Baby names you wouldn't choose because of regional accents

[bez91]

Just for fun really... no offence intended!

Is there any names you think sound better in a certain UK accent and if you'd avoid using them because they sound awful in some accents?

Example. We live in the midlands and did quite like the name Leo, it would just be that pronounced short and sweet however in-laws are from West Yorkshire who stereotypically like to hold onto their o's. So it would be Lee-oooooooooooooo

I also think Rafe sounds the best in a north east accent!

Interested to hear more!

[pinkandstripey]

Danny Dyer saying 'wall/wuhl' makes me want to throw things, so I guess Will would be similar in a strong east end accent.

I live in the midlands, and both my children have names ending in y/ie sounds. A y/ie in these parts is often pronounced 'eh', like rug-beh, sal-eh. It doesn't bother me, I think it's quite endearing, but it's not how I imagined the names pronounced if that makes sense?

[GoodbyePorpoiseSpit]

We live in Essex - I wanted Arthur for my DS but it would be pronounced Arfa so we went with something else.
To be fair my own kids would have said Arfa - kids do seem to struggle with the ‘th’ in names IMO!

[ArthurShelbysTash]

I love Hester. I live in the north east but am not a native. They drop their "h". I do not love Ester.

[bez91]

Tania/Tanya

Up north it would be Tan-ya and south Tarn-ya

[SuperbGorgonzola]

I really liked Cara or Cora for a girl but in our accent, broader speakers roll their Rs and I wouldn't have liked the sound of it.

We also have different at sounds so names like Jake and Amy sound like Jeeke and Eemy

[NannyR]

I love Katie but the "t" sound would be lost with a particular West Yorkshire accent.

[Zofloratheexplora]

I was at a uni with someone from Rochdale. It use to make me wince when he pronounced my name Sarah as Serrr-ruh.

I love Hector but my East end relatives will pronounce it as Ekta.

[DepuisToujours]

I'm near London. Arthur / arfa doesn't bother me actually. I kind of like it actually! My own accent is bonkers, as I've moved around a lot.

I love the names Theodore and Theodora, but if I ever get to use them, I'd shorten to Ted / Teddy, as Theo / Thea become Fee-o / Fee-ah in some London accents. Fee-ah is also how some Londoners say the word fear, so I don't know if I'd like that. That said, it hasn't entirely put me off the names. I'd still consider using either one.

[troppibambini]

My step daughter loved Marni for a girl but lives in Wigan and couldn't have it because family would call her our Marni a lot (ar-Marni).

[Terriblecreature]

I am Scottish and cannot say Carl properly at all. In fact all my work mates are the same - we work with a Carl whom is based down south. When we say it l, it sounds like Carol lol

[SionnachRua]

I have a lot of English in laws with non-rhotic accents (or adding an r, as some people would say). I couldn't use any name where they'd add in an r sound, it would drive me absolutely cracked listening to it! Ditto Th- names due to the possibility of that being pronounced F.

[DepuisToujours]

Yes, true re non-rhotic accents here in England. Theodore would actually be feeyadaw in some accents where I live. Wouldn't necessarily put me off still.

Irish names, like Cormac, Saoirse or Lorcan though, do sound very different without the r sound in the middle. So that needs to be considered.

[DappledThings]

@bez91

Tania/Tanya

Up north it would be Tan-ya and south Tarn-ya

I'm as Southern as they come and say glahss, bahth, grahss etc. I would still say Tanya and not Tahnya though.

Which is admittedly inconsistent because my SIL calls my nephew Alexander and I call him Alexahnder.

[DappledThings]

Not UK but my other SIL lives in New Zealand. Her first choice boy's name was Ben but she hated that it would be Bin.

And I'm watching all of ER at the moment and been reminded that I had watched it for years before I realised Dr Weaver's first name is Kerry and not Carrie.

[DryIce]

More national that regional, but i always loved the name Helena (hell-ay-na), but couldnt use it here where the default pronunciation is Helen-a.

Similarly Eleanor which I would say Elen-ore, rther than Elen-a

[BlackLambAndGreyFalcoln]

Also not UK, but I can't stand the US pronunciation of Astrid with the strong emphasis on the first syllable.

[Mammyloveswine]

Hubby wanted Lucas... we live in Newcastle... Loo..cuus is often bellowed in the park

[Hoppinggreen]

We are in West Yorkshire
We didn’t go for names with a T in as these tend to get lost but our surname ends ter and is often “uh” instead . DS has an ar at the end of his name that tend to be an “uh” too

[1940s]

@bez91

Tania/Tanya

Up north it would be Tan-ya and south Tarn-ya

They are two separate names though?

[1940s]

Londoner and couldn't use Ottilie or Otto as the T's are a big risk of being dropped and would butcher the name!

Also Cockney rhyming slang renders some names useless like Toby (Toby Jug- Mug)

[MyNameIsAlexDrake]

As someone has already mentioned Carl in Scotland. Impossible for most of us to say without calling the poor bloke Carol.

Also in Dundee Emma would be an unfortunate name to have as it sounds like "I am" in the Dundee accent.

[TyroTerf]

I met a woman who regretted calling her daughter Hope, because in the local accent it sounds like Urp. Her own name had a T in the middle and she hated people replacing it with a glottal stop.

[lalafafa]

anything beginning with H in Yorkshire, would be dropped.

[1940s]

@MyNameIsAlexDrake

As someone has already mentioned Carl in Scotland. Impossible for most of us to say without calling the poor bloke Carol.

Also in Dundee Emma would be an unfortunate name to have as it sounds like "I am" in the Dundee accent.

How can Emma sound like 'I am' that's totally baffled me!

[MikeUniformMike]

Wanted Mary but didn't use it as my side of the family would have said it as Merry