Could the 'Simplified Spelling Board'[1] of 1906 have anything to do with the naming?

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Spelling_Board

Huh, that's an interesting tidbit.

> The Simplified Spelling Board was announced on March 11, 1906, with Andrew Carnegie funding the organization, to be headquartered in New York City.

Some big names here.

> The New York Times noted that Carnegie was convinced that "English might be made the world language of the future"

He wasn't wrong.

> and an influence leading to universal peace,

That's still to be seen.

> but that this role was obstructed by its "contradictory and difficult spelling".

Well now.

It's interesting to scroll through the list of proposed changes; 100+ years later, many of them seem to be the default/correct spelling, but just as many look wrong, even when following the same transformation rules. E.g.: "brasen" -> "brazen" vs. "surprise" -> "surprize".

Thanks for linking this!