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Baby names

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

Original poster

polish baby names if your not polish

42 replies

natalieburton · 25/05/2023 17:25

Fallen in love with a polish baby name not sure whether I should use it because I'm not polish
the name is Andzelika
i also love Maya, Valentina, Sadie, Evelyn, Madeleine/Maddy , Ysabella, Faith, Alaina, .

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CountessBathorysBeautySecrets · 26/05/2023 20:35

I do like the name Kasia though and think that one seems more 'accessible' than Andzelika.

ymemanresu · 26/05/2023 20:35

Finnished · 26/05/2023 20:34

If you're not Polish, why would you like your kid to have a foreign name? In the future people would assume your kid is Polish (in better or worse). Unfortunately there is still racism in UK, and I say this as a someone with a foreign name (and a foreigner)

Because she really likes the name ?

CountessBathorysBeautySecrets · 26/05/2023 20:34

I'd find it a bit odd if I'm being honest. Lots of English people will have Welsh or Irish heritage at some point in their family line so choosing a name from those cultures doesn't seem so peculiar.

ymemanresu · 26/05/2023 20:34

I also know of a few Indian children given English names .

Finnished · 26/05/2023 20:34

If you're not Polish, why would you like your kid to have a foreign name? In the future people would assume your kid is Polish (in better or worse). Unfortunately there is still racism in UK, and I say this as a someone with a foreign name (and a foreigner)

ymemanresu · 26/05/2023 20:33

Go for it, why not. My daughter's name is French and we don't have any French connections

TrashyPanda · 26/05/2023 20:33

Can’t think of any reasons Poles would object - there has been a significant presence in the U.K. for decades. One that is often overlooked, although those Poles who stayed here after Yalta constituted the single largest migration in British history.

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 26/05/2023 20:33

Just checked, it should be „polonized/ polonised”.

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 26/05/2023 20:31

Andżelika is Angelica, just written in Polish pronunciation. A reverse to anglicised - policised ?? 🫣

KirstenBlest · 26/05/2023 20:28

@TrashyPanda , My reply would be the same if the name was Welsh or Irish, but you've reminded me of what I didn't pp:

  • The names get anglicized and don't sound right to speakers of the original language
  • The names are often old-fashioned in their original language
and
  • There might be historical reasons why people might mind

@CaptainMyCaptain , I know an Angelica who is German, and she doesn't say her name with a ng-g, but that might be regional

CaptainMyCaptain · 26/05/2023 08:06

My cousins daughter is called Angelica. Her husband is Austrian and in Austria it has a hard 'g' and in England a soft 'g'.

TrashyPanda · 26/05/2023 07:58

Loads of folk on here use Welsh and Irish names without having a link to those countries.

use the name you like.

KirstenBlest · 25/05/2023 17:47

Maya - blends into Maia, Mya, Mia, May, Maeve etc. May-ah,or My-ah?
Valentina - pretty but don't like Val. Tina is ok
Sadie - ok
Evelyn - Evie type names too popular
Madeleine/Maddy - ok
Faith - I like it but it is similar to Fay/Faye, which is popular on here

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 25/05/2023 17:43

KirstenBlest · 25/05/2023 17:40

According to the Baby Names threads, it seems it's acceptable to use a name that is from a different language or culture, but

  • your DD would be asked if she was polish or part-polish frequently
  • her name would be misspelled often (Anzelika, Angelica, etc)
  • her name would be mispronounced a lot (An-ZELL-ica, Angelica, Angel-EE-ka etc)

Ysabella would get Isabella a lot.
Alaina would get Elaina, Elena and Alana a lot.

I get all these 3 a lot and my name isn’t Polish!

Even my own grandma couldn’t spell my name properly!

Bumbblehumble · 25/05/2023 17:41

My friend name is Andzelika all people I know call Angelic lol

KirstenBlest · 25/05/2023 17:40

According to the Baby Names threads, it seems it's acceptable to use a name that is from a different language or culture, but

  • your DD would be asked if she was polish or part-polish frequently
  • her name would be misspelled often (Anzelika, Angelica, etc)
  • her name would be mispronounced a lot (An-ZELL-ica, Angelica, Angel-EE-ka etc)

Ysabella would get Isabella a lot.
Alaina would get Elaina, Elena and Alana a lot.

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 25/05/2023 17:32

You could use it but get ready for a lifetime of are you Polish etc?

My name isn’t English and I don’t share the heritage of the country it’s from either. It gets a bit wary explaining that too.

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