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Baby names

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

Original poster

How do you pronounce Esme?

87 replies

multicolours · 07/04/2024 17:27

Seen this name on a lot of baby name sites is it said Es(me) or Es(may) or something completely different?

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Ilovemyshed · 07/04/2024 19:56

Es-may

VisitationRights · 07/04/2024 19:56

Ezmee unless it has the accent, Esmé, in which case it is Ezmay.

nc22124 · 07/04/2024 19:53

I've only ever known one and she pronounced it ez-mee, but characters on TV always seem to be ez-may. I think it's a beautiful name, particularly with the first pronunciation

Geebray · 07/04/2024 19:29

SilverBranchGoldenPears · 07/04/2024 19:20

If it has an accent I would pronounce it Esmay (Esmé).
otherwise Esmee (Esme). It is short for Esmerelda or on its own. It is a lovely name, but both are right.

It is not short for Esmeralda.

Saschka · 07/04/2024 19:26

Katkins17 · 07/04/2024 18:52

I also had a friend called Marie who pronounced her name Mah-ri..

so obviously I surround myself with wrong thinkers !!!!

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Think the Maah-rie pronunciation is Irish? I’ve met a couple, it’s definitely an established alternative pronunciation.

SilverBranchGoldenPears · 07/04/2024 19:20

If it has an accent I would pronounce it Esmay (Esmé).
otherwise Esmee (Esme). It is short for Esmerelda or on its own. It is a lovely name, but both are right.

Geebray · 07/04/2024 19:18

This is joining up with the class/pardon threads.

Ezmay is the middle to upper middle class pronunciation.

Anyone can pronounce it how they want. Just as they can say loo or toilet, or napkin or serviette.

Itsokish · 07/04/2024 19:00

I have an Esme(me).

BoohooWoohoo · 07/04/2024 18:58

May because of the accent above the last letter

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 07/04/2024 18:56

It's not a case of right or wrong. Like many names, Esme / Esmé is a name of French origin, but it was adopted into English a long time ago, so the anglicised pronunciation is pretty much as commonly used as the more French-sounding version. Both are perfectly normal ways to pronounce the name. Only a pedantic arse tells people they are pronouncing their own name incorrectly.

CJ0374 · 07/04/2024 18:56

The 2 I know, both in their 90's are Ez-May.

I've only ever seen Ez-Me on MN! Is it regional? Where are people from that pronounce it Ez-Me?

Katkins17 · 07/04/2024 18:52

missshilling · 07/04/2024 18:50

She couldn’t have been because, apparently, it isn’t pronounced like that.

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I also had a friend called Marie who pronounced her name Mah-ri..

so obviously I surround myself with wrong thinkers !!!!

missshilling · 07/04/2024 18:50

Katkins17 · 07/04/2024 18:48

My aunty was always Es-Me ...

But I do like the pronunciation as Ez-May

She couldn’t have been because, apparently, it isn’t pronounced like that.

Iwant2move · 07/04/2024 18:49

Ez-may

Katkins17 · 07/04/2024 18:48

My aunty was always Es-Me ...

But I do like the pronunciation as Ez-May

BoleynMemories13 · 07/04/2024 18:46

I've known it to be either, a bit like Maya can be My-ah or May-ah and Aria can be Ah-re-ah or Ar-ee-ah. I'm not a fan of ambiguous pronunciations so would avoid Esme for this reason.

CreateYourOwnUsername · 07/04/2024 18:24

Esme = Ez-mee
Esmé = Ez-may

(Imo)

Princesspollyyy · 07/04/2024 18:21

It's es-may.

MintyYoghurt · 07/04/2024 18:19

I know an Esme (pronounced Ezmee) and an Esmé (pronounced Esmay).

familyissues12345 · 07/04/2024 18:18

Ez May

WhiteLeopard · 07/04/2024 18:18

Ez-mee

Dewdilly · 07/04/2024 18:17

Ez-May or Es-May. A mee sound at the end is definitely wrong.

Causewerethespecialtwo · 07/04/2024 18:16

I’ve known children with both pronunciations.

Moreteaandchocolate · 07/04/2024 18:14

I only know one Esme and she pronounces it Ezmay, I’ve never heard it said Ezmee.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 07/04/2024 18:13

I'd pronounce it Ezmay. I've occasionally heard it pronounced Ezmee so I think either pronunciation is fine.