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Baby names

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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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Blubells · 19/01/2022 10:16

as the ‘ay sound would come from the é in French, non?*

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

HunkyPunk · 19/01/2022 09:45

Well I always thought it was pronounced Esmee, until I watched the GBSB, where one of the presenters is a definite Esmay!

I would have thought the anglicised version would be Esmee, as the ‘ay* sound would come from the é in French, non? Grin

CatRamsey · 19/01/2022 09:33

The first time I ever came across the name was in a book where the main character was called Esmerelda, Esmie for short. With the ie it was obviously Ez-mee. Could this be an option for you OP?

MyNinja · 18/01/2022 10:31

May not Me

Edenember · 18/01/2022 10:20

Ezmee, North East. Figures as close to Scotland. However I think most people desire the Esmée pronunciation, so I’d probably default to that until / unless corrected. I personally prefer the Scottish pn.

Movelikewater · 17/01/2022 18:47

I’m an adult Esme. I pronounce it ezmee. I get various pronunciations and I’m not bothered/don’t really notice. I quite like both ezmee and esmay. People tend to love my name (or not say if they don’t…!) - I’m a bit indifferent as it’s quite girly and I wish I’d been called something unisex/not ending in a vowel.

My nickname is ez, but I’ve always harboured a girly wish to be nicknamed Mimi.

SquirrelG · 17/01/2022 18:44

Ezmay - I'm in NZ and that's the only way I've heard it pronounced here.

ElephantCup · 17/01/2022 18:36

It’s bouquet, not bookay. Like a bouquet of flowers 💐

I agree it’s pronounced Ezmay

Peppapigforlife · 17/01/2022 18:25
Chickorma · 17/01/2022 18:20

Ez-meh in Yorkshire

Peppapigforlife · 17/01/2022 18:19

@YouWereGr8InLittleMenstruators

Do you like Thisbe, if you like the two syllables with an ee ending? I love it.
Reminds me of someone with a speech impediment trying to say frizbee 😂
Peppapigforlife · 17/01/2022 18:17

As for your question, I'd never ever met one until I named my daughter it, now they're everywhere we go!

Peppapigforlife · 17/01/2022 18:16

My daughter is Esmé and it's pronounced May. It's French. A few people call her Me, but only my Grandma and a couple of other older people. I stick the accent on there so no one gets confused. Please don't call her Esmé-Rose though, I hear it all the time on other kids and it sounds so cheap- like Live Love Laugh on your living room wall.
Someone on a bus once asked ne if I had also called my daughter Esmé-Rose like her and I said "no I called her Esmé-Relda." Because her full name is Esmerelda.

Violetandpurple · 17/01/2022 18:06

I'm in the midland.
At school we had an Esme prounoiced Ez-Mee however all I've met are now pronounced Ez-May
I think you could chose how you want it said but she could forever be correcting people.

Snowiscold · 17/01/2022 18:01

I agree that I think the mee pronunciation is more traditional in the UK- older women I know who had this name were mee. But the may ending has taken over- perhaps due to Twilight. I’d go with Daphne. It’s a much stronger and more interesting name.

IsThePopeCatholic · 17/01/2022 17:53

Esmee
But if you spell it with an accent, then esmay

LightDrizzle · 17/01/2022 17:51

Ezmay.
Yorkshire.

Original poster
Buddhabowl · 17/01/2022 17:50

One other question, I know it's very popular but do you think it's TOO popular? Personally I haven't met one in ages.

OP posts:
Original poster
Buddhabowl · 17/01/2022 17:48

I think it sounds like it used to be pronounced Ez-mee mostly in the UK but as the name exploded in popularity due to Twilight it is now more common to pronounce Ez-may.
Neither sounds like the French pronunciation but whichever pronunciation we choose some people will think it is being pronounced 'wrong'.

I don't mind correcting people but I'd rather not correct from Ez-mee to Ez-may because it sounds a bit like Mrs Bucket saying her name is actually Bookay Grin.
Anyway, I still love it (both ways) so we won't take it off the list just yet. I might just go for the name and decide how to pronounce it later.
Daphne is still very much on the list and doesn't have any of these issues!

OP posts:
Lubeyboobyalt · 17/01/2022 17:26

ezmay

MadameRanevskaya · 17/01/2022 17:24

Ez-me originally from NI

PolytheneRam · 17/01/2022 17:14

Usually Ezmay but I cared for a lady (born 1920) who pronounced it Ezmee.

East Midlands.

RuthW · 17/01/2022 17:11

I say Ezmee.

I absolutely detest Ezmay.

Emmab321 · 17/01/2022 17:10

My daughter is Esme pronounced ezmay :)

liveforsummer · 17/01/2022 17:06

I know a few it's always Ezmay with a soft Z, almost like an S but not quite