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Baby names

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

Original poster

Accent ruining all our name choices.

87 replies

mangoespadrille · 25/10/2014 12:05

DP and I, and both our extended families, are Manchester born and bred and speak accordingly (think The Royle Family, Gallagher brothers, Coronation Street etc.) DD1 is on the way in January and we're trying to think of a name. The problem is the huge number of names around at the moment ending in -ee -ia and -a sounds. We like a lot of them but, when said aloud in our accents, they sound terrible; for example, at the antenatal clinic yesterday there was a lady with girls called Lexi (Lex-eh) and Olivia (Olivi -uh).

We don't like the current trend for "old lady" names (I have one despite being born in the 80s and have never liked it). Any ideas? Do you think our accent matters or am I over thinking this?

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CaptainSinker · 25/10/2014 12:55

Or Elizabeth. Lots of great nicknames too!

CaptainSinker · 25/10/2014 12:54

How about something simple and "go anywhere" like Emma, Kate, Mary, Laura, Lauren, Sarah.

loopylou9 · 25/10/2014 12:54

I'm from Manchester too and had to consider how names would sound when said by certain family members who have strong accents and also consider how names will sound by their friends when they're 5.

I liked the name Eva but in a Manc accent it could sound bad.

Also Ethan said by their friends could be Efan. But that could happen in any part of the world.

There's lot of names that still sound nice tho but I agree the accent is a consideration to be made and it can limit your choice.

Artandco · 25/10/2014 12:51

I think avoid twee endings such as 'a' or 'ie' or 'y'

So instead of Estella, Estelle works fine for example

Linnet
Gretal
Quinn
Estelle
Nell
Elizabeth
Isabel
Heidi

MrsCurrent · 25/10/2014 12:48

Kate, Louise, Madison, Madeleine. Just saying all the girl's names I can think of in my head!

MiddletonPink · 25/10/2014 12:47

What about Florence, Grace, Annabel, Madeleine, Rose, Lulu, Charlotte.

MrsCurrent · 25/10/2014 12:45

Difficult one as even if you both said it correctly then friends/family/school would soon ruin it. I'm from Manchester myself so understand completely what you mean. How about something like Alexis or kerys that doesn't show the accent at all?

MrsMarigold · 25/10/2014 12:41

my DD has a lovely name but when I heard my niece say it I almost wept so I understand - how about names ending in "T" Juliet, Harriet, Lisette or names like Florence which isn't really old lady

enWoooquethesythebearingwizard · 25/10/2014 12:38

How about something very simple such as Anna?

postmanpatscat · 25/10/2014 12:38

Seems to me you can't go wrong with something like Helen, Jane or Joanne.

Original poster
mangoespadrille · 25/10/2014 12:36

I feel like the world's biggest snob for admitting it; we're both from lovely working class families, both first to go to uni, now have professional jobs. Our daughter will, I imagine, have a middle class upbringing and need an appropriate name, but don't want to betray our roots with something pretentious. But every name seems so loaded with connotations (or is that just my English degree talking?) I speak as someone with a cousin named Mercedes. DP has a cousin who moved to London for uni at 18 and never returned, now has a daughter named Hermione, which seems equally inappropriate due to its "poshness". Any suggestions?

OP posts:
MiddletonPink · 25/10/2014 12:12

Yes I think certain accents can ruin a name!

I wouldn't choose a name with an ie ending personally. Unless you are going to continually correct the pronunciation.