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Baby names

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

Original poster

Names you aren't sure how to pronounce

387 replies

whatausername · 10/04/2020 20:22

Since we're all inside for the foreseeable future...

What are some names you're not quite sure how to pronounce? We'll see if we can help each other. But do take answers with a pinch of salt given the wide variety of accents we all have!

For me: Hebe (hee-bee?) and João leave me feeling uncertain.

OP posts:
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PuppyMonkey · 11/04/2020 09:23

My faves are

Padraig - Porrick
Mhairi - VAR-ee

Also going to sling in my own name, Oonagh - not as difficult as many but I can assure you it’s been a pain much of my life. Grin

missmouse101 · 11/04/2020 09:22

Rosemary is the same pronunciation as the herb.
Eugenie?

mathanxiety · 11/04/2020 09:19

I would say Rosem'ry. Emphasis on the Rose part.

CaffiSaliMali · 11/04/2020 09:18

What I'm never sure of is Rosemary.

I pronounce it like Rosemarie I.e. rose and marie blended together, like the herb.

My parents pronounce it like the names Rose and Mary blended together. As in Thomas Edison's "Love grows where my Rosemary goes".

So is it Rose Marie, Rose Mary or can it be both? I like both.

mathanxiety · 11/04/2020 09:18

Clodagh = Clo (as in Clover) - dah.

CaffiSaliMali · 11/04/2020 09:15

Aneurin is an-neigh-rin. In some parts of Wales it will be pronounced more like An-eye-rin.

Welsh has a lot of letters not found in English - Ff, Ch, Ng, Ll, Rh etc. F in Welsh is pronounced V and Ff is like F in English.

So the ng in Angharad is one letter and is sounded. Ang-ha-rad.

www.bbc.co.uk/wales/livinginwales/sites/howdoisay/names/index.shtml?a

You can hear Aneurin and Angharad at that link.

Idris pronunciation too, on the 'I' page.

dementedma · 11/04/2020 09:15

Jaime....hi-me

Heygirlheyboy · 11/04/2020 09:14

Or Hel-een-a! Too many possibilities! Grin

bananamonkey · 11/04/2020 09:11

My gran was Bridie (from Bridget) and pronounced it as Bride-ee.

I always thought Evelyn was Ev-lin for a boy and Eve-lin for a girl? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I only know a french Anais so she is An-eye-eese. Spent a lot of the 90s pronouncing that perfume wrong Blush. Elise is with a Z sound because it’s French although I prefer it with an S.

I love Helena but only as Hel-ay-na so felt we couldn’t use it as I hate Hel-un-ah.

Heygirlheyboy · 11/04/2020 09:10

Odhran for Oran has a fada I think (on O and a) and can be pronounced Oh-rawn ie the more Irish way. There is also an Oh-dren pronunciation without fadas too, as explained. Both I know of are from Wexford.

Lobsterquadrille2 · 11/04/2020 09:10

@LizzieAnt and @Heygirlheyboy thank you!

mathanxiety · 11/04/2020 09:09

Joaquin

Wa-KEEN. (In the US).

AngelaScandal · 11/04/2020 09:09

Bride is pronounced Bride! Mary Robinson’s chief of staff was Bride Rosney. I always thought it sounded like a more metropolitan version of Brid/Breege/Bridie

mathanxiety · 11/04/2020 09:09

No one helping me with Bodhi? (Beginning of thread.)

The Bodhis I know in the US pronounce it Bo-dee. (Long O).

mathanxiety · 11/04/2020 09:07

Odhran and Oran are pronounced the same. Oran is an anglicised spelling.

mathanxiety · 11/04/2020 09:06

There is Sorcha, often mispronounced sore-sha (or saw-sha' for those with a non-rhotic accent).

The correct pronunciation is Surr-uh-kha.

Original poster
whatausername · 11/04/2020 09:04

@Fanciedachange1 I'd say nee-v, I'd assume they were aiming for an "alternative" spelling of Niamh.

OP posts:
Heygirlheyboy · 11/04/2020 09:04

Ah I've checked it there and I see the (pronounced Odren) I know does spell it Odhran so I suppose if no fada it has that option, might be a regional thing. Also a famous Odhran (Odren) was linked to scientology and his family lost him completely. I always associate the name with him.

mathanxiety · 11/04/2020 09:03

Saoirse is “saw-sha”, or at least the one I know is!

It's Seer-sha.

Not saw-sha.

Heygirlheyboy · 11/04/2020 09:01

Oh I know Oran LizzieAnt but there's an Odran name as well, thought that was the Irish spelling but you're right, that's the Irish for Oran.

EverythingChanges321 · 11/04/2020 09:01

I thought our male DHL driver was called Carol for ages until I realised it was actually Carl. I blame my Scottish DH who can’t say Carl without it sounding like Carol no matter how many times I make him try. Grin

beanaseireann · 11/04/2020 08:59

Dilisk Smile

Caitlin. Is it Kate Lin or Cawtch Lin (Irish pronounciation ) or Kat lin ? Obviously with a fada it would be Katleen.

Mia - Me a

or
Mia pronounced My a
I invariably get that wrong.

Shouldn't Brid have a fada if it's pronounced Breed.

🙄🙄🙄

PerditaProvokesEnmity · 11/04/2020 08:57

Blush Sorry, wasn't thinking! I meant the entire Bettany clan - including the females who became Maynards and Russells.

Leah00 · 11/04/2020 08:53

Evelyn
Bea

Idris
Asa

Heygirlheyboy · 11/04/2020 08:51

Bow (as in bowtie) - dee is Bodhi