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Baby names

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

Original poster

Lena, Sara or Aya

40 replies

AmalFish · 08/04/2024 10:35

Hello,
We are looking for a simple but elegant baby girl name- which one of these do people like?
Thanks!

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Mimrr · 08/04/2024 14:31

Sara

shoopshoopdedoo · 08/04/2024 14:31

I like both Lena and Sara. Also Lina and Sarah, which I think are less likely to be mispronounced, if that bothers you.

Like others, I also read Aya as “hiya!”, so I’d not consider using it.

bingoringo4 · 08/04/2024 14:29

Sara

Theoldwoman · 08/04/2024 14:27

Lena

SpringOfContentment · 08/04/2024 14:26

Lena, Zara or Sarah would be my choice (yes, I realise only one of those is on your list)

FayCarew · 08/04/2024 14:20

Yes! I remember her.
Lena Zavaroni's story was so sad.

Pemba · 08/04/2024 14:12

@FayCarew Yes well I'm in that age group and Lee-na seems the most obvious pronunciation to me. Poor old Lena Zavaroni, I still remember her, huge voice coming out of this little girl, I think she died of anorexia in the end.

I think there was another singer called Lena Martell, also Lee-na,but I don't know much about her. For the pronunciation 'Lay-na' I would have thought that the spelling was Lene, like Lene Lovich (anyone else remember her? 'Lucky Number'?).

FayCarew · 08/04/2024 12:51

@ab03, there was a 1970s child star called Lena Zavaroni and she was a Lee-na, so someone aged 55+ might say it that way.

Helena is Scotland tends (or tended) to be 'hel-ina'.

ab03 · 08/04/2024 12:07

I like Lena, but as pp said, some will say 'layna' and some 'lenna'. Both sound nice to me but I know a lot of people are bothered by their own ambiguous pronunciation names! I wonder about:
Cora
Cara
Seren(a)
Alma
Anya
May

Aya will either sound like heya or Hiya. Sara is nice but to me is a middle aged lady. I would pronounce it sar-ra but I do know one person who pronounced it Sarah and had to constantly tell people so!

FayCarew · 08/04/2024 12:06

Ayah, (I think pronounced the same) means 'nanny' in some Indian languages, and the term was also used by British people.
I think it also is the word for a verse in the Quran.

Pemba · 08/04/2024 11:49

Not sure about Aya, are you pronouncing it to rhyme with Hiya? Ayah, (I think pronounced the same) means 'nanny' in some Indian languages, and the term was also used by British people.

Lena and Sara are both nice, but you need to decide on the pronunciations. There are a few different ones as pp said.

sanityisamyth · 08/04/2024 11:42

I'm not sure how to pronounce any of them.

FayCarew · 08/04/2024 11:42

Sara.
Lena is ok but is it Leena, Lenna, or Layna, and there are lots of similar names popular.
Aya - Ey-a, or Ah-ya? looks a bit unfinished. Lots of Maya, Kaia, Anaya etc

SmallIslander · 08/04/2024 10:41

Lena or Sara. I've not come across Aya but I'm just hearing it in pronounced in a northern accent as "Hiya". There's also lots of Mayas and Mia and Maia type names about so feels a bit overused.

goldenretrievermum5 · 08/04/2024 10:38

For Sara would it be the Zara with an S pronunciation or the Sarah one?

If it’s the first pronunciation then that would be my top choice, if not then Lena is my favourite