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Baby names

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Original poster

Should we use an accent when spelling our baby name Renee?

89 replies

TheCleverMember · 12/05/2026 09:40

Thank you to everyone who helped with our previous post.
We are now going to spell it
Renee

We are now debating whether to put accent on or not now
We want it to sound Ree-nee
We know the French pronunciation is ruh-nah and we do have french blood in the family.

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jackspratswife01 · 12/05/2026 21:59

Very allo allo

Mochudubh · 12/05/2026 21:54

Makes me think of

  1. Allo, allo.
  2. Renee MacRae (Big story when I was a child but also more recently as her killer was finally brought to justice though her remains and that of her child have never been found).
  3. Irene Handl the actress. Pronounced Eye-reen-ee.

Just remembered

  1. Renee Roberts, Alf's wife in Coronation Street. Really showing my age there.
GeneralPeter · 12/05/2026 21:53

Prior poster had it right: if you want “ree-nee” you’ve got to go with an Irene, Doreen, Maureen, etc. and use it as a nickname.

FoundAUserNameDownTheSofa · 12/05/2026 21:42

I would pronounce it like in ‘Allo ‘Allo, with or without the accent

CBAwithallthethings · 12/05/2026 21:35

I knew a Reenie at school. The spelling you’ve suggested I wouldn’t pronounce as Reenie, accent or not.

TessSaysYes · 12/05/2026 21:25

If you have French blood you can have an accent, and always use it...but come to terms with many people/organisations not using the accent. And I wouldn't make it a battleground and for ever be telling people to add the accent. Throw that script it the bin. But the wealth of your heritage is to be celebrated. Is that the Rioja talking 🤫

cheapskatemum · 12/05/2026 21:25

Octavia64 · 12/05/2026 11:03

My gran was known as ree-nee

her given name was Irene

Same. When asked how I’d spell “ree-nee” I decided on Reenie.

BarbaraVineFan · 12/05/2026 21:19

I think the Renee/Rene spellings would be constantly mispronounced. How about Rinie? Or Rini as another poster suggested? Reeni?

Cypire · 12/05/2026 20:35

NamingNoNames · 12/05/2026 15:55

But how do you pronounce Rene? Reen or Ruh-NAY?

Show quote history

Pronouncing it ree-nee

I would.pronounce it reen tjough

NamingNoNames · 12/05/2026 15:55

Daffodilsinthespring · 12/05/2026 14:52

Rene is how you want to pronounce it.

But how do you pronounce Rene? Reen or Ruh-NAY?

ThatMintMember · 12/05/2026 15:54

I knew which name you meant when you wrote Renie but I wouldn't pronounce Renee in the same way.

Reenie? That seems pretty clear to me!

Floppyearedlab · 12/05/2026 15:53

Don't.
When she ever needs to type it on a computer she will have to look for the code to insert the accent on a keyboard rather than just type the letter.

Daffodilsinthespring · 12/05/2026 14:52

Rene is how you want to pronounce it.

Calliopespa · 12/05/2026 14:11

faerylune · 12/05/2026 09:49

with or without accent Renee would be pronounced like Reh-nay by many people familiar with this name. ruh-nah isn't technically how Parisien French French would pronounce it either.

Yes ruh-nuh is the word runner, and is not a French version.

Beachtastic · 12/05/2026 13:06

Isn't it asking for trouble to call your child by a name no one can agree how to pronounce or spell?

Also the way you want people to say it really reminds me of this old Small Faces track - Rene, the Docker's Delight! Sorry!

WhatAMarvelousTune · 12/05/2026 12:56

With or without an accent, I think most people will assume you pronounce it like Renée Zellweger.

kscarpetta · 12/05/2026 12:54

Renee, with or without an accent, will be pronounced Renay.

If you want her to be called Reenie you need to spell it like that (or Reenee/Reeny). Or Irene as a given name and Reenie as a nickname.

MalteserGeezee · 12/05/2026 12:51

Rini?

pondplants · 12/05/2026 12:51

Paddingtonridesagain · 12/05/2026 12:40

To me Renee is pronounced Renay/Renai. I have a name that most people cannot spell or pronounce. I have spent a lifetime explaining my name all the time. I would definitely not recommend anyone deliberately do this to a child.

Yep agree - my name is relatively tame on the alternative spellings spectrum but it’s still annoying.

NamingNoNames · 12/05/2026 12:49

GoodVibesHere · 12/05/2026 12:45

I have a friend called Irini. Maybe go for that?

It's nice but she'd get it said in several ways. I work with an Eleni.

pondplants · 12/05/2026 12:49

Octavia64 · 12/05/2026 11:03

My gran was known as ree-nee

her given name was Irene

I really like Ree-nee short for Irene! I love Eirene pronounced I-ree-nee too but wouldn’t be optimistic that people in teh UK would know to pronounce it like that.

GoodVibesHere · 12/05/2026 12:45

I have a friend called Irini. Maybe go for that?

AussieManque · 12/05/2026 12:45

Findlebarr · 12/05/2026 09:53

The name Renee is pronounced like ‘ruh-nay’ whether you are speaking English or French and whether there is an accent or not.

If you want it to sound like ‘ree-nee’ do NOT put the accent over the e. The accent is what turns it into an ‘ayy’ sound.

To be totally honest I think you’re setting your child up for a lifetime of correcting people with this one. Would you be open to calling her Irene (which is pronounced the way you like) and ‘Rene’ (ree-nee) for short?

I'd pronounced Rene 'reen' so that doesn't work.

If they want it pronounced Reenee, they should spell it Reenie (rhyming with weeny).

French Renee is Re-nay

Jibaka · 12/05/2026 12:43

Renee is pronounced Ruh nay or ren nay
if you want ree-nee, it’s just a different name entirely.

you need to use a different name. You could go for Alice or Emma. Much more practical and works in French.

NamingNoNames · 12/05/2026 12:43

Flutterbees · 12/05/2026 12:40

I cannot see how anyone will pronounce Renee ‘Ree-nee’…

Because that was how it was pronounced in the UK until fairly recently.
Irene was popular in the first half of the 20th century and usually said as Eye-reen, Renee was the diminutive and said as Reeny.

How would you say Aimee?