This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

Re: Spelling
in reply to a message by Baby
There is nothing correct or incorrect about Ray-Feel. You made it up; it's yours to do what you like with.However, it does look odd and almost indecent. So why not choose your personal favourite from Rayfield and Raphael, since these are accepted spellings which would take him through life with dignity?
vote up1vote down

Replies

Thank you :)Thank you everyone.I have posted my question in another message board. I really love this name (stubborn mummy?)and hope to use this name correctly. I would not want people to laugh out of the other side of mouth should I use the wrong name for my son. My baby will be arriving in early december this year and really need the correct name soon.Thank you very much for all kind understanding.
Cheers!
vote up1vote down
SpellingDear Anneza and penguiny7
Thank you for your time and kind assistance.I would really like to name my Prince Rayfield instead of Raphael to avoid incorrect/different pronouncation. The on-line dictionary has pronouned Raph·a·el [ ráffee əl ] i.e. "rare fee-el"
Definition: archangel: in Hebrew tradition, one of the seven archangels, and the angel of healing.However, do you know the definition of RAYFIELD?
Cheers!
vote up1vote down
I went to Ancestry.com which has a feature that looks up a surname's meaning. Here's what they say about Rayfield:"English (Kent): origin unidentified; probably a habitational name from a lost or unidentified place, perhaps an altered form of Rayford."
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4The link for Rayford didn't work so I can't tell you any more than that.
vote up1vote down
Rayfield is probably a surname, so I suggest you ask on the surname board: http://surnames.behindthename.com/bb/list.php?board=surSomeone there will probably be able to help you.
vote up1vote down
I think they just meant that Ray-Feel was the sound they wanted the name to make, and they want to know how to spell it.Since both Rayfield and Raphael are similar but pronounced slightly different, I'd say just pick one and have a similar sounding name (I'd pick Raphael), or you could make up your own spelling, since there is no name I'm aware of pronounced ray-feel. Like Rayfiel, Rafele, Raypheel.The problem is that this way the name looks very made-up, which of course it is, and people would have problems pronouncing it. So I really would just stick with Rayfield or Raphael.
vote up1vote down