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Baby names

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Original poster

New Name... How would you pronounce it?

156 replies

elleaimeejohnson · 11/08/2021 11:46

Heya!

My baby girl is due in January, and I wondered what you all think of the name Emmalia, and how you would pronounce it.

I'm not as keen on the emphases in the classically-pronounced name 'Amelia', but I love the name pronounced Emma-LEE-ah. Does this come across in the spelling Emmalia?

I know it doesn't really exist, but I think it's just so pretty!

Thank you so much :)

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Original poster
elleaimeejohnson · 11/08/2021 13:54

@minatrina

I agree with other posters, I would definitely assume that is pronounced Em-MAR-leah

How about Emelia? Or Emalia? They both still have the potential to be mispronounced definitely, but I think less so than Emmalia and I think they're both prettier written down than Emmalia Smile

Thank you, but I personally read 'Emelia' as 'ah-MEE-lia' and 'Emalia' as 'Ah-MAR-lia'
OP posts:
Feilin · 11/08/2021 13:54

Having a similar name to that I can tell you she will be forever answering to Emily or Emilia if you call her that . Yes its a pretty name but its a difficult one .

Mollymalone123 · 11/08/2021 13:53

I think she will have a lifetime of telling people how to spell and pronounce it.

Original poster
elleaimeejohnson · 11/08/2021 13:52

@CloseYourEyesAndSee

Most English people wouldn't pronounce Amalia or emmalia differently because the A and E would both sound like 'Uh'. There might be a slight distinction between them but it wouldn't be very noticeable.
True actually. I figured the double 'M' in the spelling of Emmalia would suggest the pronunciation would avoid the rhotic 'R' sound, but evidently not, haha. (I'm from Cambridge, England).
OP posts:
twinningatlife · 11/08/2021 13:51

To be honest it's too close in pronunciation to a hand cream Ingredient "emollient" - I'm not sure she'll forgive you when she gets older

minatrina · 11/08/2021 13:50

I agree with other posters, I would definitely assume that is pronounced Em-MAR-leah

How about Emelia? Or Emalia? They both still have the potential to be mispronounced definitely, but I think less so than Emmalia and I think they're both prettier written down than Emmalia Smile

CloseYourEyesAndSee · 11/08/2021 13:48

Most English people wouldn't pronounce Amalia or emmalia differently because the A and E would both sound like 'Uh'. There might be a slight distinction between them but it wouldn't be very noticeable.

Original poster
elleaimeejohnson · 11/08/2021 13:46

@CloseYourEyesAndSee

My thoughts too. You'd think it'd just be pronounced as 'Emma'-'Lia', as that is how it is spelled when bisected into two 'names' confused

That's not how pronunciation works though. There are certain conventions which do change according to region but others are quite universal.

The word you have spelled will be pronounced like Amalia, which is an existing name. (quoted from yourself)

This isn't how pronunciation works either in British English, as my name didn't begin with an 'A', but an 'E', so would actually suggest you'd pronounce the name in the same way as I suggested earlier?
I know ideally Emmalia isn't the ideal spelling for universally correct pronunciation, but there are very few spellings which would achieve this without a hyphen.

OP posts:
Anonymouslyposting · 11/08/2021 13:46

I’d say Em-Ar-Leah. So not the way you want I’m afraid!

Kanaloa · 11/08/2021 13:45

If it was me I’d prefer Emma Leah, which would still give you the sound you’re after. I’m not keen on made up names, prefer something classic and recognisable. I’d probably pronounce yours like Emm-ah-lia, with the focus on the ‘ah.’ Like, to rhyme with Natalia.

Muma1992 · 11/08/2021 13:45

I knew a Sarah-Jane who was always ONLY Sarah-Jane, so it can work if you are persistent. As you would have to be with an usually spelled name anyway, so I don't think you'd be any worse off?

I have had to spell my name my whole life, because it is very similar to a more common name. Exactly the same as this situation now. I don't like my name. I've given my daughter a unique name with no similar names like it and incredibly easy to spell, to avoid the same thing.

yourestandingonmyneck · 11/08/2021 13:44

@Firstbornunicorn

Eh - Mali - Ah
Actually, yes, I would maybe pronounce it as this.

As I say, not a good name.

yourestandingonmyneck · 11/08/2021 13:43

I would pronounce it as you do, however it's not a good name.

It's made up, it looks made up, there's 100s of other similar names with various spellings which are overdone......it's just not a good name.

BreatheAndFocus · 11/08/2021 13:43

I’d pronounce it Em-MAAH-lee-a. I’m sorry but I don’t think it looks nice written down either.

Emilya would just be pronounced Emilia. The only way you could pretty much guarantee the pronunciation would be by hyphenating: Emma-Leah, or possibly by mangling the spelling to something like Emilleah.

Be warned, if you do that people will still often try to read it as an alternative spelling of a name they know like Emilia or Emily.

GarnetsandRubies · 11/08/2021 13:43

Upon reading i pronounced it

E-mali-a

CloseYourEyesAndSee · 11/08/2021 13:42

My thoughts too. You'd think it'd just be pronounced as 'Emma'-'Lia', as that is how it is spelled when bisected into two 'names' confused

That's not how pronunciation works though. There are certain conventions which do change according to region but others are quite universal.

Original poster
elleaimeejohnson · 11/08/2021 13:41

@Muma1992

Are you against the hyphen? I don't usually like hyphenated names, but it would get the pronunciation you want and no explaining her name.
I'm not against the hyphen per-se, but I often see people disregard the second half of a hyphenated name.
OP posts:
MuckyPlucky · 11/08/2021 13:41

It reads like Em-AR-le-ah. And most people would stumble over it. Don’t do it, it’ll cause annoyance to your daughter when she older & people can never work out her name.
What about Camelia (as in the flower) or Amelia?

Femwitch · 11/08/2021 13:41

Cross post x

Femwitch · 11/08/2021 13:40

Would you consider spelling it Emma-Lia? It's close to your original idea and I think you'd get the right pronunciation more often. Sometimes people pronounce 'Leah' as just 'Lee' so Emma-Leah could also end up being pronounced just like Emily

Muma1992 · 11/08/2021 13:39

Are you against the hyphen? I don't usually like hyphenated names, but it would get the pronunciation you want and no explaining her name.

CloseYourEyesAndSee · 11/08/2021 13:39

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

Em-ah-lee-ah is how I would pronounce it.

Just out of curiosity, the people who are saying em-ahr-lee-ah...where is the R coming from?

Non rhotic accents I believe
Original poster
elleaimeejohnson · 11/08/2021 13:37

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

Em-ah-lee-ah is how I would pronounce it.

Just out of curiosity, the people who are saying em-ahr-lee-ah...where is the R coming from?

My thoughts too. You'd think it'd just be pronounced as 'Emma'-'Lia', as that is how it is spelled when bisected into two 'names' Confused
OP posts:
Muma1992 · 11/08/2021 13:37

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

Em-ah-lee-ah is how I would pronounce it.

Just out of curiosity, the people who are saying em-ahr-lee-ah...where is the R coming from?

Because you say Emma like "Emmar" and that flows nicely into the "L"

Maybe more of a H than an R

You don't automatically say Emma Leah because of the double M, you would say Em-Mah-Leah

chesirecat99 · 11/08/2021 13:36

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

Emmelia would solve confusion.
Emmelia (as in Emmelia of Caesaria) isn't pronounced "Emma-Leah".

OP isn't the first person to use one of the many alternative spellings of Emilia/Emelia/Emmelia/Emalia but pronounce it Emma-Leah. People will get it wrong though.

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