Is your baby’s name a typo? Campaign finds 43% of UK names flagged as ‘wrong’ by technology
New I Am Not A Typo campaign says tech fails to reflect multicultural Britain – and a new baby name book aims to change that
The I Am Not A Typo (IANAT) campaign is calling out tech giants over outdated language systems that fail to recognise increasingly popular names in the UK – especially those rooted in diverse cultures and communities. To raise awareness, IANAT has released a tongue-in-cheek baby name book titled 100 Incorrect Baby Names and launched a bold billboard campaign asking: “Naming your child is the most important thing you’ll ever do. So don’t **** it up.”
The ‘typos’ behind the numbers
According to a new survey conducted by Censuswide, 41% of UK adults – that’s 22.6 million people – have experienced their name being autocorrected or flagged as incorrect. And for many, the experience isn’t just annoying – it’s deeply personal.
Of those affected, 61% said it made them feel disrespected, excluded or upset. While one in 10 said they felt the error was racist. The problem is most prevalent among 16–24-year-olds, with 62% in this age group affected.
It’s clear that this is an issue that deeply affects and upsets millions of people. The number of ‘typos’ is creeping up and while we’ve seen some famous names added to dictionaries, there’s still an enormous number of popular baby names that are still typos.
43% of baby names in England and Wales ‘flagged as wrong’
IANAT’s analysis of the latest ONS baby name data reveals that 43% of baby names given in England and Wales in 2023 were ‘incorrect’ according to standard tech dictionaries.
That includes 39% of girls’ names (2,227 out of 5,672) and 46% of boys’ names (2,930 out of 6,400) that occurred at least three times last year. While names like Dua, Rishi and Keir have made it past the digital gatekeepers, many others haven’t.
The top 10 ‘typo’ baby names in 2023
According to the 100 Incorrect Baby Names book, here are the most common ‘incorrect’ names still being flagged today:
Girls:
Ottilie
Ayzal
Aiza
Anayah
Anabia
Imaan
Fiadh
Cataleya
Iyla
Inaaya
Boys:
Zaviyar
Zayaan
Teddie
Nikodem
Rian
Finnley
Azaan
Kiaan
Macsen
Izhaan
Names like Fiadh, a top Irish choice meaning ‘wild’, and Ottilie, a French-German favourite now firmly in the UK Top 100, are still routinely flagged. Even though they’re growing in popularity, your device may not recognise them – and may try to change them.
Why this matters to parents
For new and expectant parents, choosing a baby name is a huge decision – one often rooted in identity, heritage, and meaning. But when tech systems suggest your child’s name is “wrong”, it can feel undermining.
The IANAT campaign is pushing for systemic updates to autocorrect and spell-check features across tech platforms, so that they reflect the richness of names used in today’s multicultural Britain.
Every day, would-be parents leaf through baby name books to find beautiful or inspiring names for their children. But if they come up with something too ethnic, too interesting, too culturally divergent, that name could be flagged as incorrect. That’s why we’ve written 100 Incorrect Baby Names, and that’s why we want the Tech Giants to correct autocorrect.
What the campaign wants
The IANAT collective says it has spent a year trying to engage with Big Tech on the issue, but so far has been “left on read.” Now they’re urging companies to review and update their internal name dictionaries to better reflect the real world.
The campaign also invites the public to share their own ‘typo’ stories via iamnotatypo.org, and to explore the full list of names featured in 100 Incorrect Baby Names, which combines personal stories with powerful data.
As Cathal puts it: “Our names are personal and meaningful to each of us. There is no incorrect name.”
Pics: IANAT and Getty