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Baby names

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

Original poster

Girl’s name, Mehri?

34 replies

Bookworm55 · 29/10/2021 15:53

A Persian name pronounced a bit like Merry, thoughts?

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KittenKong · 30/10/2021 14:57

Well I guess it’s better that little Fatima - gets called fatty or farty (goozie).

TatianaBis · 30/10/2021 13:08

She is just going to get called Meh though isn’t she?

PinkSyCo · 30/10/2021 10:49

Love it.

KittenKong · 30/10/2021 10:41

My name is (technically) English and people still mangle it. Sometimes even get called something quite embarrassing...Blush

tickledtiger · 30/10/2021 10:37

I think it’s great. I wouldn’t be put off by the Mary thing, she will get Mary here and there but so what?

Fwiw my name isn’t English, people struggle with it and I get called the closest English equivalent sometimes but all I do is correct people, it’s not a big deal.

KittenKong · 30/10/2021 10:14

I’ve been saying it out loud here. I quite like it now... (family are like HmmHmm) - if you can get a wee short ‘g’ after the h.

Does it go well with the surname? Any middle names?

Skysblue · 30/10/2021 10:10

It’s very pretty, I would use it.

When I read the thread title I assumed it would be pronounced something like “May-ree” but it never occurred to me that it’s similar to Mary because Mary isn’t a popular name at the moment. Well not in England anyway dunno about elsewhere.

KittenKong · 30/10/2021 10:10

People tend to get the stresses wrong with foreign names - but I think I’d look and think meh-ree (fast) not meh-ri (long-short).

ChimChimeny · 30/10/2021 10:04

I thought it would get confused with Mary not because they are actually pronounced similarly but because people don't always listen properly or hear what sounds familiar. So although I think I'd pronounce it like Merry if you introduce her they might not catch it right

KittenKong · 30/10/2021 09:54

Maryam is probably the most common girls name. I don’t think your name is too hard to pronounce - there are some honkingly hard names to get your mouth around of you don’t speak Farsi. (Like the ‘ghreh’ sound we don’t have in English ).

Original poster
Bookworm55 · 30/10/2021 08:05

Thank you everyone! Feeling reassured! :)

OP posts:
TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 30/10/2021 07:47

Doesn't sound like Mary at all, I like it though, very pretty!

AuntDympna · 30/10/2021 07:26

English speakers trip their tongues over her sound but you could explain it as being like the Welsh rh in Rhiannon. In Irish you would spell it Meithrí, that would get a close pronunciation.
I don't think Mary is seen as religious at all, it was just what every girl was called plus some boys.

MindyStClaire · 30/10/2021 07:20

I have a Meredith who we call Merry a lot so I like it. Agree about the Mary thing - in my accent they sound similar but different, but in many accents where I live now (NI) they're the same.

I'd just encourage her not to see it as a big deal, people who need to know how to spell and pronounce her name will learn it quickly, it's not difficult. And being called Mary in Starbucks isn't the end of the world.

Tenfifteen · 30/10/2021 06:46

I’m English and read this phonetically before reading the comments and didn’t read it as Mary at all. Much more like the pp described although I maybe you’d still correct my pronunciation! I think it is very pretty but also a strong name so I like it a lot Smile

Original poster
Bookworm55 · 30/10/2021 06:38

@Heyha @KittenKong Thanks that helps a lot!
Thanks everyone, happy to see positive responses! :) I don’t know if the Mary association will be an issue for us because we are very non-religious? Do you think the similarity is a deal breaker? We love the name but slightly put off by how similar it sounds to Mary. Although Mary is a beautiful name in itself I don’t like associating strongly to any religion. What are your thoughts?

OP posts:
KittenKong · 30/10/2021 00:33

I would have though it would be long first syllable (ending on the ‘heh’), and a short second: Meh- ri

Heyha · 29/10/2021 22:58

@Bookworm55

Hi everyone! Thank you for all of your opinions. I understand that it may be confused with Mary - those of you who have met others with the name before, how have they explained the pronunciation to you? Thanks.
I was told to try to make it rhyme with Yeh, so the e sound is a lot shorter than the a in Mary. The first student told me that and the next one didn't object to my attempt so can't be that far off although I know it's definitely not perfect!
CrackerGal · 29/10/2021 22:41

I love it!

TuftyMarmoset · 29/10/2021 22:40

I think it's nice but I agree it will be mistaken for Mary which will probably be annoying for her.

Pickles89 · 29/10/2021 22:39

It's nice!

Just10moreminutesplease · 29/10/2021 22:26

I think it’s beautiful OP!

MrsSkylerWhite · 29/10/2021 22:26

Lovely

WeasilyPleased · 29/10/2021 22:25

I really like it.

KittenKong · 29/10/2021 19:13

I’ve never heard of it (no reason why i should know all Persian names). We have a couple of Mehdis.