Zoë

[TimefIies]

Just thinking about the name Zoë - do you think it would be a hassle to have a name with an umlaut/accent? Would it be better to spell it Zoe?

With databases, if you initially registered as Zoë, would it say Zoe was a mismatch? Just trying to think if it would be a hindrance.

[holeinmyheart]

I have a unusual Foreign name and I think most English people struggle with the pronunciation and spelling of it. Unless you are residing permanently in a country where they would normally use a umlaut then I would leave it off.
Otherwise The recipient of the name will always be asking for it to be added. It is a bit of an affectation.
Just to add I have known some really nice People named Zoe.

[TallulahTwinkletoes]

I have an é on one the e's in my name. No fucker uses it.

It's correct to have it so I probably would but I'd expect no one to use it.

[ProbablyMe]

I have the ë on my name. Always ends up as e on computer entered forms. Doesn't particularly bother me though - it's a short name and the dots enhance it a bit!

[ArchangelGallic]

There's a Zoe in my family (with the dots whose name I can't remember but it's not an umlaut).
Not aware it's a problem but my phone doesn't recognise it!

[TimefIies]

I've looked it up - apparently it's called a trema. It wouldn't bother me if people did or didn't include the trema, but I suppose it might bother our child.

I'm wondering more if it would cause problems when someone is trting to look up the name.

We have a surname that people often think is double barrelled, or the last part is the surname. When checking in at a hotel or for an appointment I quite often give my name as "Timeflies" but people assume it is "Flies" and look it up under the wrong letter...

Maybe I'm overthinking it waiting for baby to arrive, who might be a boy anyway!

[QueenofKelsingra]

DS1 has an accent on one of his letters. without it the name would be pronounced incorrectly. yes we get lots of letters/cards without it but DS knows it should be there and close friends and family know (although some get the accent the wrong way!)

Personally it annoys me to see Zoe/Chloe/Eloise without the accents - to me they read 'z-oh/cl-oh/el-lwarse' rather that Zoey/chloey/el-low-eese (if you can get your head around my phonics!!)

The girls name we are considering for possible DC4 also has a trema and it would not occur to us not to use it - its how you spell the name! Our boys name is also a complicated spelling (silent letters) with an anglisized version available but we will be using the original spelling as we are of the nationality of the name.

I don't get on board with the 'make it easier for everyone' idea, soon we will have no cultural names left, we will all be Jane or John! ( do have big issues with u-neeq names for the hell of it though!!)

[WhatWouldTheDoctorDo]

Re: databases, it's definitely an issue in our work one if the person is recorded with the dots and you type in Zoe without them in the search.

It's a lovely name though - it was on my list (but had a DS)

[TimefIies]

I've decided I'm overthinking it, as most searches seem to use a reference number, a postcode or a surname as a starting point, and our surname is weird- unique enough, that if that's entered correctly, there'll probably only be one person listed.

Everyone's telling me it'll be a boy anyway, but we'll find out in a fortnight or so!

[chrome100]

I think it would be strange to include an accent that English doesn't have. Everyone knows how Zoe is pronounced, it seems a bit unnecessary.

[Blackforestdonuts]

My daughter has an umlaut over the e - we live in Germany. It's hit and miss as to whether the umlaut is included on official documents (Uk passport, insurance cards etc).

[BackforGood]

I think if you are in UK, or other English speaking nation, and aren't looking to include the cultural heritage of one of her parents (like Queen is,which makes it different IMO) then you should go for just Zoe, with no dots. They aren't part of our language so it's just going to confuse people for no gain.
It's a lovely name though.

[dinodiva]

I'm a Zoë. I don't find an accent a hassle as such, although it annoys me when people can't be arsed / don't have the courtesy to spell my name properly. More people do now than when I was younger though so perhaps accents are more common. To me, Zoe just looks wrong!

[Brummiegirl15]

I'm a Sian and I'm supposed to have a hat over the a to make it the "aarrr" sound but I never use it. No one ever uses it apart from my family and it's not on any of my documentation had I wouldn't even know how to do it on a keyboard!!

So hence I don't use it but only because I wouldn't know how which is a shit reason really

[OhMyActualDays]

My Zoe doesn't have the dots, we didn't really see the point in complicating things. And we pretty much just call her Zo anyway!