Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Help me find a Greek girl's name

91 replies

echonarcissus · 19/07/2012 00:02

Hello all, I'm new to mumsnet and expecting DD2 shortly. I want her to have a Greek name like DD1 but I want one that people can pronounce in the UK (we live in the UK but are from Greece).

DD1 (age 6) is called Xanthe and no one here can pronounce it so she is always called 'Zanthe' rather thank 'Ksanthi'. I know that X is pronounced Z in the UK but am surprised that people apply that to a foreign name. Especially as the X sound exists in the English lanuage, ie 'tax' and 'box'.

So this time I want a Greek name that Britsh people can pronounce. My ideas so far are:

Thalia
Arianna

And that's as far as I have got despite wasting hours thinking about it Grin.

I have lurked here for ages and you all seem friendly, wise and honest. What do you think of the two names? Can you suggest any others?

Thanks all

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Tigertots · 19/07/2012 17:35

I luuuurve the name Andriana; it's one of my absolute favourites.

And of course, Melissa = Greek, too. I can remember wishing I could be called Melissa, when I was little.

ooma · 19/07/2012 16:06

By the way I love the name Arianna -
Thalia ok - but depending on where you live could be pronounced with an F!
My daughter is a Yolanda and I have come across Spanish,Polish and Greek Yolanda's

Best of luck ooma (yaya of Yolanda's twins)

ripsishere · 19/07/2012 16:02

Elena
Crystalla
Zoe
Helen are all names of the girls in my DDs friends family. Mums is called Anna.

Maryz · 19/07/2012 16:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ooma · 19/07/2012 15:55

Eleni
Katerina
Stella
Zoe
Persephone
Marina
Jocasta
Zulieka (Persian/Greek)
Melina

MrsGubbins · 19/07/2012 15:49

Khyrah

Coconutty · 19/07/2012 15:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JennerOSity · 19/07/2012 15:14

How about Charis? It means Grace.

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 19/07/2012 15:13

Yolanda is Greek I think. It's also the name I would use in the highly unlikely event that I was to have another baby (and it was a girl!). I love it.

GeeandTee · 19/07/2012 15:10

Zoe?

belgo · 19/07/2012 14:54

Why do you have a problem with your dd's name being pronounced the english way? My dd's name is pronounced differently in english as it is in flemish, and I don't have any problem with that at all, neither does she. Both pronunciations are acceptable.

TruthSweet · 19/07/2012 14:51

I have an Alethea and a Callia and will soon have an Eris. Probably they are hideously out of style or pretentiously obscure even in Greece but DH & I love them.

BlueChampagne · 19/07/2012 13:39

Olga

Nemonemo · 19/07/2012 13:26

Echo is sooooo cute!!

SouthBySouthWest · 19/07/2012 13:02

I really like Phaedra. That would go well with Xanthe.

mumnosbest · 19/07/2012 12:38

I went to school with a girl whos name was pronounced Tay thee a but spelt with an x. Is that greek? Lovely name either way.

squoosh · 19/07/2012 12:32

I would never have know that Xanthe shouldn't be pronounced Zanthe. I automatically pronounce words begininng with an X as Z e.g. xylophone, xanadu (not x-ray though obv)

redrubyshoes · 19/07/2012 12:04

OP what about your user name?

Echo.

anicecuppatea · 19/07/2012 12:02

The names from Captain Corelli's Mandolin spring to my mind i.e. Pelagia (like a pp already mentioned) and Lemoni.

redrubyshoes · 19/07/2012 11:42

Pelagia

MattDamonIsMyLover · 19/07/2012 11:39

Marina
Olympia
Irina
Athena

EverybodyKnows · 19/07/2012 11:33

I have a friend who is named Vassiliki and her nn is Vassy, which I find really nice.

Stellan · 19/07/2012 11:32

Alexandra?
Penelope?
Cassandra?
Maia?
Melissa?
Phoebe?
Samia?
Thisbe?
Lilaia?
Thebe?
Iris?
Hebe?
Eulalia?
Melia?
Doris?
Echo?
Evadne?
Ione?
Selene?
Daphne?
Leda?
Melaina?
Hero?
Hestia?
Hermione?

Stellan · 19/07/2012 11:27

Xanthe is a 'foreign' name but it is also one that is used from time to time in the UK, where it is roughly pronounced ZAN-theh.There are several Xanthes listed in the Telegraph's birth announcements, most with English surnames and with mums and dads named Eleanor and Timothy, Felicity and Richard, Anna and Will, etc. Since Xanthe is in occasional use in the UK by British parents who use the 'British' pronunciation, this explains the difficulties you are having in getting people to pronounce your daughter's name as you desire. To avoid this problem with your second daughter, choose a name that is either not used in the UK or which is pronounced identically in both languages.

diavlo · 19/07/2012 11:08

Phoebe?

Swipe left for the next trending thread