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Baby names

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

Original poster

Nefeli or Maite

39 replies

Mum8 · 11/09/2012 23:14

Which baby name do you like most for a girl: Nefeli or Maite ?
And how would you pronounce them?

The first is Greek and the second is Spanish (Basque).
We love both of them, but unsure how they will be pronounced here in the UK.
My partner is Spanish and I am Greek and we thought it will be nice to give our little one a name from our own cultures.

Thanks very much for any input you may have on pronunciation and if you like the names :-)

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aufaniae · 12/09/2012 11:12

I think they're both lovely :)

Maite has the possibility of being shortened to May / Mae, if she wants to.

Nefeli is just lovely and has a great meaning.

Original poster
Mum8 · 12/09/2012 06:38

Maite is pronounced as Ma-ee-teh with the emphasis on the a.
It means beloved in Basque

The Maria Teresa version is usually spelled Mayte and emphasised on the teh.

Nefeli means Fairy of the Clouds, she was formed from the clouds by Zeus in Greek mythology.

OP posts:
swooosh · 12/09/2012 03:58

Actually most of us pronounce maites name differently but mostly My-tea, My,teh

swooosh · 12/09/2012 03:57

Maite IS short for Maria Theresa, I have a good friend called Maite (who is Spanish) however I think it is too Spanish to be adapted in English. What about other more pronounceable Spanish names such as Carolina, Alba, Cristina etc?

NeitherShreddedNorSmug · 12/09/2012 03:38

Isn't Maite short for Maria Teresa?

iMoniker · 12/09/2012 03:33

I don't like either of them.

Maite in Australia would be a disaster. Mate/Matey is a very widely used term of endearment.

Nefeli sounds like a Greek Island...

mathanxiety · 12/09/2012 02:54

I don't like Maite. Too easily mispronounced as Mate in English speaking countries. There would be nudge nudge wink wink remarks about Play Maite.

Nefeli is lovely.

TudorJess · 12/09/2012 00:26

I wouldn't know how to pronounce either of them without asking. I think I probably prefer Maite.

Devora · 12/09/2012 00:23

I like Maite.

VintageEbonyGold · 12/09/2012 00:02

sorry I have a cold and typing like it

accepted not excepted

families not familied

d'oh

VintageEbonyGold · 12/09/2012 00:00

Not necessarily so, if you start of saying her name in rl then people will pick it up quickly and it will be automatically excepted by those she grows up around. Unusual to the UK names are a nice change to most, I hope it has a nice meaning, lots of familied holiday in Spain and Greece so it might not be unusual to many.

How do you pronounce Maite?

I have a french rl name and have to explain it a fair bit but it's always been good and I have a South American friend whose name no one can pronounce

Original poster
Mum8 · 11/09/2012 23:45

Thank you, the pronunciation is Nef-ellie, maybe easier to change the spelling in this case to avoid confusion and the need of little one to explain her name

OP posts:
VintageEbonyGold · 11/09/2012 23:29

Could be Nef-ely though, but still a lovely name.

VintageEbonyGold · 11/09/2012 23:26

Ne-fell-e
May-tea

I prefer the sound/look of Nefeli.

I'm one of those awful people who asks is nosy about unusual to me names, so if she's happy explaining them great.

I like the tie to you and your DH's origins aswell and if your surname is unusual it should sound lovely, unlike something along the lines of Bob Basque iyswim.

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