What's in a Name?

As I start back to work at school, I'm always interested in the names of the students. And I have to admit--creativity reigns supreme at my school! Quite often, my first question when I'm given a new student to work with is "How do you pronounce that?" Although, if I give myself half a chance, I can often figure it out. It's a common enough sounding name! It's just spelled, well, creatively.

Admittedly, I'm sort of a stickler for spelling things correctly. On all our trips to my home town, I always noted, and mentioned--the Kow Kounty Kafe. Please, no. But besides my own personal chalk on the chalkboard reaction, I can't help but think about the poor child who's going to come across her name--at least I think it's her name because it sounds the same!--in a book and be so completely confused! Isn't "cat" always spelled "cat?" Or is it sometimes spelled "Kat?"

After I figure out what the name of the child is, my second question is often, "And is it a boy or girl?" Obviously, the parents of that child didn't worry about the two cardinal rules we considered when we named our children: Give 'em a name people can pronounce and spell and which obviously identifies their gender. No son of mine is going to be called "she" on the first day of tenth grade!

So, since I passed up my own opportunity to creatively spell my own children's names, I thought I'd try my hand at some creative alternatives for my grandchildren. Too late, unfortunately, for them, as they're already born and named. But--just for fun! I give you some of the names I could be writing on Christmas labels:

Parcur

Kayelubb

Soffee

Jaxxunn

Lyleey

Marrgrutt

Lynkunn

Jozzuhfeene

Addickuss

MayCee

Merrunn

Ulaynuhh

and finally, our soon-to-be addition: Ahluvuur

What do you think?