Thea

[rek21]

After much debate dh and I have agreed on Thea Rebekah for dd2, who is due to arrive any minute (dd1 is Eve Oriel for comparison purposes). However, since we have started telling people about this a few things are starting to niggle;

1. people ask what it is short for. It is dorothea, but we have no intention of using the whole name although we like the meaning (gift of god).
   
2. people pronounce it th-ay-a when we intend th-ee-a
   
3. some people have said 'oh that's different' as though we'd chosen fifi trixibelle or something.
   
   So, should I stick to my guns or will I, and possibly she, be driven insane by endlessly repeating, 'actually, it's th-ee-a'.

[bluebump]

Stick to your guns, it is one of my all time favourite girls names - I wanted to call my DC Thea but they have both been DS's so I went for Theo instead!

I pronounce it th-ee-a the same as you do.

[ShowOfHandsNoLongerKissesKunes]

You only have to remind people of the pronunciation once and they should remember. All the important people will cotton on straight away. Otherwise, it's a second of your life to correct somebody.

I'm surprised people have commented on how different it is. It's really common round these here parts.

Dorothea is beautiful. I love it.

[spicemonster]

Theeee-ah is how it's pronounced. It's a gorgeous name

[MrsMattie]

I think Thea is lovely. Stick to your guns.

[Flappythebat]

Thea is a beautiful name, don't change it!

[pointydog]

it's ok. People will soon get used to it.

[rek21]

bluebump - our reasoning was the opposite, i.e. no ds to call Theo!

Thanks for the encouragement everyone, I guess I'm being oversensitive, it's just that we also have one of those surnames that you have to automatically spell, so I'm loathe to add another layer of complication!

[bluebump]

rek21

[randomname]

Love it, its not that unusual now and i'm suprised people have questioned it, Stick with it (my dd was so nearly thea!)

[jellybeans]

It's a gorgeous name, you can't go wrong.

[amidaiwish]

love it. i know a couple of Theas, don't know anyone who has a pronounciation problem.

i wanted it for DD2 but dh didn't. also as they have an unusual surname i thought it was only fair to go for very "normal" (boring) first names...

[cheekster]

I love the name Thea, couldnt use it with our surname though - Smith!

Too many th's!

[hester]

Stick to your guns - Thea is a beautiful name.

[namechangecosfeelingsad]

Lovely.

[SamJamsmum]

Thea is lovely and it's obvious how it should be pronounced. Stick to your guns but I would perhaps stop telling people in advance. People are less likely to be rude when a real gorgeous baby is in front of them.

[FfreckleFface]

It's beautiful, defintely stick to your guns.

It was one of my faves when we were picking a name for little Ff. I thought that she could pick between Thea and Dora for a nickname, and, also, Middlemarch is one of my most loved books.

[jennifersofia]

Love it.

[JulesJules]

I love it, it is a beautiful name - I am biased as dd is Thea.

FWIW, I have never had anyone mispronounce it, (I think the pronounciation should be obvious, tbh). No one has ever asked if it is short for Dorothea or Theodora.

I don't know any other Theas, it is definitely unusual round here, but people always say what a lovely name it is. Agree with Samjamsmum about not telling people in advance - they are more likely to be rude about your choice! Learnt that the hard way with dd1...

[ShowOfHandsNoLongerKissesKunes]

I'm in Norfolk lockets. I go to 2 toddler groups, Theas at both of them, a woman in the hospital when I had dd called her dd Thea and a lady in our village has a Thea.

Also hear it occasionally at the park. There are a lot of Florences/Florries here too. But it's Norfolk, nobody ever leaves our little circle of villages and we genuinely believe there are only 10 names to choose from. Cows, however, hundreds of names for cows.

[rek21]

Right, that's decided it then, thanks a lot everyone. I have to say I didn't think it was a particularly controversial choice, so was surprised myself when eyebrows were raised. I don't know any other Theas (except for someone I haven't seen since uni who gave me the idea in the first place), but then we don't know any other Eves (or Evies) and I know that in some parts of the world you can't bung a brick without bashing an Evie (not that I'm advocating throwing stones at children of course).

JulesJules and Samjamsmum you are dead right, never tell people in advance, they feel they can come right out with the first thing that comes into their heads. Why is that? Its the same as the way that people feel that when you are pregnant they can say, 'blimey, you're huge' or 'was it planned?' Sorry, that's a rant for another thread...

ShowofHands, I'm in East Anglia too, but round here its Phoebe or nothing...Not even any cows where I live for inspiration...

[Lizzylou]

OOh, Thea was DS2's "name", lovely lovely and very pretty, without being twee.
it just didn't suit him

[wotulookinat]

Thea is one of my middle names. I pronounce it thee-a too.