Accent ruining all our name choices.

[mangoespadrille]

DP and I, and both our extended families, are Manchester born and bred and speak accordingly (think The Royle Family, Gallagher brothers, Coronation Street etc.) DD1 is on the way in January and we're trying to think of a name. The problem is the huge number of names around at the moment ending in -ee -ia and -a sounds. We like a lot of them but, when said aloud in our accents, they sound terrible; for example, at the antenatal clinic yesterday there was a lady with girls called Lexi (Lex-eh) and Olivia (Olivi -uh).

We don't like the current trend for "old lady" names (I have one despite being born in the 80s and have never liked it). Any ideas? Do you think our accent matters or am I over thinking this?

[MiddletonPink]

Yes I think certain accents can ruin a name!

I wouldn't choose a name with an ie ending personally. Unless you are going to continually correct the pronunciation.

[mangoespadrille]

I feel like the world's biggest snob for admitting it; we're both from lovely working class families, both first to go to uni, now have professional jobs. Our daughter will, I imagine, have a middle class upbringing and need an appropriate name, but don't want to betray our roots with something pretentious. But every name seems so loaded with connotations (or is that just my English degree talking?) I speak as someone with a cousin named Mercedes. DP has a cousin who moved to London for uni at 18 and never returned, now has a daughter named Hermione, which seems equally inappropriate due to its "poshness". Any suggestions?

[postmanpatscat]

Seems to me you can't go wrong with something like Helen, Jane or Joanne.

[enWoooquethesythebearingwizard]

How about something very simple such as Anna?

[MrsMarigold]

my DD has a lovely name but when I heard my niece say it I almost wept so I understand - how about names ending in "T" Juliet, Harriet, Lisette or names like Florence which isn't really old lady

[MrsCurrent]

Difficult one as even if you both said it correctly then friends/family/school would soon ruin it. I'm from Manchester myself so understand completely what you mean. How about something like Alexis or kerys that doesn't show the accent at all?

[MiddletonPink]

What about Florence, Grace, Annabel, Madeleine, Rose, Lulu, Charlotte.

[MrsCurrent]

Kate, Louise, Madison, Madeleine. Just saying all the girl's names I can think of in my head!

[Artandco]

I think avoid twee endings such as 'a' or 'ie' or 'y'

So instead of Estella, Estelle works fine for example

Linnet
Gretal
Quinn
Estelle
Nell
Elizabeth
Isabel
Heidi

[loopylou9]

I'm from Manchester too and had to consider how names would sound when said by certain family members who have strong accents and also consider how names will sound by their friends when they're 5.

I liked the name Eva but in a Manc accent it could sound bad.

Also Ethan said by their friends could be Efan. But that could happen in any part of the world.

There's lot of names that still sound nice tho but I agree the accent is a consideration to be made and it can limit your choice.

[CaptainSinker]

How about something simple and "go anywhere" like Emma, Kate, Mary, Laura, Lauren, Sarah.

[CaptainSinker]

Or Elizabeth. Lots of great nicknames too!

[loopylou9]

Captain Stinker - as a Manc I think I'm allowed to say this but Emma, Laura and Sarah are definite no nos as all end in 'a'.
Yes some Mancunians speak nicely but a lot will pronounce Emma as Emm-ahhh.

I love my kids names and they are totally Manc-proof but I'd like to stay anonymous

[Catsmamma]

I used to wonder why my mancunian relatives all had R as a first initial, if no one was going to bother to use the actual name.

[Lucked]

Florence might get Florrie.

Elizabeth with Beth as a nickname. Names ending in bel rather than bella.
Eve
Rachel
Grace
Carys/Charis
Juliet
Charlotte

[CrispyFern]

Yes Rose is perfect. Classless. Accent can't spoil it. Ageless.

[Jennifersrabbit]

As someone who grew up in Brum with a brother named James I think yes accents do have an impact

don't think this affected my parents decision to move 300 miles north

I think girls names are more prey to connotations and there are less neutral ones than boys - so if you also don't want the ie or a ending it's a struggle.

But thinking about my kids school (v mixed, families from everywhere on the social spectrum), how about Anna, Rose, Alice, Katherine, Ruth, Elizabeth, Emily, Meg/ Megan?

It's not easy - agree with others there may be scope for a 70s throwback - Helen, Clare?

[BlueBrightBlue]

Why are we so ashamed of our regional accents?

Does it make us "common"?

Even the queen has an accent.

[wingcommandergallic]

It's not shame, just an acknowledgement that some sounds aren't as attractive in some accents.

Worst I ever heard was Maisie in a strong Wigan accent.
I live in Essex now and would avoid names with TH in them like the plague.

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

'Rose'? Have you never watched Coronation St??

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

I like the name Rose btw but can't help think of Row-seh Webster.

[saintsandpoets]

As someone who grew up in Manchester, I whole heartedly agree. I have lived all over the world, and now have a very neutral, soft accent with short vowel sounds. DH went to Harrow, and has the typical accent you would expect, so he has influenced me largely, as did the 7 years we lived in New York.

My own name ends in TY and -teh sound, or worse - dropping the T all together - was infuriating for me. TEE please!

Only solution is to move OP . No problems now I live in London.

[MaryWestmacott]

oh I feel your pain, south manchester upbringing with some Liverpudlians in the family, giving a slight twist onthe accent that can lead to some 'a' ending names sounding like they are ended with an 'o'. (Emma would get "Em-moh") The 'a' sound becomes very harsh rather than soft in the rest of the country.

Ones that might sound nice that aren't too 'old lady':
Esther
Heather
Eloise
Harriet
Astrid
Grace
(although I love a good old lady name, and a super posh one if only DH would let me!)

Oh and I wouldn't worry too much about the Middle Class name issue - people in your family might roll eyes for a few minutes, but then that will just be your little girls name. Don't worry about betraying your roots, if you are both middle class professionals, then that's the culture this little girl will be raised in, albeit with WC extended family. Pick a name that will suit her the girl/woman she will be, not one that her great grandparents might have thought their great granddaughter would be. (hope that makes sense).

[saintsandpoets]

Catsmamma Forgive me, but I don't understand your post. You're not telling me that you have relatives that go by 'obert, 'achel, and 'osie - are you?

Can't think of a single Mancunian that drops Rs at the start of names. Could you be thinking of Hs?

[cloudydays123]

I have been thinking this through for you by saying names in my head in a Manc accent. The way I get into the accent is to say "I'm Noel Gallagher". So I have been sitting here, mentally saying, in my best Manc,

"I'm Noel Gallagher. Ellie."
"I'm Noel Gallagher. Louise."
"I'm Noel Gallagher. Harriet."
"I'm Noel Gallagher. Estelle."
"I'm Noel Gallagher. Margaret."

I wonder what this would look like on a brain-reading-machine thingy?

Anyway. If you hate the "Ell-eh" thing so much, it's pretty easy to avoid those sounds, but you would have to be careful to pick a very short name that won't automatically go to a "-eh" (ie) abbreviation once your child is out and about at school etc.

Do you have any foreign connections, on your side or DP's? That is one way to sidestep the whole class issue. Just say "it's his Spanish grandmother's name" or something.

I think there are class-neutral names but they aren't trendy (which tend towards either the Hermione or the Kaydelle). I am thinking of things like: Jane, Sarah, Mary, (Mar-eh?), Helen, Joanna, that sort of thing. Maybe someone will be along now to tell me that these actually are all a. posh; b; common; c. old-lady. Oh well