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Baby names

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Original poster

What do you think of Athene?

35 replies

saschamiles · 26/07/2012 12:58

Hello All

Any thoughts on Athene for my soon to be daughter?

Be gentle.....

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manicinsomniac · 28/07/2012 23:44

I know a 9 year old Athene. I doubt she'll ever come across another.

Great, uncommon name.

Kaloobear · 27/07/2012 14:52

I know a baby Athena and think both versions are lovely.

MaryHansack · 27/07/2012 14:50

or Peen-lope even

MaryHansack · 27/07/2012 14:49

well it is a Greek name so the syllables are pronounced separately.
I mean you wouldn't say Peen - elope for Penelope.....

shimmy0 · 27/07/2012 14:46

Yeah that's what I was trying to say, but what is so wrong pronouncing it Atheen though?

MaryHansack · 27/07/2012 14:30

also if you say Ath EEN a it means the city of Athens
so it should be Ath een AH, which might be tricky.
Athene is a good name, but people in uk might say ATHEEN which could be annoying.

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 27/07/2012 14:23

Meh. Most people will hear her name before they see it written down, and if they say it wrong the first time, you just correct them and move on. Don't let it put you off.

shimmy0 · 27/07/2012 12:17

I always assumed the name was pronounced like A theme but obviously replace the m with n if you know what I mean. That was the only way I could think of to say that.

patosullivan · 27/07/2012 11:30

The poster shop's been gone for something like 15 years, so no child born today is going to think Athena = poster shop.

kickingKcurlyC · 27/07/2012 10:51

I think it's lovely.

UnimaginitiveDadThemedUsername · 27/07/2012 10:38

Are you worried that normative determinism may raise its ugly head and she'll grow up playing tennis and scratching her arse?

Original poster
saschamiles · 27/07/2012 10:35

Athena gets a no for two reasons. I know too many. And I'm old enough to remember the poster shop.

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squoosh · 27/07/2012 10:30

It's a very graceful name and will stand out in a good way amongst all the Lilys and Evies.

Badgerina · 27/07/2012 10:24

Athena is better.

YouOldSlag · 27/07/2012 08:39

I love it but I think a lot of people might call her Atheen if it's spelt Athene. I do prefer Athena- no pronunciation confusion then.

Lovely name though.

NichyNoo · 27/07/2012 08:38

Pallas Athene....reminds me of The Odyssey. I like it.

UnimaginitiveDadThemedUsername · 27/07/2012 08:31

Got a friend called Athena. I think it trips off the tongue better than Athene.

Original poster
saschamiles · 27/07/2012 00:36

Thanks for the many thoughtful replies. Yes, it's a real name. I'm not neologising!!!

OP posts:
freerangeeggs · 26/07/2012 23:34

Lovely!

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 26/07/2012 22:32

There is no such name

Um. Yes there is. It's a valid (albeit uncommon) variant of Athena.

CoteDAzur · 26/07/2012 22:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GRW · 26/07/2012 22:21

I went to school with an Athene- lovely name.

LiteraryMermaid · 26/07/2012 20:47

Nice. Prefer Athena though. Lovely associations of wisdom and strength, and I agree that it makes a change from 'cutesy' names. Would struggle to use it where I live though, as there's a large Greek community and people would tend to assume an Athene/a around here had a Greek background.

Original poster
saschamiles · 26/07/2012 14:09

Thanks all. Husband came up with it all on his own, oddly. To be pronounced atheeeneee.

I suggested Artemis. I preferred her, story-wise - mostly because we have a floppy -eared hound, just like she does in all her depictions. It was vetoed!!!

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Pasiphae · 26/07/2012 13:53

I love it. Strong classic but very under used.