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Baby names

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Original poster

How would you pronounce.....?

58 replies

Orangeisthenewbanana · 30/04/2014 20:57

Lena?

Considering this name and know how I would like it pronounced, but wanted to see what the general consensus was! Don't want endless corrections for evermore if "my way" is not what everyone else would assume Grin.

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JapaneseMargaret · 02/05/2014 11:15

It's my DD's nickname - virtually known-as name - and we pronounce it Lay-na. It's short for Helena. Which, as we all know, can be pronounced at least 3 different ways.

I think if you go with one of these names, you just have to make your peace with the fact that people will mispronounce it, and there's no point getting uptight about it.

Lena is beautiful.

nikki1391 · 01/05/2014 20:03

Lee-na

squoosh · 01/05/2014 11:03

My Granny was a Lena pr. lee-na but if the Lena was German I'd assume it was pronounced lay-na.

Spindelina · 01/05/2014 09:27

I would pronounce it Lenna, but I know the name via Lena Söderberg (there's a famous image that gets used in image processing research).

I prefer Lena (however you pronounce it) to Carina (which reminds me of Cortina).

peppinagiro · 01/05/2014 09:06

Yes but Lena Marlin pronounces it Layna :) so 90s kids will have that reference instead!

Carina is nice. It's italian for pretty/sweet/cute. I wouldn'tuse it just because all my Italian friends would be like 'er, ok, yes she is, but what's her name?!'. But if you don't hang out with Italians that's not a problem ;)

jaynebxl · 01/05/2014 07:11

If I met a Carina I'd always think of ocarinas.

Lena Zavaroni pronounced it Leena didn't she? But that would only influence people above a certain age (ie me!).

LettertoHermioneGranger · 01/05/2014 06:18

LEE-na, but I know it as Lay-na too and think it is lovely. I think this is a rare kind of name with perfectly acceptable differing pronunciations. If you like it, use it! Occasionally correcting it won't be a big deal. Most people will ask.

Raskova · 01/05/2014 05:58

Lena is much much better than carina. Id imagine both are quite rare too so that's positive (I think)

purpleroses · 30/04/2014 23:34

I really like Carina. Isn't it in a Bob Dylan song?

Original poster
Orangeisthenewbanana · 30/04/2014 22:56

Wow! Thanks for all the responses Smile. I'm actually really surprised that opinion seems fairly evenly split.

My gut feeling was that most people would use Lee-na. My preferred pronunciation would be Lay-na and it doesn't appear that that's completely bonkers so am chuffed Grin. Obviously she'd be introduced as Lay-na but I wouldn't have wanted it to become tiresome constantly correcting if everyone else immediately thought Lee-na.

While I've got you all here, any opinions on Carina? Another thread on here tonight inspired me to look up constellations and that one jumped out at me.

OP posts:
smartypants1000 · 30/04/2014 22:40

Lay-na is my first thought. I know a little Lena (I think short for Elena) and this is how she pronounces it.

youmakemydreams · 30/04/2014 22:25

I actually read this earlier and like Debbie knew it could be leyna or leena so tried to decide which would be my first thought and I really couldn't so would probably ask is it either or.

DebbieOfMaddox · 30/04/2014 22:23

I would know that it could be pronounced Leena or Layna and I would try to avoid using it until someone who knew which it was said it first so that I could follow their lead.

If I had to plump for one or the other and couldn't get away with Lna, I'd go for Leena unless, as AberdeenAngusina says, there was a Germanic surname.

AberdeenAngusina · 30/04/2014 22:18

Lee-na.

Though if I saw it with a German-looking surname, I might say Lay-na.

RiverTam · 30/04/2014 22:17

Leena, unless I knew they were German, in which case Leyna.

firstchoice · 30/04/2014 22:16

Lay-na.

BurdenedWithGloriousPurpose · 30/04/2014 22:15

Layna.

PartyConfused · 30/04/2014 22:13

I know one...
Lee na.

livingthegoodlife · 30/04/2014 22:13

i think the normal english way to pronounce it is 'lee-na'

but i know a little girl called 'lay-na'

up to you i think.

peppinagiro · 30/04/2014 22:12

Lay-na here too

FairPhyllis · 30/04/2014 22:11

Lay-na, but other languages may be interfering with my judgement on this.

FruitBasedDrinkForALady · 30/04/2014 22:08

This is DD's beautiful name and we pronounce it Lee-na

Raskova · 30/04/2014 22:04

Ps how do you think it's pronounced??? I'm overly intrigued Wink

Raskova · 30/04/2014 22:04

Lay na! Would never even have considered it the lee na way...

MollyBdenum · 30/04/2014 22:02

Layna unless introduced with a different pronunciation.