Sibling doesn’t like baby’s name - torn!!

I think it's fine - I like it.
If you wanted something different you could always go for Ana which is pronounced the same in English or Spanish

People will naturally say Ee-va when first reading it but the Eh-va pronunciation is not so unusual. It’s pronounced that way in many languages and I’ve met several people with the name.

Your 7 year old probably has a lot of mixed up feelings about the arrival of a baby sister and this could well be one way of expressing his unease and trying to regain control. Don’t take his option seriously.

I would definitely not change a name that you love, it matters not if a sibling doesn't like it. Only parents have the choice in this matter.

A bit besides the point, but isn’t the OP saying Eva would be pronounced like Ever (with a eh- sound)? - so how would making her Ava help because isn’t Ava the ay sound like in pay and say? Not a short “e”

There are LOADS of EEvas in primary school and early secondary school at the moment. Along with Evie it's extremely popular.

[quote Classica]@daisypond, you cannot have spent much time around small children in the last 15 years. Ee-va is the default pronunciation in the UK whether you approve of it or not.[/quote]
It may be the default pronunciation where you are. It’s not where I am in the U.K. I know a few small Evas. All have at least one “foreign” parent.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to come across an Eva who is Ava. But then if I see Eva I think of Eva Peron.

To be honest, I'm pretty sure that if I saw it written down, it would be Ava that came to mind and not Eeva.

Does she have a Spanish surname? Because that will help

@daisypond, you cannot have spent much time around small children in the last 15 years. Ee-va is the default pronunciation in the UK whether you approve of it or not.

Do you usually let your 7 year old make the important lifelong decisions?

OP, do you mean, Eva pronounced Ava or Eva pronounced Ever?

Eva is exceptionally popular and it'll be pronounced ee va by everyone who doesn't know her. If I saw Eva written down and I heard Ava, I'd assume that you were an illiterate parent who couldn't get it correct at the register office. Sorry.

I wouldn't change it for your 7 year old though.

Eva pronounced Ava is the correct pronunciation. It’s a Continental name. The English form of Eva is Eve. I only know Evas pronounced your way- I live in a multicultural area.

You (and she eventually) are probably just going to have to accept that it will get mispronounced, and save the Spanish pronunciation for home & family. A friend of mine’s DH is from a Spanish-speaking country. They’ve given all of their DC Spanish names (living in England) but each has an easily-Anglicised abbreviation because it’s just too much hassle otherwise. It’s not right, people ought to make the effort but they don’t, unfortunately.

I can remember rolling my eyes as a teenager over a half-German school friend trying to get us to say her name the correct German way instead of it’s nearest English equivalent. People in the UK tend to be awkward and self-conscious about speaking foreign languages, and saying a foreign name can feel like putting on an accent mid-sentence. My half German friend used to try this about once a year but give up after about a week because we got annoyed about it (to be fair, she was a bit high maintenance and if she’d been nicer about it we might have tried harder but we just thought she was being pretentious).

If it’s important to you that your DD’s name reflects her Spanish heritage, then why not go for a name that’s unambiguously Spanish, with no English equivalent? People still won’t pronounce it ‘right’ but at least she won’t have to go through life saying ‘Actually it’s…’ which will be frustrating for her and can annoy others.

Also with your DS, does he have a Spanish name? Could this be the issue if he hasn't and his DS is like daddy.

I work in a school OP and we had a Lithuanian child who's name we mispronounced for 2 years we pronounced it the English way and he obviously did not. His DM came in eventually and explained and we began to pronounce it the right way. The children just accepted this and I'm talking very young primary children and call him by his correct pronunciation now. So chances are you won't have to explain numerous times once you have introduced her (if that makes sense).

It really is a lovely name but keep in mind that she may herself, once she's old enough to have an opinion on these things, prefer to use the more common UK pronunciation. Or she might like to flick between the two depending on which country she's in.

Congrats again

My DD has simple name which is used widely in UK and in the country we’re from. Spelling is the same. We used short name at home which is not widely used in UK and shows her heritage more. People managed to spell wrongly both full and short versions of her name over the years.

I don’t think you’re unreasonable to ignore your seven year old’s protests.

I do think you’re unreasonable to name her a name she will constantly have to correct everyone in the country she lives in.

Surely it’d make more sense to have the English pronunciation here and with her English family and have the Spanish pronunciation for her Spanish family

It's a lovely name OP, whichever pronunciation

One of my closest friends is an Eva (the English pronunciation, although she's not) but we largely call her Eeeeeeeeva like Wall-E

@gogohm I immediately thought of Evita in terms of pronunciation too!

Could you spell it Ava so that everyone pronounces it that way? Tbh I think it’s just one of those names that there are a couple of ways of pronouncing (like Evelyn and Laurie) and that it’s one of those things. As for your seven year old.... definitely ignore him. If I had a baby tomorrow my two would want me to call it Taylor or Cardi in honour of their favourite pop stars! Seven year olds name judgement is poor (and at that age I’m pretty sure I wanted to be called Belle as in Beauty and the Beast!)