‘Doctor keeps spelling my son’s name wrong – I’m worried I made a mistake’

A mum is concerned that she’s made ‘life complicated’ for her newborn son after choosing a name with different spellings – and she’s worried he’ll correct people his whole life

Naming your child is undeniably difficult – and it’s safe to say that you want the lifelong commitment to be a perfect choice. On top of the already existing pressure, several parents out there may additionally hit hurdles over the spelling choice for their little ones.

One mum has faced the consequences of using a name with two spellings and has been left bewildered by the result. The unnamed parent documented her concerns on popular online forum Reddit, sharing her worries that she made a mistake. The woman admitted that she feels as if she’s made “life complicated” by naming her son Nicolas rather than Nicholas.

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Sharing her concerns online, the anonymous parent captioned the post: “Did I make a mistake?”

“We just named our son Nicolas, and I chose that spelling,” the mum explained.

“Now I have found a lot of people misspelling it as Nicholas, and I have had to correct spelling at the doctor’s office a few times too.

“Did I make his life complicated by choosing the spelling that I did?” She questioned.

“My name is missing a letter at the end, and I’ve had to correct spelling my whole life, so I would have liked to avoid that for him. I live in the US if that helps.”

Seeking advice from people online, several budding users were keen to put the concerned mum’s thoughts at ease – with several sharing personal experiences of their own.

One user assured: “I would compare this to Steven vs Stephen. Neither are unusual spellings and both are correct. You didn’t make a mistake.”

“I find that no matter what your name is, you will be correcting people throughout your life. If not in spelling, then in pronunciation. It’s just part of life, he will be fine!” A second person added.

A different user wrote: “My husband’s name is Nicolas and I love the small uniqueness in such a timeless name. He corrects people especially doctors and just regular paperwork but it’s not that bothersome. He loves his name!”

“It’s just a name with two legit spellings. I wouldn’t freak out, both Nicholas and Nicolas rank in the top 200. While Nicholas is about twice as popular, they are both well accepted,” a fourth commented.

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