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Inès or Mia?

96 replies

NameChange30 · 10/01/2020 21:30

Which name do you prefer: Inès (with or without the accent) or Mia?

We are a French/English family, living in England, so the name needs to work in both languages. I think Mia is easier to pronounce and spell. I worry that a lot of English speakers might struggle with Inès?

(Don't even know whether I'm expecting a girl yet - it's very early days - but I'm struggling with first trimester exhaustion, nausea and anxiety, and shortlisting baby names is cheering me up Smile)

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PlantPotting · 10/01/2020 21:32

I prefer Mia 🙈

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PlantPotting · 10/01/2020 21:32

Sorry not sure what the emoji means

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Chocolateandchats · 10/01/2020 21:34

Mia is lovely. I’d struggle to pronounce Ines (out of interest In-s or In-e-s?).

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NameChange30 · 10/01/2020 21:38

In-ess (rhymes with finesse)

Thanks chocolate, you have answered my question about whether people will know how to pronounce it Grin

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Ginbauble · 10/01/2020 21:49

Love Ines.

Loads of little Mias here, it's very common.

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RickOShay · 10/01/2020 21:53

I absolutely love Ines. It’s just so lovely.
Mia is sweet but there are quite a few of Mia/Mayas.
I would definitely choose Ines.

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sue51 · 10/01/2020 21:57

Ines is lovely, Mia is lovely too though there are quite a few around now.

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Ikeameatballs · 10/01/2020 21:59

Ines

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mammmamia · 10/01/2020 21:59

I love Ines. I thought it was pronounced Inez though not with a soft s?
I really don’t like the name Mia despite my user name Grin
It’s a bit wet - prefer stronger names

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FramingDevice · 10/01/2020 22:00

Inès. Mia is pretty but ten a penny at the moment.

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funmummy48 · 10/01/2020 22:03

Love Inès. It's unusual but not eyewateringly incomprehensible.

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HalfManHalfLabrador · 10/01/2020 22:04

I thought Ines was pronounced Inez also. I think you will be forever correcting people

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CointreauVersial · 10/01/2020 22:04

Ines is tricky in the UK. DD2 had a friend at primary school called Ines - she was actually Spanish, and nobody could quite get the pronounciation right (a soft "zh" at the end, not "ss"). If that doesn't worry you, then it's a pretty name, less ubiquitous than Mia.

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RooKangaroo · 10/01/2020 22:04

Definitely Ines.

And I would pronounce it 'eye-nezz', with emphasis on the 'nezz'.

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CointreauVersial · 10/01/2020 22:07

I think it's "i-nezh", emphasis on the second syllable. The "zh" is a bit like the g sound in "beige"

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Meltedicicle · 10/01/2020 22:10

Ines was on my list for DD2 although I’ve only ever heard it pronounced In-ez. Beautiful name.

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MyNewBearTotoro · 10/01/2020 22:11

I love Ines and the pronunciation seems straightforward to me. On that note I never know how to pronounce Mia -
have seen it used as Me-uh, My-uh and May-uh!

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NameChange30 · 10/01/2020 22:13

The first syllable really is not pronounced "eye", it's "ee"

And the second syllable is not pronounced anything like "beige" at all

If it's not "ess" (the way the French pronounce it) it would be a soft "zh" (the Spanish way) as Cointreau describes.

I don't think I can use it. The pronunciation issues would drive me mad.

Shame because it's lovely Sad

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NameChange30 · 10/01/2020 22:14

MyNewBear
Lol! I am very sure it's Me-ah.
Others might disagree 🤷🏻‍♀️

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SinkGirl · 10/01/2020 22:19

I love Ines but it reminds me of Midnight In Paris (not sure that’s a great connection given the character!)

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NameChange30 · 10/01/2020 22:44

Meh. I watched the film but can't remember anything about it apart from that I disliked it.

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Chocolateandchats · 11/01/2020 00:47

@NameChange30 sorry about that 🙈 Rhyming with finesse it’s actually really pretty.

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SemperIdem · 11/01/2020 00:49

Ines.

I’ve never been entirely sure how to pronounce it, until you explained. I think it is very pretty and ageless because it is unusual.

Mia is lovely too but there is a lot of them. It will date.

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daisypond · 11/01/2020 09:42

Ines, definitely.

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daisypond · 11/01/2020 09:45

Meant to add, with the accent, it’s clear you are using the French spelling and pronunciation with the -ess sound at the end, and not the Spanish pronunciation.

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