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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Pronunciation of 'Eva'

32 replies

Wigeon · 11/01/2015 08:52

Would you pronounce it Eeeeva or Ava, or maybe expect people to ask? DD1 (6yrs) is Eva, our background is English. So we pronounce it Eeeeva. But over Christmas a couple of sets of people have got in a fluster about whether it's Eeeva or Ava (DH's aunt and uncle, in their 70s, and a new extra curricular teacher).

When we named her we thought it would be obvious she was Eeeva - I know people from Eastern Europe sometimes pronounce it Ava, but as that isn't our background then you'd just say Eeeva.

What do you think?

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Spoonme · 12/01/2015 06:51

I know of an Eva, pronounced as Ever

mathanxiety · 12/01/2015 06:10

I would pronounce Eva EEva, though I can see where the Ava pronunciation is coming from.

HollyBdenum - All the Evies I know are Evvie. This includes my granny and an aunt.
I always thought 'EEvelyn' was the male version of Evelyn (as in Evelyn Waugh) and 'EVVelyn' was for women.

Original poster

Wigeon · 11/01/2015 22:51

Hmm . Guess she is going to have to deal with the pronunciation confusion for years to come! Feeling glad there really is only one way to pronounce (although several ways to spell! ) my own name!

OP posts:

EdithWeston · 11/01/2015 22:04

I would expect it to be Eeeva on an anglophone person.

Possibly Evva other European language groups.

But not Ayva (which I would expect to be spelt Ava).

FoodieMum3 · 11/01/2015 21:59

In English speaking countries, Eeeva.

TwoLittleTerrors · 11/01/2015 21:49

I would say Eeee-va. But the confusion arises because it's pronouced differently in Spanish and many Hollywood actresses use the Spanish pronounciation. Like Eva Mendes. Or you have historical figures like Eva Peron as mentioned up thread already.

Same with the Clementine in another active thread. If you look up in a dictionary, teen is the English pronounciation and tyne the american. This is for both name and fruit. But more posters using Tyne than teen because of the song.

Just Americanisation or the name I'm afraid.

seaoflove · 11/01/2015 20:26

Well, that depends ripples. I would pronounce it Ay-va.

My DD is Ada (Ay-da) but I know in parts of Europe it would be pronounced Ah-da.

So name pronunciation in part depends on the native country and language of the individual. Same names, same spellings, different pronunciations.

RipplesOnTheEventHorizon · 11/01/2015 20:22

TBF Ava is not Ayva, it is Ah-va...

Pandora37 · 11/01/2015 17:03

I would pronounce it ee-va, especially if I knew you were from an English background. If you weren't, I'd probably ask how it was pronounced. I guess people are confused because of famous women like Eva Peron and Eva Braun (I would pronounce both of those as ay-va) and I can understand that from people in their 70s. Eva has only really become popular again recently so they've probably never known any Evas other than the famous ones.

sleepybee · 11/01/2015 10:58

I would pronounce Eva as Ava & I do know a girl about 8 who is Eva pronounced Ava

Original poster

Wigeon · 11/01/2015 10:49

Ah, thanks for replies. We have had Ever and Eh-va too. She's not too bothered and does politely correct people usually. Have just been surprised that it's even an issue! Fortunately not too big a deal atm!

OP posts:

museumum · 11/01/2015 10:00

I've only heard Ava pronounced Ay-va and can't see how that could be any pronunciation of Eva.

However, I think Eh-va is a more common pronunciation than Ee-va and I would use Eh-va for Eva Peron.

HaplessHousewife · 11/01/2015 09:56

I would say Ee-va but I know an Italian Eva that's Ava.

Alisvolatpropiis · 11/01/2015 09:51

I would say Ee-va

But Ay-va appears common in some European countries - SPAIN and Germany for example.

In France it seems to sound different again, more like Eh-va.

Artandco · 11/01/2015 09:24

I would say is like 'Ehva' rather than Eeeva

BeeInYourBonnet · 11/01/2015 09:21

I would say Eeva. But can see the issue with older generation. Eva Peron (probably the best know Eva?) Is pronounced 'Ava'.

HollyBdenum · 11/01/2015 09:19

Yep.

Eve is Eev
Evie is Eevie
Evelyn is either Eevelin or Evvelin

I would say Ehva for Eva. I had no idea that people would pronounce it Eeva, but that is probably because I don't know any English Evas.

JessieMcJessie · 11/01/2015 09:18

Jazzhands you sound like you don't get out much if you have never come across Eva pronounced Ava before!

And the OP wouldn't be "correcting" people, because saying "Ava" is not wrong, objectively, it is just not the variation chosen by the OP. So she would be explaining, not correcting.

seaoflove · 11/01/2015 09:14

I agree with marshmallow, the Polish pronunciation of Eva (usually spelled Ewa) is more like "ever" with a short E sound. The long E sound is the English version.

As for Ava, that's just a different name

JessieMcJessie · 11/01/2015 09:13

Spanish speakers pronounce it "Ava" too- Eva Peron, for example.

I think it's perfectly reasonable for people to ask if they see it written down before it is said, but what do you mean by saying they "got in a fluster"? Surely you just ask once and then pronounce as instructed?

Many names have alternative pronounciations- I would always ask someone who wrote "Sara" if it was "say-ra" or "sah-rah".

Jazzhandsrule · 11/01/2015 09:11

Ee-va, not sure how you could mix it up with Ava? Smile sweetly and correct, correct, correct!

RipplesOnTheEventHorizon · 11/01/2015 09:10

EEvie and EEve, but all the Evas I know, many different nationalities as it is a popular name everywhere, are pronounced like "Ev-er" EV-a (Ava for you?)

TotleighTowers · 11/01/2015 09:09

I am English and would probably pronounce it Ay-va, although I know one who pronounces it Evva (she is Polish but I don't know if Evva is the Polish pronunciation or an Anglicisation). I think the long 'ee' sound would be more common with Eve or Evie.

HollyBdenum · 11/01/2015 09:09

I would assume Ava.

burgatroyd · 11/01/2015 09:08

Eeeeeva

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