Hi Jennifer,

I’ve been a long time lurker on BabyNames.com, even before I was married or expecting. Now I’m pregnant with my first child and would appreciate your help; I love the name Declan and the meaning ‘full of goodness.’ My husband’s name is Clay and I was trying to make the baby’s name more meaningful by adding a ‘Y’ to produce the title “Declayn.” My husband thinks that everyone will mispronounce the name and it will cause confusion. How do you think others would interpret this particular spelling of the name?  

Thanks!

Jamie

Hi Jamie,

Good question! I think people would pronounce it as they see it. De-CLAY-n.  If that’s not what you are intending, then use the traditional spelling and tell your child that by using a “D” name, you were honoring his father. I’m not a big fan of naming a child after his/her parent, anyway, so I would recommend just plain Declan!

Thank you for being a loyal member of the site!

Sincerely,

Jennifer