Princess Margaret has one of the most commonly misspelt names in the UK, new study finds

New research has revealed the most commonly misspelt names by Brits with Niamh and Aaron topping the lists as well as many royal names confusing Brits when it comes to their spellings.

The study conducted by Unscrambled Words analysed Google search data to establish which names had the highest monthly searches for their correct spelling.

Niamh took the top spot of the UK’s most misspelt names. The spelling for the name, which means ‘bright’, had an average of 4,110 monthly searches in the UK. Common variations of the name include Neve, Nieve, Neave, Neavh or Neeve.

The name Rachel ranked second with an average of 2,770 Google searches being made each month by Brits for the correct spelling of the name. The popularity of the name Rachel skyrocketed in the late 90’s, likely from the success of the TV show Friends. The name has multiple spelling variations, including Rachael with similar versions of the name including Raquel, contributing to the searches for how to spell it.

Aaron is the most commonly misspelt boys name and third overall. Brits searched ‘how to spell’ the name Aaron 2,670 times a month on average, putting the name just below Rachel.

The name Margaret is the fourth most misspelt name in the UK. The name has an average of 2,410 searches each month for the correct spelling.

The name Margaret is the first royal name of many on the list. Other royal names that all make the top 25 misspelt names include Diana, which ranks as the eighth most misspelt girls name and thirteenth overall with 990 monthly searches, Louise, with 810 monthly searches, Charlotte, which has 790 monthly searches for the correct name spelling and George, with 750 average monthly searches for the right spelling.

The fifth most misspelt name by Brits is Sheila. The name which means ‘heavenly’ has variations of Shelagh and Sheelagh and has 2,150 monthly average searches for the correct spelling.

Girls’ names appeared to be more difficult to spell with 70% of the top ten names being girls names.

A spokesperson from Unscrambled Words commented on the study: “Every name can be spelled in various ways, which can often make the name more sentimental or unique. However, it is fascinating to see which names have Brits the most confused when it comes to their spelling, as many on the list are incredibly popular.”

The most commonly misspelt names by Brits

Name

Rank

Average monthly searches for how to spell it

Niamh

1

4,110

Rachel

2

2,770

Aaron

3

2,670

Margaret

4

2,410

Sheila

5

2,150

Isabella

6

1,590

Phoebe

7

1,570

Graham

8

1,350

Naomi

9

1,200

Elijah

10

1,070