Are 5 syllable baby names pretentious?

OK that makes sense.

I would stress “stah” (or “stay”). I wouldn’t normally stress two syllables in the same name.

I have a Romanian neighbour called Anca who stresses both syllables of her name. She is annoyed that Brits tend to pronounce her name as “anchor”. We have no trouble with the individual sounds, but stressing both syllables just doesn’t fit English stress patterns.

The only way I can get it right is to picture her name as “Ann Carr”!

@EstoyRobandoSuCasa , A-na-stah-see-uh is the pronunciation I like best, so it’s nice to see that it’s frequently used (even though I’d stress it differently).
Which syllable do you stress?

I disagree with the PP who said that the chances are that a child won’t use the diminutives of their name. How many Rebeccas, Elizabeths and Victorias do you know who never go by a short form such as Becca, Liz or Vicky?
If you mean me, I didn't say they won't use the diminutives, I said they'd probably not use ones they don't normally get called.

How many Rebeccas, Elizabeths and Victorias do you know who never go by a short form such as Becca, Liz or Vicky?
Some. The point I was making was more that Liz might never call herself Lisa, Libby, Eliza, Lily, Beth, Betty, Elspeth or Bess, the Becca I know never uses Becky, and the Vicky I know is Vic or Vicky and never Tori.

A-na-stah-see-uh is the pronunciation I like best, so it’s nice to see that it’s frequently used (even though I’d stress it differently).

I disagree with the PP who said that the chances are that a child won’t use the diminutives of their name. How many Rebeccas, Elizabeths and Victorias do you know who never go by a short form such as Becca, Liz or Vicky?

An-NA -stah-ZEE-a, with emphasis on both NA and ZEE. This is the way it's said in Russia, where it may be most used. The Old English version is apparently Annice; I suspect that most modern Anastasias in the Anglophone world are due ultimately to the Grand Duchess of that name, or the woman who claimed to be her, but the pronunciation is nothing like the way she would have said it.

@Helenbelena Can you not simply love long names?
Yes, but naming your child something like Clytemnestra might be out of place if your idea of culture is a pot of yoghurt.

@FlyingToniBoxes , You can't see the point? That's just a failure of cognition on your part though.
I can't see the point of calling a child something like Anastasia but never calling her anything other than Annie.

The point is obviously a combination of liking the long form and wanting the human being who will bare the name through their entire life, as baby, young child, older child, teen, young adult, mature adult and elderly person, to have options!
It's bear not bare. (bare means exposed, bear means carry)
Chances are she won't use the options.

@Threewordseightletters, I know no one who pronounces Olivia as three syllables with a ‘ya’ on the end.
It depends on accent. Sonia, for example, has 3 or 2 syllables in it.

Alexandrina is another option - Queen Victoria's real name.

@PrincessOfPreschool , I only realised when I saw it on here that it wasn't Alisha to rhyme with Trisha.

I had always liked the name. A-liss-y-a seems forced and Aleesha seems weird - Patrick Patricia, George Georgia, Olive Olivia, Victor Victoria, Alice Alison, Mark Marcia... so why Al-ee-sha?

I like Alexandra better than Alexandria. Alexandra was a queen. Alexandria is a seaport in Egypt.

And a shitey town near Dumbarton.

Yeah, I’ve met an adult Alicia who pronounces it Aliss-ee-ah (and also a child who pronounces it Aleesha).

I wonder if some posters are American? Otherwise, it’s a bit strange that they would consider the five-syllable pronunciations of Anastasia to be pretentious. Why should Brits pronounce it the American way? It’s a Greek name that’s also used a lot in Russia!

DD and I read the same book recently. As I was talking about the main character (Alicia) with her, she was laughing and saying, "That's not how you say it." She said it Aleesha and I said Aliss-ee-ah. We have the same accent but it's a pronunciation issue as she is pronouncing the American way, whereas it didn't even occur to me to say it that way. (The book is set in England!).

I’ve got a four syllable name, has never been shortened. I love it.

If I had had a DD she would have also had a longer name.

But my father doesn’t like my name at all. All other siblings and half siblings have very short names 2 or 1 syllables, all of which he chose.

@mathanxiety I think the 4 vs 5 syllable argument here is more of an accent issue than a pronunciation issue. If you disagree that's absolutely fine, just my opinion.

I love Anastasia

How is asking to have a name pronounced a certain way pretentious?

Are you confusing 'pretentious' with 'assertive'?

Why would you find that pretentious?

Surely if there are a few correct pronunciations of a name and someone prefers one over the others, it's only polite to acknowledge your mistake and use the preferred pronunciation in future? It is your mistake after all.

Or are you saying you have the right to pronounce people's names whatever way you think is right, and if they object they're being difficult/ pretentious?

Thee-uh-DOH-sha
Anna-STAY-zha

To respond to your question, no, I don't see any pretentiousness in five syllable names.

The notion of pretentiousness in dress, manners, taste, and naming your baby is extremely culturally specific. If you are so enmeshed in a culture that is extremely stratified by class that names are associated with different classes, you should consider the idea that it's possible to ignore those constraints and do your own thing

Agree

I like Alexandria but if you think 5 is too long for for Alexandra instead.
I would also say Anastasia as 5 syllables

No but that’s my point. If I mispronounced Théa I’d happily be corrected, and remember in future.

If I said Ana-stay-zha, as I and anyone with my accent would, and the person said actually it’s Ana-stays-ee-a, I’d think they were being pretentious.

Wasn’t trying to be difficult I just think they’re totally different, even though technically both about pronunciation.

If you’re choosing a name for your child which can be pronounced more than one way, I don’t think it’s pretentious to chose the pronunciation you prefer (or are most familiar with) and expect people to stick to that.

However, it would be rude to insist on pronouncing someone else’s name a different way.

We were talking about insisting on a pronunciation.

If you want Theo-DOSE-ee-a not Theo-DOSE-ya or Theo-DOE-sha, then it seems a bit precious, but asking to be called 'Tay-a' not Thea doesn't.

You'd get eye-rolls by some regardless and some won't be able to grasp that you prefer a certain pronunciation.

But those aren’t the names we’re talking about.

I'm not sure about that one. I don't think it comes across well if you correct someone but if your name was mispronounced, should you just put up with it?
What if it's something like Théa (Tay-a), Caitríona or Catrìona?

I'd probably say I go by Théa once, then leave it, but it's not ideal.
(using Théa as an example as it's easier to see the difference.)

If you insist on them being pronounced a certain way, then they become pretentious (team four syllables here).

Also if you’d be funny about them being shortened?