April 2, 2008
Is 'text speak' really shaping baby names?
Yes, we're all getting stupider, or at least some of us are, writes The Guardian.
"This is the clear message behind the story of "text-speak baby names" appearing on birth certificates. Britons have become so addicted to abbreviation, it is claimed, that names such as Anne, Connor and Laura have been rendered An, Conna and Lora. Six baby boys have been christened Cam'ron rather than Cameron.
There are, apparently, several Samiuls on the list. "Given the unstoppable rise of text language," says the Daily Mail, "it was only a matter of time before .children's names went the way of traditional English."
John Dunford, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says, "Some of it is genuine misspelling, some is parents looking for a unique way to spell a name and some is just carelessness."
Related: - In Australia SMS language sparks off unusually spelt baby names trend
Image from Top Baby Names.
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