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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.

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Heygirlheyboy · 15/04/2020 16:52

Maya/Mya is My-a not May-a, not that I've ever heard anyway.

fourpeasinapod · 15/04/2020 16:40

Is Mia “Me-ah”

And Maya “May-ah”

LizzieAnt · 15/04/2020 16:23

@Keyperfect
Jago is pronounced Jay-go I believe. It's a Cornish form of James.

Keyperfect · 15/04/2020 16:15

How are these pronounced, please:

Jago
Isolde
Iseult

Thanks!

OhClover · 15/04/2020 16:04

Ceri is like Kerry!

Leah00 · 15/04/2020 15:56

Ceri?

fourpeasinapod · 15/04/2020 14:58

@LadyEloise @sageandroses thank you!

sageandroses · 15/04/2020 14:07

@fourpeasinapod Ree-mus

LadyEloise · 15/04/2020 14:05

Fourpeasonapod
Áine is pronounced by me - as Awnyah

fourpeasinapod · 15/04/2020 14:01

And how is Remus pronounced?

fourpeasinapod · 15/04/2020 13:55

How *

fourpeasinapod · 15/04/2020 13:55

Yeah now is Aine pronounced anyone?

LizzieAnt · 15/04/2020 11:46

Ah sorry, @LadyEloise, I didn't mean to imply otherwise.

LadyEloise · 15/04/2020 09:26

LizzieAnt I wasn't disagreeing withnyou. Note my embarrassed emoji.

AngelaScandal · 15/04/2020 09:06

Aniston— opolis .

LizzieAnt · 15/04/2020 01:10

No, I think Enya is the Donegal Gaeltacht pronunciation of Eithne as described above. Even though Eth-neh seems to be the most popular pronunciation today, at least in my area (Munster), I've also come across an Eh-neh pronunciation once or twice. And I have a feeling that the 't' in Eithne shouldn't really be pronounced in the Irish language anyway? I could be wrong though.

LadyEloise · 14/04/2020 23:52

I thought Enya was Donegal anglicisation of Áine Blush

LizzieAnt · 14/04/2020 23:04

@Twerking9to5
I think Noemi is more like Noe-em-ee than Noe-mee, but I'm not very familiar with the name, so I'd wait for someone else to confirm that.

LizzieAnt · 14/04/2020 22:24

That's certainly challenging for anyone not GreekGrin

Heygirlheyboy · 14/04/2020 21:58

She was Anistonopolis or something similar!

LizzieAnt · 14/04/2020 21:52

@Heygirlheyboy
Oh right, I didn't know that about Jennifer Aniston. I think with Enya, yes, the spelling of her name is anglicised, but the pronunciation isn't.

Heygirlheyboy · 14/04/2020 21:45

Yes I get you Lizzie.

No Jennifer Aniston shortened her original Greek surname when she began acting ie professional name but different to Enya.

LizzieAnt · 14/04/2020 21:42

@Heygirlheyboy
The spelling Enya is an anglicised phonetic spelling of the Donegal Irish pronunciation of the name Eithne. So in the Donegal Gaeltacht, Eithne is pronounced in Irish as the word Enya would be in English. That's my understanding of it anyway. I'm sorry, I don't know what Jennifer Aniston did?Smile

Twerking9to5 · 14/04/2020 21:34

Can anyone help with how to pronounce Noemi? Is it like “noe-mee” or noe-EM-ee? Or something else?!

Heygirlheyboy · 14/04/2020 21:23

Is it not just an anglicised version tho? Like Jennifer Aniston did.

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