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Baby names

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Original poster

Asa?

65 replies

BlueMountains5 · 15/05/2023 17:32

My husband and I just found out that we’re having a baby boy and we’re so excited! Except for the name.. we have so many great girl names but are really struggling to find a boy’s name we like.

I love the name Asa (pronounced Ace-ah) and it’s an old family name. But I know it’s pretty uncommon. My husband really likes it too, but we don’t want to saddle our child to a name that they’ll constantly have to explain.

Thoughts?

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MyFaceIsAnAONB · 19/05/2023 23:10

DuchessOfSausage · 19/05/2023 14:40

@MyFaceIsAnAONB , if I saw the name Acer for a boy, I'd think they had misspelt Asa.

Ok :)

Rohan/Rowan, Jon/John, Ann/Anne, Harriet/Harriett, Amy/Aimee, Clare/Claire, the list goes on. Not unusual and not a problem imo.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 19/05/2023 22:06

Really cool looking and sounding name (palindrome! plus the "Ace" sound)- I wish I'd been brave enough to use it but I was a bit concerned about the "Assa" thing too.

However likely kids don't tease about names now the way they might have in the past - plus many older people will think of Briggs or Hartford, so I think more people should know how to pronounce Asa than the relative rarity of the name might initially suggest.

DuchessOfSausage · 19/05/2023 14:40

@MyFaceIsAnAONB , if I saw the name Acer for a boy, I'd think they had misspelt Asa.

Ontopofthesunset · 19/05/2023 14:14

I think some names historically were very culturally tied to certain backgrounds or religions, but as a previous poster said once a wider range of people start using them, they don't seem so culturally tied any more. When I was a child (mid 50s now), anyone called Noah or Reuben in the UK would almost certainly been at the very least Jewish, probably quite orthodox. But now there are lots of young people without Jewish heritage called Noah etc. So I don't think Asa is a problem from that perspective.

It's not a favourite name for me - it looks a bit thin and insubstantial and like the start of a sentence: "As a woman in my mid 50s, I feel..."

MyFaceIsAnAONB · 19/05/2023 14:05

CharlottenBerg · 19/05/2023 09:36

But that's a Taiwanese company that makes PC, laptops, and tablets.

Show quote history

But it’s also a tree.

Otis make evelators
Avery make labels (v popular in the states and I know one)
Celeste (ok, Cilest) is a contraceptive
Zoe is a car
Henry is a hoover

CharlottenBerg · 19/05/2023 09:36

tsmainsqueeze · 19/05/2023 08:39

I really love it but doesn't go with my surname ,my spelling choice would be Acer.

But that's a Taiwanese company that makes PC, laptops, and tablets.

tsmainsqueeze · 19/05/2023 08:39

I really love it but doesn't go with my surname ,my spelling choice would be Acer.

Missedmytoe · 19/05/2023 08:31

A Polish family I knew as a child had a female dog called Asa (pronounced Azz-a).
interesting how widespread the name is.

ratticus4 · 19/05/2023 08:30

I like it and first heard of it through Asa Briggs, the historian.

Beachywave · 19/05/2023 08:21

I automatically pronounced it correctly so I wouldn't worry about that 😊

I know someone with an Eesa and he suits it.

CharlottenBerg · 19/05/2023 08:19

sashh · 19/05/2023 02:12

I think adults are too polite to say anything but I think children will shorten it to Ass (I know that's not shorter but you know what I mean).

This is one time I think a different spelling might be useful.

But it's only the Yanks who sit on their 'ass'. Brits have arses.

sashh · 19/05/2023 02:12

I think adults are too polite to say anything but I think children will shorten it to Ass (I know that's not shorter but you know what I mean).

This is one time I think a different spelling might be useful.

Silvergoldandglitter · 18/05/2023 11:31

I thought it said Asda to start with.

RoamingToaster · 18/05/2023 11:14

I hadn't heard of it before and wouldn't know Ace-ah pronunciation however once you hear it it's easy to remember. I wouldn't use it as where I am I imagine most people don't know it either and I'd worry about the ass-a or just generally mispronunciation.

RaRathenoisylittlelion · 18/05/2023 10:07

People seem to manage fine with pronunciation of Ava and Ada. You don't get people saying Avva and Adda so don't see why this would be any different?

I think it's a great name, you don't hear it often but it's cool. I guess it depends if it goes with your surname?

fairycupcakes · 16/05/2023 21:34

Asa is fab, it’s on my list too!!
I feel like it’s quite clear it should be ace-a pronunciation and not as-sa as that would need the double s :)

MyFaceIsAnAONB · 16/05/2023 12:28

I like it! I prefer Acer like the tree 😍 (also a tech brand though I think? 😄 in our family we already have a different tech brand, nail varnish brand, and 2 cars so that’s not a huge deal to me)

Asa is nice but a bit biblical for me, and I just easily misspelt it as ‘Ass’ annoyingly!

TallulahBetty · 16/05/2023 12:27

I knew a little Asa. No issues with pronunciation.

Shookethtothecore · 16/05/2023 12:25

My children have unusual names that some people thought might lead to teasing.

none of them have been teased for their names, unusual names aren’t that unusual anymore and I don’t think kids are that arsed about other peoples names tbh.

Original poster
BlueMountains5 · 16/05/2023 11:56

Thanks all! Really helpful. Asa is definitely still at the top of our list, although my husband is somewhat concerned about "Ass-a" teasing, as a few have pointed out here.

I'm not as worried. I knew one Asa growing up and I can't remember any issues, although it wasn't in the UK and in an area where unusual names were pretty common. So maybe I underestimate the teasing potential...

OP posts:
Whatisityoucantface · 16/05/2023 07:38

I really like it, only came across recently it because of the actor Asa Butterfield. Ace is a cute nn too

ConstitutionHill · 15/05/2023 22:36

Love it.

CharlottenBerg · 15/05/2023 21:33

Anyhow, 'ass' is mainly American. In the UK, we sit on our arses. Which reminds me. Quite a long while ago, (like 100 years ago), upper class English people pronounced 'ass' (donkey) the way we pronounce 'arse' (backside). Our music teacher at school used to say 'you silly ass' that way, he was aged about 80. A comedy character, 'Lord Charles', a ventriloquist's dummy operated by Ray Alan, used to say it. Both got laughs.

PinkBuffalo · 15/05/2023 21:31

I like it!

also I do sometimes have real problems understanding pronunciation but have no problems with Asa if that helps!

CharlottenBerg · 15/05/2023 21:26

Superdupes · 15/05/2023 21:16

I like the sound of it but would have thought it was Assa if you hadn't said. I wouldn't call my child something that was one letter away from Ass though. I'd use Acer.

Wouldn't you need a double consonant to make it Assa? After all, laser, phase, chase, all have a short 'a' sound.

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