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Baby names

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

Original poster

first impression on the name Basia

67 replies

sfia89 · 08/02/2019 17:17

hello,
we are expecting our first baby girl and have come across the name basia (pronounced Basha). I learned later it is a slavic name and liked it however I've never met anyone with this name. I'm interested to know strangers first honest impressions on it thanks

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crosspelican · 08/02/2019 18:26

I would pronounce it BAZ-ee-ya and assume it meant "kiss" in Latin -

da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus inuidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.

Give to me a thousand kisses, then a hundred,
then another thousand, then a second hundred,
then without cease another thousand, then a hundred.
Then, when we have made many thousands,
we shall mix them up, lest we know their number,
or lest any is able to cast an evil eye us,
when it knows such to be the total of our kisses.

It's the first Latin poem you translate when you do Latin in school! (Catullus)

AdaColeman · 08/02/2019 18:12

She will spend a lot of time telling people how it's pronounced and correcting spelling.

sparkling123 · 08/02/2019 17:57

I like it, but think it would get pronounced wrong, can you spell it Bashia?

Aeonium · 08/02/2019 17:38

Basher isn’t very nice, sorry.

FenellaMaxwell · 08/02/2019 17:36

I wouldn’t be sure how to pronounce it. And Basher isn’t a very nice name.

MikeUniformMike · 08/02/2019 17:35

I was going to say Polish, diminutive of Barbara.
There was a 1980s singer called Basia so I knew it was pron. Basha.
Not sure if I like it but there's nothing wrong with it or Barbara. I prefer Barbara, I think. Both are fine.
The problems with taking a name from another culture is that it will get mispronounced quite often, a connection with that culture will be assumed, and it might be dated in that culture.

gemmaxyz · 08/02/2019 17:34

Would assume her family was Polish. It's quite a common Polish name AFAIK.

RockyFlintstone · 08/02/2019 17:29

I would have pronounced this 'bas-see-a' and thought it sounded like a medical condition.

I don't really like the name 'Basha' either and if you don't have any Slavic connections it seems like an odd choice.

BobDobbs · 08/02/2019 17:28

X post with SileneOliveira - great minds!

BobDobbs · 08/02/2019 17:27

How about kasia (pronounced kasha)?

SileneOliveira · 08/02/2019 17:27

I knew it was "basha". But you will get people saying Bass-ee-ah or Basher.

Kasia - "kasha" - is nicer.

chatnicknameyousuggested · 08/02/2019 17:26

I know a few Basia's, pronounced Basha. They tend to be Polish. It's very nice!

BobDobbs · 08/02/2019 17:26

I have heard it as a nickname for Barbara.
I know an older Polish lady with this name. It quite suits her but I can't imagine it on a baby.

DaisyDaisydoo · 08/02/2019 17:24

It’s short for Barbara, it’s very pretty.

GrapesAndCheese · 08/02/2019 17:23

Really don't like it, sorry OP.

I think it will get mispronounced and the correct pronunciation- Basha - isn't nice either in my opinion.

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 08/02/2019 17:19

Really, really pretty.

Character in Reign called Bash (short for Sebastian) and I've always loved it.

Really cute name.

sleepismysuperpower1 · 08/02/2019 17:18

I think it looks really pretty, however i wouldn't have known to pronounce it 'basha'. i would have pronounced it 'bass-ee-a'.

all the best and congratulations Flowers

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