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Baby names

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

Original poster

Freyja

58 replies

RizzleRazzle · 09/03/2021 09:10

All being well, DD1 is arriving in 6 weeks. Me and DP love the name Freya/Freyja but DP really wants to spell it Freyja rather than Freya as that's how the goddess' name is spelled.

I'm okay with it but worried she will be forever correcting people? DP is very passionate about using the correct spelling.

Would you know how to pronounce it just by reading it or will people think it's Frey-juh?

Also thoughts on the middle name Astrid?

Thank you

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Ilovemaisie · 09/03/2021 13:51

Yes if you ever want her to have the joy of getting stickers, flasks, door name plates, key rings, mugs, rulers, notebooks, pens etc with her name on then spell it's Freya.
I say this as a person with a name that is not popular (either now or when I was a kid) and always missed out on that - worse when your sister had a popular name Grin

boltfromtheblueblue · 09/03/2021 13:19

I think the pronunciation is obvious with or without the j

Yes but that isn't actually the point. It's less what people will say when the see it written down, and more what they will write down when hearing it.

Synchrony · 09/03/2021 12:42

I think the pronunciation is obvious with or without the j.
I like Astrid.
I wanted the more authentic spelling for my child's name but DH won the battle and we went with the common English spelling.

KirstenBlest · 09/03/2021 12:32

@Borntohula

It's pretty obvious the 'j' is silent ffs
To you maybe, but I know a Tanja and a Sonja who complain that it isn't.
FeedMeSantiago · 09/03/2021 12:17

Lots of names have different spellings - Katharine/Katherine/Kathryn/Catharine/Catherine for example.

People will get used to it but Freya is the most well known spelling in the UK so is probably the easiest one to use.

marriednotdead · 09/03/2021 10:51

It is going to be a life of saying ‘with an extra J after the Y’.

My own very everyday name has two spellings and I always have to say which. Having inadvertently done the same thing to DD I shouldn’t really comment on that Blush

Ringsender2 · 09/03/2021 10:42

I know one of each. As far as I know, they haven't had problems with pronunciation (either of them).

I love Astrid as a middle name.

You do need to call any boy children Thor - you do know that, right?

JemimaTiggywinkle · 09/03/2021 10:37

I don’t know if this will help persuade your DH or make things worse, but Wikipedia tells me the original version of Astrid is Ástríðr.
Seems inconsistent to have the Old Norse spelling for one name and not the other

Easterbunnygettingready · 09/03/2021 10:34

Wanted you to check your dc wouldn't be FAJ /FAT!

Kottbullar · 09/03/2021 10:30

but I already see myself registering her at the doctors or wherever and having to constantly say "It's Freyja with a J"

I have a friend with a DD called Freyja. He put a huge rant on FB when she was small after stating for some form or other she was "Freyja with a j" and the receptionist in question first put Jreya then Freja.
He was even more furious when someone posted perhaps they should have just called her Freya!

boltfromtheblueblue · 09/03/2021 10:20

but I already see myself registering her at the doctors or wherever and having to constantly say "It's Freyja with a J"

In which case most people would then spell it Freja, which is the second common spelling after Freya. No-one will spell it with a y and a j without being told. And reminded. Don't do it.

Needcoffeecoffeecoffee · 09/03/2021 10:16

Freya is a lovely name as is Astrid
I am not sure about the j if you said freya with a j I think I may unfortunately have to check where the j went

JemimaTiggywinkle · 09/03/2021 10:15

Definitely spell it without the j... it just looks like a typo and will be a constant pain. And you might get some weird pronunciations.

Freya is a well established spelling. Spellings change over hundreds of years. Presumably nothing else in your life is spelled in the Old Norse version.

Amdone123 · 09/03/2021 10:11

I prefer Freya, too. Beautiful name. My granddaughter was Freya all along, but changed at the last minute to Esme.
Good luck persuading your OH !

MimiDaisy11 · 09/03/2021 10:07

Isn't the original pronounced differently? I knew a Dane called Freyja and it was pronounced differently to how we would say it.

I agree with others that the original doesn't do much other than give your daughter the job of spelling it out and correcting people. Though it's not such a big deal now (lots of internet forms compared to phone calls) and if she doesn't get annoyed at having her name spelt incorrectly then it's not such a big deal.

Original poster
RizzleRazzle · 09/03/2021 10:05

Thanks for your input everyone, I do agree with you. Just need to convince DP now! He's very much in to mythology and really passionate about using the authentic spelling but I already see myself registering her at the doctors or wherever and having to constantly say "It's Freyja with a J".

We really like Astrid but are also big fans of The Office US and recently watched the episode where Michael calls Jan's baby "ass turd" which I can't get out of my head now!

OP posts:
Original poster
RizzleRazzle · 09/03/2021 10:02

@Easterbunnygettingready

What is your surname initial op? FA?
My surname initial is 'B' which would've been great if her initials were FAB but we're using DPs surname which is 'I'
OP posts:
BugsAndBeesAndBirdsAndButterfl · 09/03/2021 09:46

Definitely Freya.

Easterbunnygettingready · 09/03/2021 09:44

What is your surname initial op?
FA?

Lostinthewilderness · 09/03/2021 09:34

Definitely spell it Freya.

It’s also exceptionally popular, if that bothers you - I know loads

ohwotsits · 09/03/2021 09:33

Freya Astrid is lovely OP!

seven201 · 09/03/2021 09:27

I have a family member who is a Freya. I vote Freya.

Borntohula · 09/03/2021 09:23

It's pretty obvious the 'j' is silent ffs

Labobo · 09/03/2021 09:20

Love the name but would spell it Freya as it will be mis-spelled this way by everyone all the time anyway. As someone who has a name with numerous alternate spellings I get so sick of people never being able to find me on their booking systems because they are one letter out. Just use the mainstream spelling.
Such a gorgeous name.

Easterbunnygettingready · 09/03/2021 09:20

I know a Freyja.. She gets Fridga. Fridge +a. Not nice..
Freya is lovely..

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