Aria (pronunciation)

[bluemoon2468]

Trying to get name suggestions or opinions from my husband is usually like pulling teeth, but out of the blue today he said that he likes the name Aria for a girl. He pronounced it a- (like in apple) ree-uh. I actually think it's really pretty, but I feel like most people would read it as ar-ee-uh or ar-ya and make a Game of Thrones link to Arya Stark. As much as I liked GoT I'm not keen on people thinking I named my child after one of the characters, or giving a child a name that they spend the rest of their lives correcting people on. My husband says that in a few years time everyone will have forgotten about GoT and so it won't be as relevant. Opinions please? How would you read this name? Would anyone read it as a-ree-uh at first glance?

[UserThenLotsOfNumbers]

Argh-re-ar
Nice name but reminds me of Pretty Little Liars?

[FluffyEggsontoast]

Lovely name
More mainstream now so probably won’t have too many problems with pronounciation

[SheilaHammond]

Aria pronounced Are ree ya. Like in an opera. You could have Arriety like in The Borrowers.

[CoffeeRunner]

Arr-ee-a is how I would pronounce it without being told otherwise.

Lovely name.

[Aragog]

I'd initially pronounce it as Ah-ree-uh(a)

If told a different way I'd try my best to remember that way though.

[misspiggy19]

Ah-ree-uh

[BertrandRussell]

It’s a word pronounced are-ree-ah.

[user1493494961]

I'd pronounce it like the opera. I think it could be pronounced several different ways so I would avoid it.

[Batqueen]

Are-ee-uh, even without GOT because of the operatic connections. It’s a very pretty name and quite popular now but no one will pronounce it the way your husband does.

[mumderland]

I know an Aria and it's pronounced Ar-ree-ah Like in opera

[BackforGood]

When I looked, I said it like you describe your dh saying it.
With an 'a' for 'apple' sound.

[userabcname]

I like it and it was on the shortlist for both dc (but both were boys).

[CodenameVillanelle]

It's a long A pronounced like a musical aria. Nobody would pronounce it Arry-ah with a short A

[Cohle]

Ah-ree-uh

It's a word isn't it - the songs in an opera? So I think most people will default to pronouncing it that way.

[BackforGood]

Well, clearly they would, @CodenameVillanelle, or the OP wouldn't have started the thread - her dh being the first person

I live in a City with names from all sorts of cultures and countries and then also an awful lot of awful made up names. You can't 'assume' anything.

[GreaterSpottedFemale]

Ah-ree-uh

[CodenameVillanelle]

Ok, maybe a few would, but if the vast majority are going to pronounce a name one way, it's a little unfair to try to impose a different pronunciation.
Obviously that doesn't necessarily apply if you're naming from a non English speaking background but it's still kinder to pick a name that English natives will know how to pronounce if the child will be raised here.

[AndAnotherNameChanger]

I'd say it like the piece of music - that's the only connotation it has for me (never watched GoT) and as such I think it's a lovely name

[bluemoon2468]

Thanks so much for all of your replies. As I expected most people would pronounce it with a long a sound. As a follow up, can anyone happen to think of an alternative spelling which might indicate a short a pronunciation?

Another option would be to use the name Ariella (which I also think is beautiful) and perhaps use Aria as a nickname - the pronunciation would be a bit more obvious if it came from the name Ariella? And it would avoid making up a name, which I don't really like.

[MikeUniformMike]

I say it as Ahr-ya

Maria is nice.

[SundayMorningSun]

Arria would suggest a short A.

It is a real name - an ancient Roman one.

You'll probably still get some confusion with Aria, but Arria could potentially be nice, if rare.

[SundayMorningSun]

Ariella is nice, though - I knew a lovely Ariella.

[Poorolddaddypig]

Ariana, Ariana, Ariadne all have the short A sound. I worry Arria will just look like a spelling mistake now Aria is getting popular.

[Poorolddaddypig]

Oops! Second name meant to say ‘Ariane’

[stellabelle]

Where I live, it is an acronym for the Australian Record Industry Awards. Still pronounced are -ee-uh though. An aria is a song in opera .