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Baby names

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

Original poster

Bilingual parents pronouncing name differently

36 replies

Leeloo1233 · 30/05/2021 12:45

What do you think of parents pronouncing a child's name differently depending on their culture? Slight pronounciation differences are just cute in my opinion but for example the name Iris is pronounced quite differenty in my language (Eeris).

Will this confuse the child and do I always stick to the pronounciation I use with her, even when I'm speaking english to my husband?

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Enko · 30/05/2021 13:25

Dh and I had this issue I am Danish he is British we agreed on names that got pronounced the same in Danish and English. It meant names like Christian and Frederick were completely out.

Ds however is called Conrad and there is a slight difference in the Danish and British pronunciation we decided it was not so bad. (Its in how you say the Rad part of his name sofer in Danish) nods likes it when I use the Danish version but I only do when I am speaking to him. If to others I use the British pronunciation.

ratatat66 · 30/05/2021 13:24

I think it's fine. My daughter's name is pronounced slightly differently in her father's language. I don't think it matters at all it's just a quirk of being in dual national
family.

Sometimesonly · 30/05/2021 13:24

You can’t call her different things, that’ll be so confusing!
With respect, this is a common opinion in monolingual households. Bi/Multilingual families are used to mixing languages and pronunciations.

olderthanyouthink · 30/05/2021 13:22

I think it's fine, I'm used to how my name is pronounced by French people (I'm not French but spent ages learning and worked with a lot of French people) and DD responds to a nickname that only I use

Sometimesonly · 30/05/2021 13:22

But I think it's fine, although your child might want to know what their actual name is, i.e. what is the correct pronunciation of it.
You can't register the pronunciation of a name so really it is whatever he or she wants.

Sometimesonly · 30/05/2021 13:21

It will be absolutely fine. My DD has a name which exists in several languages but is pronounced completely differently in English and Italian (DH is Italian). She responds to both! No problem at all.

Frogartist · 30/05/2021 13:20

It's quite patronising to say that pronouciation differences are "cute".

But I think it's fine, although your child might want to know what their actual name is, i.e. what is the correct pronunciation of it.

Rummikub · 30/05/2021 13:17

It’ll be fine.

My dps pronounced my name differently as a child. You get used to it.
Same now with my dc.
They like the differences.

HandforthParishCouncilClerk · 30/05/2021 13:16

I should add, I have grown up with parents of two cultures, and have siblings and nieces and nephews being raised bilingually.

TatianaBis · 30/05/2021 13:16

Of course it won't confuse them!

What about couples from north and south UK, or one Irish/Scottish parent.

HandforthParishCouncilClerk · 30/05/2021 13:13

Just pick one. You can’t call her different things, that’ll be so confusing! A tiny child isn’t going to twig it’s different ways of saying the same name, it’ll sound to them you call them different things!