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Original poster

Esme pronunciation

136 replies

Buddhabowl · 17/01/2022 13:56

If you don't mind could you tell me how you would pronounce Esme and whereabouts you live? I like Ezmee but DH has only heard Ezmay.
I like both but just want to use a pronunciation that is least likely to be pronounced incorrectly.
I'm in the South East and until recently had only heard Ezmee but I'm getting the impression up north it is always Ezmay.
If it's too contentious I think we might go with Daphne instead!

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Smallkeys · 19/01/2022 23:08

This is my all time favourite name I prominently it with a soft a so ezmay but nit a full may sound at the end

Luredbyapomegranate · 19/01/2022 23:04

Both used in the South

There are an awful lot of them..

Movelikewater · 19/01/2022 21:36

I literally am called esme and the ‘debate’ has been a non-issue for me - I couldn’t care less, and as others mentioned would be like different accents.

I wouldn’t ever let a pronunciation put me off naming my child something slightly ambiguous.

I have a colleague called Asia, pronounced Ass-ea. Once you’ve heard it, you never forget it, it’s just not a problem.

Your other name choices are lovely too, and whatever you go with congrats on your daughter!

samsmum2 · 19/01/2022 19:08

Esmee - SE England

evamumm · 19/01/2022 19:00

I know an es-mee and she's constantly correcting everyone because people presume it's es-may.

pradavilla · 19/01/2022 18:53

Yeah for me I'd say Ez May too.

Maverick66 · 19/01/2022 18:51

Ez may ....Ireland

whatcangowrong · 19/01/2022 18:39

This thread is giving me an excellent reason to steer clear of the name Esme. What a pain!

TheYearOfSmallThings · 19/01/2022 18:09

Ezmay, and I have never heard someone use Ezmee.

scottishnames · 19/01/2022 18:06

This discussion occurs so often on Mumsnet.

The name is a French name. The French pronunciation is Esmay or Esmeh, depending on how one represents a French accent in English.

There is really nothing more to say. Except that Esme (acute accent on last e) is masculine in French; the feminine would be Esmee (acute accent on the second e).

If people who don't understand the origins of a name and pronounce it incorrectly, that is up to them.

ZimZamZoom · 19/01/2022 13:59

I've only ever heard it pronounced Ezmay.

Daphne is a far, far nicer name than Esme.

Original poster
Buddhabowl · 19/01/2022 13:56

Thanks for all the comments. I like the idea of Esmerelda, nickname Esmie, but Esmerelda is a big name! Not sure it feels quite right. I'll give it some thought.

The pretentious comments are how I feel about Ez-may, to me it sounds pretentious to correct someone from Esmee to Esmay, like my Hyacinth Bucket comment earlier.
I messaged my best friend yesterday to ask how she would pronounce it and she just said 'Ezmee obviously' she doesn't have children and isn't around them much so isn't aware of Ezmay. So I'd have to say 'no not Ezmee, Ezmaaaaay' so often which feels pretentious even if it isn't.

To be honest I'm leaning towards a different name now. I love Juliana but my DH finds it a bit much, we both like Daphne, I also like Amber.

It's a shame because I love Esme, but this debate is really off putting as I imagine she will have this issue her whole life.

OP posts:
HunkyPunk · 19/01/2022 13:32

@Blubells

"I’ll meet you in Waitrose cafeh"

I'd pronounce it that way Smile But then I'm not British (nor French, but my native language has the 'eh' sound).

Yes, sorry Blush Should have said it only sounds pretentious if English is your 1st language, and you’re trying to pronounce a foreign word ‘properly’ but in the context of English!

Having thought about it much more than I intended to, or even realised I could, I suppose going by the logic of my example, ‘cafe’, which is pronounced ‘cafay’ with or without the é, Esme should be ‘Esmay’. I prefer ‘Esmee’, though!

TheGratefulBread · 19/01/2022 12:09

Ez-may - I'm in the South East

Blubells · 19/01/2022 12:08

"I’ll meet you in Waitrose cafeh"

I'd pronounce it that way Smile But then I'm not British (nor French, but my native language has the 'eh' sound).

Blubells · 19/01/2022 12:05

Yes but ‘ay’ is the best you’re going to get most of the time in the uk.

And for that reason I'd avoid using Esmé in the U.K. People will mispronounce it.

I much prefer the suggestion of Esmeralda nickname Esmie. That's cute and will not get mispronounced in English.

EvilPea · 19/01/2022 11:19

I would say Ez-mee

I heard my first Ez-May yesterday and wondered if it was spelt differently

HunkyPunk · 19/01/2022 11:17

Non, the French é does not sound like 'ay' at all. It's more like a long eh.

Yes but ‘ay’ is the best you’re going to get most of the time in the uk. Even café, which still often retains the ‘e acute’ spelling is pronounced ‘cafay’ rather than ‘cafeh’. “I’ll meet you in Waitrose cafeh”, would sound horribly pretentious Grin

StrawberryFever · 19/01/2022 10:34

Fwiw though if you go with it, I'd just teach your child that it's an accent thing, they're still calling her by the correct name, they just pronounce it differently. So she doesn't need to correct either pronunciation (though can introduce herself whichever way she prefers).

I have a name which is pronounced with different sounds by people from different regions and it honestly would never have occurred to me to 'correct' their pronunciation, it's still obviously my name.

namechangedtotellyou · 19/01/2022 10:31

I'd pronounce it as Ez-mee, because there's no accent.

If there was an accent, Ez-may.

onedayoranother · 19/01/2022 10:30

Granted I've only known two...

SpookyScarySkeletons · 19/01/2022 10:29

Yorkshire and my cousins baby girl is "Ez-may"

onedayoranother · 19/01/2022 10:25

Esmee. Never ever heard it pronounced Esmay - I live in London and grew up in USA.

maddy68 · 19/01/2022 10:23

I'm a teacher and I have had a few Esme's always been pronounced ez me

StrawberryFever · 19/01/2022 10:20

Ez-may (London/Essex)