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Baby names

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

Original poster

Lettice/Letitia/Leticia

134 replies

Wlkwith · 08/06/2026 13:46

Do you like Lettice (leh-teese)? DH has raised the concern that people may try to pronounce it like lettuce (which honestly doesn’t bother me much because people mispronounce a lot of simple names). Letitia and Leticia are also options for that reason.

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user1492757084 · 09/06/2026 16:44

Lettice is fine.

Roaroutthetree · 09/06/2026 10:13

JJB3 · 08/06/2026 19:14

To be blunt, I definitely question someone’s level of awareness and education when they seemingly do not understand how to pronounce simple words/names and don’t use basic context clues to help them sort it out. (Why in the world would anyone’s name be pronounced the same as lettuce?!) This obviously only applies to native English speakers.

I once heard someone pronounce a missing child’s name (Liam) as lee-am instead of lee-uhm and internally cringed.

Oh lovey, they’re pronounced exactly the same phonetically. See attached from OED.

I do love it when a poster wants to show their ‘educational and intellectual’ superiority but actually exposes their lack of it. Gives me a morning giggle.

Lettice/Letitia/Leticia
Lettice/Letitia/Leticia
NamingNoNames · 09/06/2026 10:12

Goodness me, just call the girl Lily Rose, Isla Grace or Ava May like everybody else.

lonelyplanetmum · 09/06/2026 06:41

I love the name Lettice. I know it was used in Tudor times but I always associate it with the 1920’s to 1930’s and Agatha Christie books. I think of it in a similar bracket as names like Violet or virtue names that have declined such as Charity or Clemency.

i like it a lot, but just felt, as this thread shows, that people would not have heard of it and would focus on the Lettuce word they do know.

We have discussed it as a cat or other pet name instead..

samantha9 · 09/06/2026 06:41

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NormasArse · 09/06/2026 05:34

Roaroutthetree · 09/06/2026 00:10

So’s Frideswide and Chrysogna. Doesn’t mean they’re not ludicrous

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Lettice is pretty, which is why it survived and they didn’t (if indeed they existed).

Some names are like Marmite; doesn’t make them ‘ludicrous’.

Dweeb63 · 09/06/2026 00:59

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Dweeb63 · 09/06/2026 00:57

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Eraon · 09/06/2026 00:56

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I would! Those names are so frumpy and ugly.

Dweeb63 · 09/06/2026 00:54

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SnowFrogJelly · 09/06/2026 00:51

Don’t like

Eraon · 09/06/2026 00:47

People are being rather dramatic over quite a normal (though uncommon) name. Lettice is not my style, but I much prefer it to some names that are loved on MN. It always amuses me which names cause a stir and which names are highly praised on MN. I’ve seen names like Bartholomew, Gilbert, and Winifred be praised on here. 😬 I’d much rather be named Lettice than ANY of those!!!

DiscoBeat · 09/06/2026 00:12

JJB3 · 08/06/2026 19:14

To be blunt, I definitely question someone’s level of awareness and education when they seemingly do not understand how to pronounce simple words/names and don’t use basic context clues to help them sort it out. (Why in the world would anyone’s name be pronounced the same as lettuce?!) This obviously only applies to native English speakers.

I once heard someone pronounce a missing child’s name (Liam) as lee-am instead of lee-uhm and internally cringed.

I thought it was Lee-am! I've never heard anyone say Lee-um

Roaroutthetree · 09/06/2026 00:10

NormasArse · 08/06/2026 23:23

Lettice is an old English name.

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So’s Frideswide and Chrysogna. Doesn’t mean they’re not ludicrous

giemepeace · 09/06/2026 00:08

Well every day is a school day. Who knew lettuce was a name.

DiscoBeat · 09/06/2026 00:08

I don't know any Lettices but I've seen the name written all my life and this is the first I've heard that it's not pronounced Lettuce. Letitia sounds like a sneeze....

blueshoes · 09/06/2026 00:07

No to Titty

Roaroutthetree · 09/06/2026 00:06

I’m off to bed and lettuce/ lettice has really made me laugh, so thanks.

Tabarnak · 09/06/2026 00:01

Snugglemonkey · 08/06/2026 23:43

It really doesn't Letteese and lettus are not the same.

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Lettice and Lettuce are pronounced the same.

Just as quay and key are pronounced the same.

Letteece is a pronunciation made up by the OP

horseandsound · 08/06/2026 23:53

Prefer turniptia myself

ToKittyornottoKitty · 08/06/2026 23:49

Snugglemonkey · 08/06/2026 23:43

It really doesn't Letteese and lettus are not the same.

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Don’t be silly, they sound the same, the kid would have their name mispronounced for life.

Labibibabibidum · 08/06/2026 23:47

As a Tudor enthusiast I love the name Lettice.

Snugglemonkey · 08/06/2026 23:43

ToKittyornottoKitty · 08/06/2026 14:03

Sounds the same when said out loud though. And let’s not pretend it doesn’t

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It really doesn't Letteese and lettus are not the same.

Tabarnak · 08/06/2026 23:34

Lettice is an old established name.

And it is ‘even pronounced lettuce ‘ in audio books because it is pronounced lettuce, not Let-eece.

So probably best avoided

NormasArse · 08/06/2026 23:23

Shedmistress · 08/06/2026 13:58

Is it time for this board to be closed down?

Lettuce? This is ridiculous.

Lettice is an old English name.