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HelpRe: Lorelai vs Lorelei
in reply to a message by Heidi
I'd stick with Lorelei. It's not confusing, IMO, and I'll always pick a traditional spelling over a misspelling that sprang from pop culture.
I read your response to Anneza, and I have to caution you against counting on people's ignorance. When my aunt and uncle named their second daughter, they opted for "Jackelyn," rather than "Jacqueline." My aunt felt Jacqueline was too difficult, and that most people would automatically drop the "qu" when trying to spell it, since it's not strongly enunciated in many accents. The result is that my cousin has had a lifetime of people spelling her name wrong by choosing the most traditional, common, and accepted spelling, and my aunt and uncle, frankly, look stupid...like they are the ones who didn't know how to spell the name they chose for their own daughter.
Lorelei far outstrips Lorelai in usage (ranking #501 vs #800 in the most recent SSA data) and has a history that pre-dates Gilmore Girls. If there is a minority out there who can't grasp the pronunciation with the -lei spelling, so what? Why pander to their ignorance?
I read your response to Anneza, and I have to caution you against counting on people's ignorance. When my aunt and uncle named their second daughter, they opted for "Jackelyn," rather than "Jacqueline." My aunt felt Jacqueline was too difficult, and that most people would automatically drop the "qu" when trying to spell it, since it's not strongly enunciated in many accents. The result is that my cousin has had a lifetime of people spelling her name wrong by choosing the most traditional, common, and accepted spelling, and my aunt and uncle, frankly, look stupid...like they are the ones who didn't know how to spell the name they chose for their own daughter.
Lorelei far outstrips Lorelai in usage (ranking #501 vs #800 in the most recent SSA data) and has a history that pre-dates Gilmore Girls. If there is a minority out there who can't grasp the pronunciation with the -lei spelling, so what? Why pander to their ignorance?
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