Emilia. Help.

[Tea1Sugar]

This is my dd2's name. She's nearly 8 months. I adore the name; the sound, the spelling, the fact it's not too popular. But it bloody drives me nuts when people write down Amelia. I know it's only a subtle difference in sound but I'm always correcting people. She gets Emmy for short. Is she too going to have a lifetime of correcting people or be annoyed with us for choosing it? Wwyd, change it to Amelia before she turns 1 or leave it?

[Eastpoint]

Leave it as Emilia, lovely pretty name & what you chose. Why should you change her name because people don't pay attention to what you've said?

[moxon]

Good god no, don't change it. It's lovely!

[Hakluyt]

"Is she too going to have a lifetime of correcting people "

Yes. If it's driven you nuts after 8 months, imagine how she'll feel after 80 years.

Sorry, but sometimes practicality has to prevail.

[GirlsonFilm]

I've been correcting people on my name (it can be spelt with or without a "i'), doesn't bother me, and Emilia is such a lovely name.

[Lucked]

I have a name spelt with an E which is almost exclusively spelt with an A. Yes I have to correct people but often if it is someone I am just meeting briefly I don't bother, I really don't get worked up about it although my mum used too!

My opinion is that everyone is going to have to tell people the spelling of their name, even Amy has about 3 different spellings, never mind all the Niamh's etc. To only have to say "with an E" like me will actually be easy compared to lots of people.

[burgatroyd]

I much prefer Emilia to Amelia but let's be honest, the difference is subtle.

As Amelia was number one for so long there are lots about. Therefore people will assume its Amelia.

Personally I wouldn't want to change the rarer Emilia for the exceedingly popular Amelia, though its much of a muchness in sound. Also Amelia is a medical condition.

If she's mainly known as Emmy it doesn't matter.

I changed dd2 name as it was confused with another similar more popular name. I changed it to a rarer name, that had less variation in spelling, and wasn't too popular. The second name sounds totally different to the first.



You can get the BC amended before one year.

[austenozzy]

I have a name that is always being misspelled (look at my unimaginative username!). The trick is not to get wound up by it. Unless you have chosen a daft and deliberate alternative modern misspelling, which you haven't, then it's not really anyone's fault that two nice names sound similar.

If you think you can't get past it, then maybe have a rethink on the name choice.

[Bowlersarm]

Leave it. It's a name in it's own right. She may have to correct people now and again but a lot of people have to do that with their names.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Emilia is much more lovely than Amelia, imo and I can hear quite a clear difference between the two.

The problem is how very popular Amelia has been.

I wouldn't change it, personally. Particulalrly not if you are calling her Emmy more often than not.

[burgatroyd]

On a side note, if you did change you could consider Emiliana. Its distinct in its own right. Most people won't know how to spell it and there will be lots of assumptions but she won't be called another similar name.
www.behindthename.com/name/emiliana/comments

It will probably be too ornate for many mumsnetters but its worth considering!

[Mitchy1nge]

I wanted to call my daughter Emilia (conceived during a really shit performance of Othello and I couldn't face Desdemona or Bianca) but we already have a Milia in the family. I don't think you should change it.

[AdorableAbbie]

Leave it, it's unique, I love the name Emilia.

[PestoStormissimos]

It's beautiful, please don't change it

[Hakluyt]

Look.OP. This is going to happen a lot. Forever. The only way to stop it happening is to change her name.

Do you want it to stop happening? Do you want it not to happen to your dd for 80 years? Then change it.

Do you think you will get used to it? Do you think on balance your dd isn't going to mind? Then don't change it. It really is that simple.

[Mitchy1nge]

people get my last name wrong alllllllllllll the fucking time

and it is a really, legendarily, famous name which pretty much everyone has heard of

still don't want to change it

[myotherusernameisbetter]

In my accent Emelia and Amelia sound totally different - maybe you just need to move? :o

[Mouthfulofquiz]

I think it's a lovely name, and Emmy is a gorgeous nickname.
as someone who has a 'not popular but not weird sounding name' everyone gets used to it in the end!

[storytopper]

I know an Emilia in her 40s (not British). Love the name - especially as it is a little bit unusual. She doesn't seem to have a problem with people getting it wrong but maybe that is because I know her through work and we were used to seeing it written down.

[squoosh]

I don't know how Emilia and Amelia can sound 'totally different' in any accent.

[ChickenMe]

Leave it-I think it's nicer than Amelia anyway. I would pronounce the A version "uhmelia" and the E as its spelt. So I think you could emphasize the E and Em sound. It's very European and Emilia Fox is a decent namesake.

[DramaAlpaca]

Definitely leave it. Emilia is a much prettier name than Amelia, and they do sound subtly different to me.

[BikeRunSki]

Leave it. Call get Milly.

[Hakluyt]

How can Emelia be so much "prettier" than Amelia when the OP has stated that nobody appears to be able to tell the difference? And is that element of "prettiness" worth a lifetime of correcting people

[Alisvolatpropiis]

I suppose it might depend on accent as to whether the difference between the two of pronounced or not.