To pronounce this name differently

[babynameconfusion]

DH and I like the name Felicia. But we would pronounce it 'Fuh-liss-ee-a'
rather than like Feleesha. What would you think if you saw a baby with this name? Would people always pronounce it wrong?

[notyourmummy]

There's a lass in laddo's class called Felicia, pronounced as you would. Never occurred to me to pronounce it the other way.

[Dawndonnaagain]

Felicia pronounced Fell iss ee ya, is the original way of pronouncing it. It's an age thing. The new ways of saying Marcia, Alicia etc have been around only since the eighties or thereabouts.

[Jux]

It does amuse me that so many people are insisting that there way is right and the other way is common/wrong/American etc.

It seems to me that both ways are right, or common/wrong/American etc. My way is sha, and from where I stand with my rather posh relatives (landed gentry, minor aristos) that's how it is and always has been.

When she is introduced, she will be introduced using the pronunciation you use. initially, the people you introduce her to will hear Felissia and that's what they'll say.

Who cares how the Registrar pronounces it?

Teachers will quickly learn the pronunciation you prefer, and judging from this thread, lots will pronounce it your way anyway. Same for doctors and hcps. Friends and family will go by the sound not the spelling.

Basically, it's a non-issue.

But the thread's been fun

[BertrandRussell]

"There is no 'correct' pronunciation of any name!! It all depends on where in the world (and country) you live as to what the 'accepted local' pronunciation is"
Of course there is a correct pronounciation of some names! There may well be regional variations- but there is an original "correct" one.

[Somewhereundertheduvet]

Another vote for Fuh-liss-ee-a here, it wouldn't occur to me to pronounce it Feleesha.

[Mumzypopz]

Please give her a simple, easy name to pronounce.....It's awful growing up with a complicated name, constantly having to correct people all your life. I would pronounce Felicia as Fel-is-eeh- ah.....Not Fel-ee-shia......And certainly not Ful-ee-shia.....There is no 'u', so cannot see how it is Full........Ishia...

[BillSykesDog]

There you have it OP. You can't call your daughter Fel-liss-e-uh because it's racist.

Thanks Vladimir. You have got my MN 'but that's racist' bingo off to a flying start for 2017.

[BillSykesDog]

Mix, sorry but that's rot. I went to a minor public school and it's just not true. We had a fel-iss-e-uh (with sisters called Al-iss-e-uh and, er Emily).

[sdaisy26]

My dd's name has 2 correct pronunciations. One is more common in the UK but we prefer the other so that is her name. People call her both. It does surprise me how several people who hear me use her correct name still insist on using the other pronunciation...sometimes I get the impression they think I'm wrong & are just trying to subtly correct me. (It's not wrong, it's the common French pronunciation of the name & there is a very famous Brit with dd's pronunciation. But it is less common & is a relatively rare name anyway). We knew when we picked the name it would be an issue but loved the name enough to choose it anyway (it is a fantastic name & suits her to the ground). We just don't let it bother us, and talk to dd about how she can deal with it. At the moment she mostly answers to both and anyway prefers to use a shortened version of the name most of the time. I think it's only a big deal if you make it one.

And as a teacher I have taught hundreds of children with all sorts of names & pronunciations. It's no big deal if one is different from the other, I just learn each child's name cos...that's who they are.

[zukiecat]

I always thought that names like Alicia and Felicia were pronounced Lisy A and not LeeSha

It's funny because I think Lisy A sounds so pretty, but I don't like the LeeSha sound at all

[missbishi]

Felicia does sound rather a lot like fellatio, sorry. However, if you are dead set on naming your child after a Czech car then how about Octavia or Fabia?

[Soubriquet]

I've just gone back to look at the racist comment and actually Vladimir has a point

She isn't saying Fe-liss-ia is racists she's saying to the poster who put

The Fel-ee-sha pronunciation really smacks of too much X-Factor and not enough education.

There, I've said it.

Is racist as Fe-Lee-sha is more used in the Caribbean

[LobsterQuadrille]

I took the X Factor comment in the context of Alesha Dixon constantly saying "you was" in a South London accent! Nothing to do with colour.

[SVJAA]

Sou has it spot on. Pronunciation isn't racist, assumption of someone black being thick is. Pretty blatantly too.

[Mumzypopz]

I think whilst kids are at school it is easy for friends and teachers to remember the pronounciation that you want, but once out in the big wide world of grown ups, it really is a pita having to constantly correct people how to say your name. Every single time the phone rings at work, they will say "hello, is that Fel-issi-ah", and your DD will have to say, "no, it's Ful-eesha".....It really is annoying...there will be someone on the end of the phone thinking "that's not how you spell it, or she's an idiot isn't she, or what a weird spelling".....Trust me, they will!!!!!! She will be correcting them ALL HER LIFE.......Please don't do it.

[BillSykesDog]

Fe-Lee-shuh is more commonly used by those poor oppressed white Americans.

[BillSykesDog]

But she's called Alesha, not Alicia?

[DotForShort]

I think there are two fairly standard pronunciations and either would be fine. Highly amused at the idea that the "sha" pronunciation is somehow new or startlingly different.

But of course it all comes down to social class and perceptions of class in the U.K.

[Soubriquet]

She is Bill yes

Alesha Dixon

But the point is there with racism or perhaps classism maybe if that particular pronounciation is American

[BillSykesDog]

And she was never on bloody X factor anyway, she was in Mystique. Your assuming a black pop star was on X factor is way more racist than thinking that 'Fel-lee-sha' is common.

[Mumzypopz]

They want to make up a third pronounciation.... Ful-ee-shia, even though there is no u, which makes it even more complex

[DotForShort]

My name has at least three possible pronunciations and I answer to all of them. It's also very close to another name so I often get called by that name as well, but I do tend to correct people when that happens.

[BillSykesDog]

You mean Alexandra Burke don't you. And you're accusing other people of being racist.

[Klaphat]

You mean Alexandra Burke don't you. And you're accusing other people of being racist.

Actually I think they might just be mixing up X Factor and BGT...

[LobsterQuadrille]

Sorry, my fault. I was thinking of Alesha in Strictly Come Dancing - I've never seen the X Factor .....