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Baby names

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

Original poster

how to pronounce these please

36 replies

christmasclove · 07/11/2020 19:57

Anya
Helena

I confess I'm not pregnant, simply fantasizing about beautiful names.
Did you create names lists before you were pregnant?

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bonbonours · 11/11/2020 18:40

The fact you have to ask is exactly the reason I would not choose either of these names. I specifically chose names that most people would know how to spell and pronounce, to spare my child a lifetime of irritation.

Escourtie · 11/11/2020 18:39

@NannyR

Ann-ya Helena - I've known women who've pronounced it three ways, helen-a, heleena and helayna. I would pronounce it helen-a unless told otherwise.
Ive heard it pronounced all 3 ways as well
IamnotwhouthinkIam · 08/11/2020 00:14

Both are gorgeous names. If you're in England (and possibly other parts on the UK?) then the majority of the time you will hear "Ann - yah" and "Heh - len -ah" (the Shakespearean English pron). In other countries "Arn -yah" and "Heh -lay -nah" or "Heh - lee- nah" are much more common.

MountainDweller · 07/11/2020 23:31

Ann-ya or Ann-yuh and Helen-a (was friends with a couple in the distant past). I think for the French-style Hell-ay-na pronunciation it should be spelled Heléna (accents on both 'e's would make it Hay-lay-na), though the French equivalent of Helen is usually Hélène, pronounced Eh-lenn.

YerAWizardHarry · 07/11/2020 23:26

Scottish here too..

Ann-yah
And
Heh-lay-nah

steppemum · 07/11/2020 23:19

@NannyR

Ann-ya Helena - I've known women who've pronounced it three ways, helen-a, heleena and helayna. I would pronounce it helen-a unless told otherwise.
same.

The Arnya pronunciation I tedn to hear from Russian/east European families

DramaAlpaca · 07/11/2020 23:17

I'm with @LizzieAnt here. The Irish Áine isn't pronounced ON-ya. It's AWN-ya. It has a fada on the A which makes the 'Ai' sound long.

DramaAlpaca · 07/11/2020 23:14

Well, both have different pronunciations.

Anya has two: ANN-yuh or AHN-yuh. I'd go with the first one as I'm Northern.

Helena has three: HEL-en-ah, hel-AY-na and hel-EE-na. The first one is my preference.

resm · 07/11/2020 22:08

On-ya like the Irish Aine and Hel-eena.

TheChristmasPrincess · 07/11/2020 21:51

Ann-ya
Hell-en-ah

Original poster
christmasclove · 07/11/2020 21:51

@tobermory I'm glad I'm not the only one 😂

OP posts:
LizzieAnt · 07/11/2020 21:48

I wouldn't put an 'r' in when pronouncing Áine?
Where I am in the south of Ireland Áine is pronounced Awn-ya, but I think it might be said as On-ya further north.

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 07/11/2020 21:35

Anya = Annya
Arnya is the American way

Or the Irish name Åine .

Tobermory · 07/11/2020 21:23

@christmasclove

Anya Helena

I confess I'm not pregnant, simply fantasizing about beautiful names.
Did you create names lists before you were pregnant?

I had a name list before I even met my husband-to-be 🤣
TwylaSands · 07/11/2020 21:15

Ann-ya like in Buffy
Hell- AAA - na

bluewindows · 07/11/2020 21:14

Ooops
Hel-ay-na

bluewindows · 07/11/2020 21:14

Arn-ya
Hel-ay-BA

BigBlueHouseBear · 07/11/2020 21:13

Ann-ya

Hell-ay-na

LizzieAnt · 07/11/2020 21:11

The Irish Helenas I know pronounce it Hel-ee-na.
I don't know any Anyas, but if I had to guess I'd go with Ann-ya.

KidadaJonez · 07/11/2020 21:06

Anya = Annya
Arnya is the American way.
Heleena reminds me of Halima which is the name of a Muslim girl I used to live near so that pronunciation sounds Arabic to my ears. Helen-a sounds too similar to eleanor. So I prefer Helaina pronunciation.

MikeUniformMike · 07/11/2020 20:57

Helena - Hel-ain-a or Helen-a or Hel-ee-na

Anya - Ann-ya

CharitySchmarity · 07/11/2020 20:54

Ann-ya and Helen-a here too, I've heard of one or two Helenas pronounced other ways but I think of Helen-a as the default.

Original poster
christmasclove · 07/11/2020 20:39

Thanks guys.

@HelebethH you have a beautiful name.

OP posts:
Sleepforever · 07/11/2020 20:32

I knew a (German) Anya. She pronounced it Ann ya

HelebethH · 07/11/2020 20:20

My name is Helena and is pronounced Helayna. Mind you my dad was french and always spelt it with accents over both letters e