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Baby names

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

Is this a logical reason to change a baby’s name?

219 replies

MongerNoLonger · 27/06/2026 11:19

My DH is from Spain, so we decided to give our child a name that is common in Spain. The problem is that I’ve noticed that people intentionally try to avoid saying her name. I believe it is because they’re worried that they’re going to mispronounce it or feeling self-conscious that they’re going to sound strange whilst saying it (because it doesn’t sound as natural when said with an English accent). Even friends and family will call her the baby or little one instead of saying her actual name (whereas my nephews have always been referred to as their actual names).

She’s a few months old, and I think that it would be wise to change it now (before she becomes aware of her name). I really don’t want my child to endure a lifetime of people going to great lengths to avoid saying her name. Our first names are such a core part of our identity. What are your thoughts?

OP posts:
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StationJack · 28/06/2026 23:07

Pickettywich · 28/06/2026 22:50

Thank you.🙂

You're welcome. They're quite normal names.
I'd say them as Rowsheen, EemeR, Graunia and Aunya

No Irish connection. I've been to Dublin on a day trip but worked with Irish people,

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:53

Tryagain26 · 28/06/2026 22:22

Not an anglised version of the name an anglised way of pronouncing it .
It isn't impossible for an English person to say Jimana . For an English speaking person the J can be pronounced like an H i so like .Hee-MEH-nah.
As i said the Spanish relatives will pronounce it slightly differently but they will still recognise it

That doesn't really work for me. Hee-MEH-nah isn't ugly or anything but it's not Jimena.

Shinyandnew1 · 28/06/2026 22:51

I would change it. Did you not consider there would be pronunciation difficulties ?

Pickettywich · 28/06/2026 22:50

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:48

It's 'Ro-sheen'.

Thank you.🙂

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:48

Pickettywich · 28/06/2026 22:38

Yes, you are correct. I'm still spelling it incorrectly.

Roisin - I don't have the accents on my keyboard.

It's 'Ro-sheen'.

Ireallywantadoughnut36 · 28/06/2026 22:42

I suspect it'll actually be easier once she's older as she'll be the one saying it/introducing herself, right now she's at an age where lots of people are reading it too (doctors, midwives, birth announcement messages etc). If it's one she can shorten, she might end up going by that if it's easier to pronounce/more obvious. My dd has a long name (not hard to pronounce but annoying to spell and has a couple of pronunciations in other countries), she's completely adopted the 3 letter long version, even on the school register it says that now, I think possibly the doctor has her full name but that's it, my grandmother disliked her hard to pronounce first name and went exclusively by her middle name her whole life, as did my uncle. So if it's a name that gives options, I wouldn't worry, as she can choose the short version or another part.
I'm also imagining she might have dual nationality, is there a chance you'd ever live in Spain, if so, you wouldn't want to swap it for anything that can't be pronounced there.
Changing a name feels like a big deal to my mind and i can't imagine doing it, but I do also think there are so many kids out there where you do think "you've not given them the easiest start there have you", so probably preferable to change it if there isn't an obvious way around it (like a short version, or a middle name).

Pickettywich · 28/06/2026 22:38

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:33

Not Róisín? Gaeilge is 'Irish Gaelic', Gaelic is 'Scottish Gaelic'.

Yes, you are correct. I'm still spelling it incorrectly.

Roisin - I don't have the accents on my keyboard.

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:33

Pickettywich · 28/06/2026 22:25

My mistake - should be Rosin - apologies😳

"They're Gaeilge not Gaelic surely." I don't know what that means I'm afraid !

Not Róisín? Gaeilge is 'Irish Gaelic', Gaelic is 'Scottish Gaelic'.

Thursday5pmisginoclock · 28/06/2026 22:29

I struggle with loads of Irish names that sound nothing like their spellings but it doesn’t stop a lot of people using them due to their heritage. I would just suck it up and accept life is going to have ignorant people if if you like the name…if you don’t like the name so much that is the only reason to change it

Pickettywich · 28/06/2026 22:25

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:04

Not seen *Roison before but the others are fine. They're Gaeilge not Gaelic surely.

My mistake - should be Rosin - apologies😳

"They're Gaeilge not Gaelic surely." I don't know what that means I'm afraid !

Tryagain26 · 28/06/2026 22:22

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:15

There are names with no anglicised version.

Not an anglised version of the name an anglised way of pronouncing it .
It isn't impossible for an English person to say Jimana . For an English speaking person the J can be pronounced like an H i so like .Hee-MEH-nah.
As i said the Spanish relatives will pronounce it slightly differently but they will still recognise it

Silverbirchleaf · 28/06/2026 22:19

If you love the name, which I presume you do, can you give her an easier nickname people could use?

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:15

Tryagain26 · 28/06/2026 22:12

There is always an anglicised version.
My DD and Son in law chose names that are unusual for English speakers but certainly not impossible to pronounce even if some people pronounce them slightly differently from their Spanish family it is still recognisable as their name.

There are names with no anglicised version.

Tryagain26 · 28/06/2026 22:12

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:08

How do you let someone know when they can't make the sounds? (e.g. Jimena)

There is always an anglicised version.
My DD and Son in law chose names that are unusual for English speakers but certainly not impossible to pronounce even if some people pronounce them slightly differently from their Spanish family it is still recognisable as their name.

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:08

Tryagain26 · 28/06/2026 22:04

My grandchildren have Spanish names. They haven't had any problems at school. People usually comment on how lovely they are. If they can't pronounce them they ask.. it isn't impossible for people to learn how to pronounce a name. Or at least an anglicised version of a name

There is such a wide variety of names now don't change her name just because some people don't want to try and say it. People will get used to her name. Just make a point of saying it and letting them know how to pronounce it.

Edited

How do you let someone know when they can't make the sounds? (e.g. Jimena)

maxelly · 28/06/2026 22:07

kurotora · 28/06/2026 21:55

I won’t comment on whether you should change it but I can comment that people WILL avoid it.

Before marrying my British-Viet DH, I had a common first and last name, think Jane Smith. Now I am Jane VietnameseSurname, and people avoid it like the plague: in a busy waiting room, they would always have called out my first and last name, now only my first (and sometimes three ladies look round!). It’s this kind of half-hesitant, odd way they do it.

DH’s parents both had to change their forenames after a couple of years here because it was affecting a lot of things for them.

Specifically for our DD we chose to do a simple first name and a Viet middle name so she could have the option of what to use.

Could you add a middle name and have that as her backup? Or move her current first name to legal middle, but continue using it at home?

Ha, yes I recognize this. DH has a normal English first name (actually an Anglisation of his actual first name) then a very challenging surname - I'm English by birth, so when using his surname (which I don't for e.g. at work both because it's so difficult and also obviously from a very different culture to mine so feels odd using it, in his birth country women don't take the mens surname so he's cool about it) I'm quite used to my name now being Max awkward pause strange gutteral noise frantic glace around - I'll usually put them out of their misery at this point 😂

StationJack · 28/06/2026 22:04

Not seen *Roison before but the others are fine. They're Gaeilge not Gaelic surely.

Tryagain26 · 28/06/2026 22:04

My grandchildren have Spanish names. They haven't had any problems at school. People usually comment on how lovely they are. If they can't pronounce them they ask.. it isn't impossible for people to learn how to pronounce a name. Or at least an anglicised version of a name

There is such a wide variety of names now don't change her name just because some people don't want to try and say it. People will get used to her name. Just make a point of saying it and letting them know how to pronounce it.

Pickettywich · 28/06/2026 21:58

Some Gaelic* names are unpronounceable to non-Gaelic speakers. But that's no reason not to give your child a name that reflects her heritage.

*Roison
Eimear
Grainne
Aine

kurotora · 28/06/2026 21:55

I won’t comment on whether you should change it but I can comment that people WILL avoid it.

Before marrying my British-Viet DH, I had a common first and last name, think Jane Smith. Now I am Jane VietnameseSurname, and people avoid it like the plague: in a busy waiting room, they would always have called out my first and last name, now only my first (and sometimes three ladies look round!). It’s this kind of half-hesitant, odd way they do it.

DH’s parents both had to change their forenames after a couple of years here because it was affecting a lot of things for them.

Specifically for our DD we chose to do a simple first name and a Viet middle name so she could have the option of what to use.

Could you add a middle name and have that as her backup? Or move her current first name to legal middle, but continue using it at home?

Pip002 · 28/06/2026 21:47

I have a terrible name that no one can pronounce and I truly hate it and no middle name. I just use a short version of it and really wish my parents had thought it through!

Bhoomor · 28/06/2026 21:24

There are plenty of names that work well in both Spanish and English, so I'd seriously consider changing to one of those. Life is too short to spend it correcting people who quite reasonably don't know how to pronounce words in another language.

SeenItAllMostly · 28/06/2026 21:17

What’s her name ? @MongerNoLonger

TinyTear · 28/06/2026 20:53

Kwinsss · 27/06/2026 15:22

Is it Alejandra or Luz, OP? I always struggle with those ones. I’m certain there’s more that I’m not thinking of.

I was thinking Jimena or something harder

EmmaB1309 · 28/06/2026 20:50

It really depends on the name, how hard it is to pronounce for non Spanish speakers and whether or not you like the varying versions of pronunciation.
For example- I’m thinking ‘Lucia’ in Spanish has a ‘th’ sound in the middle and personally I wouldn’t mind if people substituted with the ‘s’ sound.
I’m thinking the one you’ve chosen must be quite complicated if some people are choosing to not use her name at all rather than even trying to pronounce it! In that case she is likely to have a lifetime of difficulties. Not necessarily a problem if you (and later she) are happy to correct/ help people with prononuciation all the time!
It would help if you shared the name?

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