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Baby names

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Original poster

Esme - correct pronounciation?

35 replies

kaymondo · 27/03/2012 16:40

Is it Es-mee or Es-may?

I always say Es-may but not sure if that's right. Quite like it for a girl but need to make sure I'm sayimg it properly before I mention it to DH!

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stayfree · 29/03/2012 15:27

We have an Esme and pronounce it Es-mee. Everyone i have ever met of heard of with the name has pronounced it Es-mee aswell, although we do get the odd person calling her Es-may but it doesnt really bother me. I didn't actually think it was french, i thought it was a shortened form of Esmerelda as there are some old ladies with the name and they pronounce it Es-mee aswell. I find some people have never heard of it, whereas others are quite familiar with it..

cece · 29/03/2012 14:22

`I know about 5 Esmes. Only 1 pronounces it Esmay, the rest are all Es-mee.

My Esme is an Es-mee pronouciation, as is the other girl in her school and my friend's daughter. Mine is 11 years old and she does have people say it the other way at times. TBH she doesn't mind, so now I tend to correct them once and leave them to get on with it. Smile

AnaisB · 29/03/2012 14:16

I didn't know that diavlo. Just out of interest, does the Scottish version have a different meaning?

diavlo · 29/03/2012 14:12

My 7yr old is Esme (pr es-mee), but I'm Scottish and it's considered to be an old Scottish name, but French if it has the accent.

AnaisB · 29/03/2012 12:59

Esme (prounounced ez may, name can be with or without accentand may have an extra "e" to indicate feminine) is an antiquated French word meaning "beloved."

Esme is also a short form of Esmeralda or Esmerelda - I guess than you could pronounce it either way. (I prefer ez mee.)

Alligatorpie · 29/03/2012 04:44

www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Esme

I would say Ez-mee. I really like it.

2ombie5layer · 28/03/2012 14:51

Ive only met one Esme and she was EsMAY. She has just turned 4. I didnt know it had a twilight connection either.

MoonHare · 28/03/2012 14:43

I would assume it was Es-Mee and have no idea what the twighlight connection is???

efffy · 28/03/2012 13:37

All the Esme's round here (SW England) are pronounced Ez-mee. Pretty name Smile

FoofFighter · 28/03/2012 09:07

Ezmay.

SoupDragon · 28/03/2012 09:00

Ezmee

Ezmay sounds pretentious to me.

javotte · 28/03/2012 08:12

I'd pronounce it Es-may.
It's definitely not a "modern" French name. The only Esme I've ever met in France was in fact an Esmeralda.

sleepywombat · 28/03/2012 06:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mummytime · 28/03/2012 05:54

In the posh SE it has always been pronounced Es mee, for all the little girls I know with this name. Es may sounds more American or pretentious to me, sorry.

sleepywombat · 28/03/2012 05:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

anonymosity · 28/03/2012 03:58

I love it and I wouldn't worry about Twilight, that will all be forgotten in about 12 months (I live in hope)

SodoffBaldrick · 28/03/2012 03:09

I really cringe when I hear Esme pronounced 'Es-mee'.

If the name's not French, then what is is? I wouldn't pronounce Renée as 'Renny' or paté as 'patty'.

Out of interest, is the Es-mee pronunciation a UK thing? Never heard it anywhere else.

welovesausagedogs · 27/03/2012 22:31

Ezmay

usingapseudonym · 27/03/2012 21:54

South coast here - I know 3 Es-mes but recently met an Es-may at a toddler group. Hadn't actually realised that was an alternative pronunciation so it initially sounded "wrong" to my ears.

babyblabber · 27/03/2012 20:54

i'm in ireland but have never, ever heard esmee, ugh! my niece is esme pronounced es-may which i think is so cute!

DoubleGlazing · 27/03/2012 20:37

Ezz-mee. Not a pretty sound to my ears I'm afraid!

survivingspring · 27/03/2012 20:31

I had an Auntie Esme who was Es - may but my friend has an Es -mee so I seriously annoyed her for a while mispronouncing it out of habit! I do much prefer the Es - may pronunciation but it is a pretty name either way.

ShowOfHands · 27/03/2012 17:04

This thread crops up a lot with a lot of arguments ensuing. Particularly about whether it's French (it isn't) and whether it should have an accent (again I think not but not 100%) on that.

It's a beautiful name but does divide people.

Greythorne · 27/03/2012 17:03

Ez - mee

bamboobutton · 27/03/2012 17:02

i have an esme and pronounce it ezmay. i knew an esme when i was a child and she pronounced it ezmay too.

i didn't bother with an accent over the E though.