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Baby names

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

Original poster

Talia

64 replies

FeralCats99 · 19/02/2024 06:59

Hormones/baby name regret - how do you pronounce Talia?!

Is it too out there with a top 50 sibling name?
We were pronouncing tal ee a rather than tarl ee a and obviously knew pronounced the other way but worried were actually the minority. We announced her name last month but every other day wonder whether we should have gone for our safe choice.
Thanks in advance

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PeridotSparkle · 21/02/2024 22:07

KnickerlessParsons · 20/02/2024 23:51

I thought it was Thalia, not Talia. Pronounced the same way.

I'd spell it like this.

PeridotSparkle · 21/02/2024 22:05

LittleLittleRex · 19/02/2024 08:33

Surely these random Rs are just an artefact of the person's accent and not an actual pronunciation. Nobody who actually pronounced Rs, such as a Scottish accent, is putting one in.

Honestly, it's just a bath versus barth thing, pronounce it how you do and don't overthink people with different accents.

Do you have a bAth or a barrrrth?

PeridotSparkle · 21/02/2024 22:04

It's a fab name!

Ithinkitstimeforbed · 21/02/2024 19:32

I know a Talia and she pronounces it Tar-Lee-ah. Ta-Lee- ah I’d have to concentrate saying properly til I got used to it, I guess that probably depends on accent though!

BigFluffyHoodie · 21/02/2024 19:28

It's going to be quite a divisive name. Some of us would pronounce it Tarleea. And wonder why it wasn't spelt Thalia.

And plenty of other people will pronounce it as you do.

KittySmith1986 · 21/02/2024 19:26

Ta-Lee-ah, surely? Lovely name. ‘Adriennnnnneeeeee’ in the Rocky films was played by Talia Shire.

CorvusPurpureus · 21/02/2024 19:21

Or of course there's Thalia the Greek comic muse, but that's more likely to be pronounced a bit like Failure but with a Th (cf Tim in Antonia Forest's novels...). 😁

Charlieradioalphapapa · 21/02/2024 19:15

well, it is given as an independent name now, but it comes from Natalia. It means Christmas

Natalya/Natalia/Natalie comes from birth or Christmas.

Talia is a name of Aramaic and Hebrew origin. It comes from the Hebrew words Tal (dew) and Yahweh (meaning G-d). It can be spelled lots of ways as other apps have said - Talya, Thalia, Talia, Taliah, Taaliah etc. It doesn’t stem from Natalie

Cotswoldmama · 21/02/2024 17:27

I'd pronounce it Tar-leeuh unless I'd heard you say the name

Icystars · 21/02/2024 17:04

I pronounce it Tally Er and really like the name.

EddieHoweBlackandWhiteArmy · 21/02/2024 16:59

Yes my kiwi friend is Thalia pronounced Tar-Lee- A

I think it’s a strong but feminine name

BigFluffyHoodie · 21/02/2024 16:52

notknowledgeable · 21/02/2024 09:34

Beautiful name, it is short for Natalia though, so why not give the full name and give your child the choice of using either when she is older?

No, it's not. Although I've only known it spelt Thalia.

BigFluffyHoodie · 21/02/2024 16:50

Tar-lee-ah, with the emphasis on the Tar.

CorvusPurpureus · 21/02/2024 16:49

notknowledgeable · 21/02/2024 13:03

well, it is given as an independent name now, but it comes from Natalia. It means Christmas

Show quote history

What, like Ali isn't actually a name, it's just a derivative of Alastair?! 😆

The world extends beyond Europe & indeed beyond Christianity, oddly enough. It's a popular & beautiful name amongst Muslim Arabic speakers.

notknowledgeable · 21/02/2024 13:03

MariaVT65 · 21/02/2024 11:47

It’s definitely not always short for Natalia. Talia is a name by itself.

Show quote history

well, it is given as an independent name now, but it comes from Natalia. It means Christmas

Charlieradioalphapapa · 21/02/2024 12:51

Beautiful name, it is short for Natalia though, so why not give the full name and give your child the choice of using either when she is older

As MariaVT65 says, Talia is a name in its own right. I’m Jewish and know 2 young Talia’s. It’s also a popular Arabic name. In Hebrew it means Dew of God. I love Natalie and Natalia too but Talia is a stand alone name as well as a shortening for these.

MariaVT65 · 21/02/2024 11:47

notknowledgeable · 21/02/2024 09:34

Beautiful name, it is short for Natalia though, so why not give the full name and give your child the choice of using either when she is older?

It’s definitely not always short for Natalia. Talia is a name by itself.

miniaturepixieonacid · 21/02/2024 10:35

Very pretty name.

I would automatically say Tah-lee-a but I'd only need to be corrected once.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 21/02/2024 09:56

FeralCats99 · 19/02/2024 13:29

Thank you so much all - met a mum at the nursery gates Friday who repeatedly said Tar Lee a despite us politely saying Ta Lee a several times which I've been mulling over all weekend!

Love the meaning and am trying to put the doubts out my mind - we register her on Wednesday so thank you for the reassurance

It’s probably an accent thing like people who say ‘grarss’ and ‘barth’ for grass and bath. Some people make more of an effort than others to adjust their accent when pronouncing a name to match the way the parents say it but I wouldn’t overthink it if the odd person continues to say it using their accent rather than yours.

marshmallowfinder · 21/02/2024 09:52

Natalia is lovely. Talia just makes me think of talon.

notknowledgeable · 21/02/2024 09:34

Beautiful name, it is short for Natalia though, so why not give the full name and give your child the choice of using either when she is older?

DesertSnow · 21/02/2024 09:32

It's lovely. Ta-lee-a

CorvusPurpureus · 21/02/2024 08:03

I live in an Arabic country & it's very popular here, but with multiple English spellings & pronunciations.

Off the top of my head I know Talias, Talyas, Taleyahs & Taliyas, pronounced with different vowel sounds & emphases - & with no obvious correlation between the spelling/pronunciation.

TAL- ee - a
TARL - ee - a
Tal - EE - a
Tarl - EE -a
Tal - EH - a
Tal - YAH

So I think a) pronunciation is up to you b) expect others to get it 'wrong'.

Both my dds have names which lend themselves to different pronunciations. Dd1 has a classmate who looks like her AND has a soundalike name, which has been causing Parents' Evening confusion for many years now...

Short of giving every child a monosyllable & a serial number, it's unavoidable!

Lulu1919 · 21/02/2024 06:47

I'd say Tal EE a
But accent wise I can see some saying Tar Lee a
Like north south divide saying bath or barth

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 21/02/2024 05:42

Ta Lee uh. I like it.