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Baby names

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

Original poster

Names you love that don’t work in English

156 replies

MangosteenSoda · 13/04/2021 19:54

A name on another thread made me think about this...

I love Manon in a French speaking environment and I like Belen in Spain, but think neither work well in an English speaking environment.

Are there any names you feel like this about? I’d occasionally come across a name in my expat (and childbearing) days and think YES, then, oh no.

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WeAreAllCompletelyFine · 14/04/2021 12:29

Pretty much every Italian/French name. Some translate nicely to English but many just really need that accent to make them sound good.

Fabian
Domenico
Achilles
Daniele

My list may have been inspired by a hot summer spent in Italy aged 19 Blush

KirstenBlest · 14/04/2021 10:16

Most Gaelic, Gaeilge and Welsh names, and probably Cornish. Many foreign names, especially if they contain letters that have no 'English' equivalent.

SummaLuvin · 14/04/2021 10:06

Angel. So beautifully pronounced Spanish.

tinysockseverywhere · 14/04/2021 10:02

My daughter is Saskia. Might start calling her Sas ua Grin

trevthecat · 14/04/2021 09:45

I have a name that works well in the country of origin but not in English, I am English! My mother is not. And I've made the mistake with my daughter too 🙄 I love her name though

Pogmaasal · 14/04/2021 09:41

I knew a Belen growing up in England and always loved it, I was really jealous of such a beautiful name! Ive always loved soft sounding names, theyre often not English names, but I feel I cant use them because I have no connection to that culture

steppemum · 14/04/2021 09:18

Sa sua

Grin Grin

err, no. It really isn't.
Dutch is very phonetic, it totally follows phonetic rules, and the K is very clearly and firmly pronounced.
My dh is Dutch and he is really laughing at this idea that Saskia is pronounced differently in Dutch. It really isn't.
Yes, very subtly the A sound is a little different in Dutch.

but Sa sua?
No.

If you know someone who pronounces it this way, that is their thing. Fine (odd, but fine) but really it is not the standard way to pronounce it in Dutch.

WithLoveFromMyselfToYourself · 14/04/2021 00:28

Spanish “Mercedes”. Over here it sounds like you’ve named her after a car.

fataroundthemiddle · 14/04/2021 00:24

@MangosteenSoda

I like a lot of these names a lot!

How is Saskia pronounced in Dutch?

Sa sua
askingrandomsonlinemighthelp · 14/04/2021 00:21

Élodie, Emmanuelle, Églantine, Beauregard, Gaylord, France, Alexandre, Yves, Étienne, Baptiste, Anatol, Augustin, Laure., Margaux... The French have got some beautiful names! I live in France, but went for a name that works in both. But the pronunciation isn't the same at all. Same with my own name. I say it differently depending on who's asking.

MrJollyLivesNextDoor · 14/04/2021 00:15

My ex wanted Seweryn for DS

Pronounced Seh-verrin

Not so good in the U.K. so had to veto that one!

TheVanguardSix · 14/04/2021 00:10

Also, Sidonie

TheVanguardSix · 14/04/2021 00:08

Mailis (My-lees)
Kyllikki (Kyul-ekeh)
Thaïs
Tineke

ChristmasCarolines · 13/04/2021 23:53

Absolutely adore Pauline and Paulina when said pow-leen/pow-leena.

Curlyshabtree · 13/04/2021 23:51

The Arabic name Weded means Rose but sounds like “we dead”

GameofPhones · 13/04/2021 23:24

Dushko (Serbian) for a boy.

Pbbananabagel · 13/04/2021 23:15

Manon is a lovely welsh name so hearing it said in a French accent (even though I know it’s also used in France) is just strange to me.
I know someone called Alwen who’s parents wanted to call her Arwen until their friend (from SE) pronounced it with a long drawled ‘Aaarr’. Much easier for people who don’t know welsh to pronounce the ‘Al’ correctly.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 13/04/2021 23:05

Joke. Usually I think Dutch names are pretty easy once you understand the rules for pronouncing them, but that one is never going to work.

midnightstar66 · 13/04/2021 23:05

DD's were born in a country where Anastasia is a popular name. I love the way it's pronounced there and the shortened versions but it would forever be pronounced Ana stay sha here, which doesn't work with the shortened versions either.

AuntieStella · 13/04/2021 23:03

Pia (sounds like one who pees)

I'd pronounce Irene as Eye-reen-ee (Greek) but I think the 2 syllable version is much more common now.

Anoisagusaris · 13/04/2021 23:00

@BlackLambAndGreyFalcoln thanks, I always thought that was an English pet name for Irene 🥴

TatianaBis · 13/04/2021 22:52

I like Efthimia too

Sounds like a form of Bipolar.

Petal7 · 13/04/2021 22:51

Benoit

BlackLambAndGreyFalcoln · 13/04/2021 22:50

@Anoisagusaris

How is Irene meant to be pronounced?

DD has a friend called Manon (French father).

Fia/Fiadh is Fee-a to me. Nothing like Fear - that’s the same as Fir in my accent.

Irene - Eye-reen-ee. It's originally Greek (Eirene) and the ending is pronounced like other Greek names: Penelope, Hermione, Calliope etc.
steppemum · 13/04/2021 22:47

I am fascinated by same name with completely different pronounciations.
We had tp avoid names with a th and with a g as these are unique to English and Dutch.
But also the stresses are totally different.

Abigail
Dorothea
Naomi
Elena