Hi Jennifer,

I’m a big fan of your site! I always check it for celebrity baby gossip and to make a list of my own future baby names. My husband and I just found out that we’re expecting and are overjoyed! We have already picked out a boy name, but we’re struggling with a girl name.

We are very much into names with meaning and wanted something that represented when/where we fell in love (which was in England). We were in Bath, Somerset during this time and we really like the name Somer for a girl. My husband wants to spell it like the season, Summer. I am torn because I always remember you saying stick to “normal” spellings; however, spelling her name Summer, not Somer would completely change the origin of her namesake. What do you think? Is it okay to do a unique spelling in this case or should I concede?

Thanks for your help!

~Shea

Dear Shea,

I would use the full name Somerset and call her Somer for short.  Most people know that Somerset is pronounced like “Summer Set.”  Hope this helps and congratulations!

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Headshot of Jennifer Moss

Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.

Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.