there are many other countries that have also banned certain names for a variety of reasons. The most common reason cited by these countries, including France and Japan, is to avoid future embarrassment for that child.
Extending this view, I believe that “tragedeighs” in the extremes, should be banned.
Names like “Aiverleigh” (Everly) and “Aunystee” (Honesty) should be banned if they hold no ethnic or cultural meaning.
They only serve to make a child’s life more difficult, and they are unnecessary when there is a plethora of suitable names that already exist.
