Calliope

This.

And what @MoralOrLegal said.

I have heard both used and attribute it more to different contexts of usage than to the fact one is categorically right, and one is categorically wrong.

For instance if you called the American instrument a Callie-ope, I think that would be unusual.

There was a similar discussion recently on a thread about Anastasia, and the name Genevieve is pronounced quite differently in French, but it could sound a bit contrived to insist on it in the context of an English speaking child living in an English speaking country.

I’m not sure the “it’s how modern geeeks pronounce it” argument is all that relevant. We don’t refer to going to Paree when speaking english, we say Paris. Names from Greek myths don’t come to us via what people nowadays in Athens are calling their children, they come from the long tradition of reading the Greek myths and geek literature in this country and so the names are pronounced in English. On that basis, the name is Ca LIE o pee and to pendent otherwise to me suggests she read it in a book and has never heard it said. As with the penny lope examples given upthread.

obvs, the situation is different if she is of Greek heritage.

And ultimately, she can of course call her child anything she wants even if it sounds as though she can’t pronounce her own child’s name.

Sounds like an ice lolly
so no

I always thought it was callie-opie but learnt recently that cah-lie-oh-pee is apparently more common? Think it might be American influence?

The common shortening of Callie feels much more natural from a callie-opie pronounciation than cah-lie-oh-pee to me, but I know that's not always indicative.

Kind of annoying because I've always loved the name Callie but if the actual pronounciation is Cah-lie-oh-pee then Callie doesn't sound like a natural shortening to me.

There are lots of classical and Biblical names which acquired their own 'English' pronunciations, along with placenames (many large cities have English names which sound very different to what they're called in their own countries). "Calliope" is one of those. There's a naval base near me called HMS Calliope, and it's definitely Ca-LIE-oh-pee. And, of course, modern Greek pronunciation is quite different to classical Greek, too!

Your friend is correct, that’s how it is pronounced in Greek/Greek

If you study Latin or Classics you will hear a lot about it.

I’ve only ever heard this name on MN!
i honestly don’t remember learning anything about Greek mythology etc at school?
maybe an Ancient Greek project at primary but nothing at secondary? Is it more a posh school thing?

I know one called Callie - OH - pee

The Greek pronunciation is Cally-OH-pee, but the name is written as Kalliopi.

I would have said Cally-OH-pee like your friend. But it’s up to her! My grand-daughter is Naomi and we’ve always pronounced it NA-omi. So many people seem to pronounce it Na-OH-me which really grates with me!

She can't have named her daughter wrong surely, because she named her daughter the name she wanted her to have.

You pronounce it the way her parents want it pronounced, whether of not it's "wrong"

Its fine if you're Greek

The Americans definitely say the instrument that way.

I had an English Classics teacher who also said it that way, but the other two said it the Greek way.

I’ve only heard Americans put the emphasis on the LIE.

I would have said it the way your friend does. I studied classics.

This was my preferred name if I had a girl (I didn’t). Which was fortunate as I wanted your pronunciation but my cousin’s Greek wife told me that was wrong. Nickname was to be Poppy but I needed a formal name in case she became a high court judge.

Your friend is pronouncing the name correctly- the Greek way. I have never ever heard a Greek person say the name as Ca-Lie-o-pe

I think this is true of so many Greek names, especially those in Greek mythology that most of us were (as was I) introduced to by English- speaking school teachers and university Classics and Latin dons. A frequent example is DEMeter and DeMEter, or Aeolus as EE-eh-lus or Ay-OH-lus.

And, up to a point, I think there is an argument that, in their own way, both can be right, but not so as to invalidate the other. Probably the easiest example of something similar is the car, Porsche. I know a Porsche owner who insists on referring to his PORSH-er, which is closer to the German but just sounds a bit pedantic because it has crossed over into English with a different pronunciation.

To me, your friend's way sounds Greek but the "Penelope" way is more usual for English speakers (and yet French speakers call Penelope what sounds to an English ear to be PEN-ay-lopp!)

That's what I always thought. It's been a long time since I'd even thought about greek mythology though!

I’ve known 2 Calliope (one lady in 50s and one teenager) and both were also pronounced how your friend does. One of them was actually Greek so I’d def believe her pronunciation!

How to pronounce a Greek name? The Greek way or the MN way?

I always go by the Usborne guide to greek pronunciation. They say it the same as you.
Usborne greek guide

But real Greeks may say it differently to classical scholars. Maybe ask her where she heard it.
How many Thea's do you know who pronounce it "Thayer"? (supposing it's not short for Theodora).

I have only ever heard it the way your friend prononces it. It seems from pp that it's the more traditional way as it's closer to the Greek.

My Greek SIL is Calliope, your friend is saying it correctly.