Baby name related - would you change this?

[karinothing]

So DS' middle name is Jose. Currently without the accent. I originally wanted an accent but for whatever reason when the time came DH wrote it down without one. I think because he was drunk on new baby smell.

I contacted the dept of vital records and it seems easy to change (and once I do it there I can do it by mail for SS).

But I am kind of mixed on whether or not I should change it. It isn't technically mispelled (see the city of San Jose) because without the accent it just makes it kind of more american (if that makes sense).

So, if you saw the name Jose (without the accent) would you pronounce it properly? Would you think it was weird if it didn't have the accent? Can I just spell it with the accent w/out officially changing it or would this cause some crazy issues (like DS getting put on the terrorist watch list...I kid!).

[Deleted]

I would change it to get the name you intended.

[thedash]

I would be fine with leaving it Jose with no accent. But I think DH's family (Latino) would not be happy about it.

[cricketwife]

Well, when I read the first sentence in your post, I pronounced it in my mind properly. So I think you're fine. I would only think it's weird if there are accents on his first or last name. If there are, then the accent on Jose would seem missing. Otherwise, I think it's fine.

[luvmagoldn]

I would read and pronounce it correctly without the accent. If it were me I probably would not change it. But if it meant a lot to H or someone else in the family I would be ok with changing it. I guess that means I am just lazy.

[Deleted]

I pronounced it the right way in my head even without seeing the accent, so I think you're fine either way.

I probably wouldnt bother only because I am lazy. and its a middle name.

[Deleted]

You can assume the accent without doing the paperwork. I have a friend that goes by Sarah instead of Sara.

Speaking of new baby drunk, I had a friend that named his daughter Madasson. His wife made him do the paperwork to change it to the correct spelling.

[drloretta]

That doesn't make sense to me. Jose or Jose (with an accent, I don't know how to do that and half the things your kid will use won't either) don't sound any more or less American. To some people, having the accent sounds pretentious (says my CW whose sister is suddenly Renee with an accent).

BUT if it's important to you, and it's not a big deal, just do it and get it over with.

[slug*bug]

Jun 26, 2012 14:38:34 GMT -5 drloretta said:

if it's important to you, and it's not a big deal, just do it and get it over with.

This is good advice.

[anna7602]

People and documents leave the official accent marks off of my family members' names all the time (driver's license, etc.). It is annoying to them, but it has not made people pronounce the names any differently.

I say this is really your call. Most official forms in the U.S. don't really allow for a vowel with an accent mark anyway.

[biscoffcookies]

Jun 26, 2012 14:29:28 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

You can assume the accent without doing the paperwork. I have a friend that goes by Sarah instead of Sara.

This. My parents intended to give my sister a name similar to Farrah, with the double consonant in the middle. Somehow when the paperwork got filled out the second consonant got left out, like Farah. My sister uses the double-consonant version in her day to day life (including school, etc.) and uses the "legal" version for employment paperwork, plane tickets, driver's license, etc. It's never caused a problem.

[karinothing]

Jun 26, 2012 14:38:34 GMT -5 drloretta said:

That doesn't make sense to me. Jose or Jose (with an accent, I don't know how to do that and half the things your kid will use won't either) don't sound any more or less American. To some people, having the accent sounds pretentious (says my CW whose sister is suddenly Renee with an accent).

BUT if it's important to you, and it's not a big deal, just do it and get it over with.

Ha, I only say that because I googled whether it was even proper to spell it without the accent and the interwebs told me it was the anglocized (sp?) version of the name.

I am just mixed on whether I care. DH is the Hispanic one in the group and he left it off ha ha

[CloudBee]

Jun 26, 2012 14:29:28 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

You can assume the accent without doing the paperwork. I have a friend that goes by Sarah instead of Sara.

Sarah and Sara sound the same, no?

[Deleted]

Jun 26, 2012 15:03:46 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Jun 26, 2012 14:29:28 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

You can assume the accent without doing the paperwork. I have a friend that goes by Sarah instead of Sara.

Sarah and Sara sound the same, no?

Yup.

She just thought her name should have an H. It only matters in print (if it matters at all, really).

[h]

I live in an area with a large Hispanic population, and I see Jose written without the accent all the time. I can't imagine anyone pronouncing it any other way. That being the case, I don't think I would bother to change it. But if you want the accent on there, then go for it.

[froggy76]

I wouldn't bother changing it, especially since it's a MN. I pronounced it correctly in my head without the accent.

[starlily]

Unless he has an east Indian surname or obviously looked east Indian, I would pronounce it as if it had an accent.

Indians pronounce Jose with a hard J (like Joseph) and a silent E.

[smiley]

I wouldn't think twice about it not having the accent. Most people know how to say the name and wouldn't pronounce it differently because it is lacking a symbol.

[karinothing]

Jun 26, 2012 15:54:46 GMT -5 starlily said:

Unless he has an east Indian surname or obviously looked east Indian, I would pronounce it as if it had an accent.

Indians pronounce Jose with a hard J (like Joseph) and a silent E.

Interesting. I never knew that! Thanks for sharing.

[changedname]

Jun 26, 2012 15:03:46 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Jun 26, 2012 14:29:28 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

You can assume the accent without doing the paperwork. I have a friend that goes by Sarah instead of Sara.

Sarah and Sara sound the same, no?

I'm from the UK and those names are pronounced differently for us. Sarah is regular, the Sar bit rhymes with hair, the same as in the US. Sara is with a long "a" saaaar-a. The Sar bit ryhmes with car (our pronounciation not US). DH's sister is called Tara and it must really bug her that I call her Taaaaarra but I find it impossible to say it the other way.

[doctorsbaby]

I've never seen Jose with the accent & always used the Hispanic pronouncation.

[DarcyLongfellow]

Well, I'll be the lone idiot who didn't pronounce it correctly when I read the OP. I actually was skimming and didn't look to see who the poster was and missed where it said "DS." So, I assumed it was a girl and you'd meant the name to be Josie and your DH had forgotten the "I."

But, if I saw your son's middle name written after his first name, I assume I'd know it was intended to be a male name, so I'd hope I'd pronounce it correctly even without the accent.

I say, if it bothers you, change it. But if not, don't sweat it.

[karinothing]

Jun 26, 2012 18:25:52 GMT -5 DarcyLongfellow said:

Well, I'll be the lone idiot who didn't pronounce it correctly when I read the OP. I actually was skimming and didn't look to see who the poster was and missed where it said "DS." So, I assumed it was a girl and you'd meant the name to be Josie and your DH had forgotten the "I."

But, if I saw your son's middle name written after his first name, I assume I'd know it was intended to be a male name, so I'd hope I'd pronounce it correctly even without the accent.

I say, if it bothers you, change it. But if not, don't sweat it.

Ha ha. His last name is very Mexican so that will probably help in the pronunciation. If it was supposed to be Josie I am pretty sure I would change it

[hannamarin]

I assumed that there were no accents on drivers licenses and birth certificates. Oops!

[Willis Jackson]

As a prank, Tobey Maguire told his wife that he spelled their son Otis's name "Oatis" on the documents. He took a video of her reaction and showed it on Ellen. "Oat-is? OAT-is? OAT-IS?!"

[statlerwaldorf]

If it's important to you change it. I pronounced it the way you intended. With as much as computers are used, I don't think it's that important. Even if he had the accent, most of the time it is typed it won't have it anyway. Jose is a very Latino name with or without the accent.

[LauraMoser]

My brother spelled niece's name Cieara (was supposed to be Sierra) and they never bothered to change it. No one seems to have an issue figuring out how to pronounce it.

Sounds like it might bug you. If it does, go ahead and change it. Its not a big deal really.

[pamela]

I always pronounce it the same and would assume it wasn't possible to have the accent there because it's not easy to type on most keyboards.