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Baby names

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Original poster

Charis - just too many pronunciation issues??

114 replies

Honeybee79 · 04/09/2016 18:11

DH and I have finally agreed on a name we love. However, how much of an issue do you think mispronunciation is going to be with Charis? The h is silent as in "chorus", or "charisma", but I can see this is likely to be an issue.

We wouldn't want to use Carys instead because we're not Welsh and it's a different name with a different meaning, though perfectly nice, just not for us. DH is a classicist and we both love the meaning and sound of Charis, not Carys.

Thoughts please? We love it but don't want to burden her unnecessarily!

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Frazzled2207 · 04/09/2016 21:16

Prefer Carys.
Charis to me looks like the ch should be pronounced like the ch in
Charity
Chastity
Champion
All of which start with the same three letters as charis.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 04/09/2016 21:09

Lovely name and everyone who is not a dick will happily pronounce it the correct way once they know it. i.e. kariss.

FrancisCrawford · 04/09/2016 21:07

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

crayfish · 04/09/2016 20:57

I know a Carys who isn't Welsh and nobody bats an eye about it, my DS has a Scandinavian name and he's Scottish!

Saying that Charis is fine, I think she will spend most of her life correcting people on the spelling but pronunciation is easy once you have heard how to say it.

MadisonAvenue · 04/09/2016 20:13

There was a girl at my school called Charis and she pronounced her name Sha-reece.

QueenLizIII · 04/09/2016 20:09

Looks like Chassis written down

OlennasWimple · 04/09/2016 20:07

I like it too, and wouldn't have a problem with pronunciation. TBH there are so many names which could potentially be said in different ways, that if you ruled them all out there would be far fewer names to choose from

fluentinsarcasm · 04/09/2016 20:04

I'm a bit thick at name pronunciation but got it right straight away.

It's really lovely, please use it!

HelenaJustina · 04/09/2016 19:46

Sadik that's where I knew it from too. The character is extremely beautiful OP if a little bird-witted

Sadik · 04/09/2016 19:40

Frederica indeed. It's a lovely name, I'd go for it :)

funnysortofsummer · 04/09/2016 19:01

I would think Charis meaning grace and wouldn't pronounce the 'h' sound.

Effendi · 04/09/2016 19:00

I know a Charis, he's Greek and its pronounced Haris.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 04/09/2016 18:58

It'll be fine OP, very nice, I like the spelling.

Original poster
Honeybee79 · 04/09/2016 18:55

Sadik, ah yes it features in Frederica, right?! My mum's a fan of Heyer and I read them when a teenager!

OP posts:
Sadik · 04/09/2016 18:47

It's really not that unusual, and in all the cases I've known pronounced as you say. The only problem here is people assuming Carys, but that's because we're in Wales and they're two a penny! (I might assume you were a Georgette Heyer fan, though)

Original poster
Honeybee79 · 04/09/2016 18:45

Thanks Pizzas, that's good to know. It's not that unusual.

OP posts:
AllPizzasGreatAndSmall · 04/09/2016 18:42

Whilst not a particularly common name it's not that unusual and every Charis I've come across has pronounced it the way you do, i.e.correctly, and it doesn't seem to have caused problems.

autumnboys · 04/09/2016 18:42

I work with a really nice Charis, don't think she's had too many difficulties. Smile

dontwannapullahammie · 04/09/2016 18:41

Charis is a lovely name, Carys is slightly boring

juneau · 04/09/2016 18:39

If you like it and have your reasons to choose that spelling then go with that spelling. There will be people who will say ch as in church, but correct them once and hopefully they'll get it. Carys would get fewer mispronunciations, but if you don't like it spelt that way, then don't. Mick Jagger and Marsha Hunt have a daughter spelled Karis.

Original poster
Honeybee79 · 04/09/2016 18:39

Ancient Greek is the origin - many names and every day words derive from Ancient Greek or Latin and you don't have to be Greek to use them!

OP posts:
Original poster
Honeybee79 · 04/09/2016 18:38

The H is silent, as is charisma or chorus . . .

If we change the spelling to Carys or Caris then while this would certainly be easier on the pronunciation front, it wouldn't be the same name or meaning. Carys is Welsh and we're not so a bit uncertain about that. Caris possibly, but it's effectively not the "correct" spelling iyswim.

OP posts:
Palomb · 04/09/2016 18:37

Are you Greek then?

Original poster
Honeybee79 · 04/09/2016 18:35

Palomb, Charis and Carys are two different names with different meanings, though pronounced the same. The latter is Welsh and we have no Welsh connections at all, while the former is derived from ancient Greek meaning grace/kindness. Charis was one of the 3 graces in Greek mythology.

OP posts:
Frazzled2207 · 04/09/2016 18:35

Prefer Carys.
Charis to me looks like the ch should be pronounced like the ch in
Charity
Chastity
Champion
All of which start with the same three letters as charis.