Name with 2 pronunciations

[Tesdor28]

Hi all, I am the end of my pregnancy with baby girl n.2. My husband and I are both Italian and currently live in the UK, although we don't know how long we will stay here. Among the names we are considering, there is one that exists with the same spelling in both English and Italian, but I believe it is pronounced differently in English than in Italian. The name is Gilda, and in Italian it is pronounced with a soft G, while in English, if I am correct, with a hard G. I am a bit worried that if we choose this name it will be confusing for my daughter. We don't mind the sound of the English pronounciation either, but for sure we would pronounce it the Italian way. What is your take on this? For my first daughter we don't have this problem as the difference in pronounciation of her name is less important.

The English will assume it's a hard G and it doesn't sound very nice tbh.

Presumably you will just tell people how to pronounce it.

Won't be a problem. My DS has a name that works in 2 different languages, each side of the family pronounce it their way. Infact, everyone in the family has the same situation but some names are completely butchered because the other language can't really cope with it.

My children both have names which are spelled the same way but pronounced differently in each of their languages. It's not a problem. My 3 year old now pronounces his own name differently depending on what language he is speaking.

Yep, we’ll pronounce it with a hard G, and I agree with PP, I’m personally not keen on that. It doesn’t sound feminine, soft or beautiful. Would sound nice with a soft G but no one will pronounce it that way here.

Id keep it as a nickname and find another.

Sorry no, my friend is Italian and wanted Laura (pronounced Italian) but nobody in the Uk would stick to that. Her DM also commented that the English pronunciation sounds like l’ora (the hour). My other Italian friend has a child whose name is pronounced differently in English and constantly gets mispronounced at school by teachers and others.

Well I guess that's personal taste... I am more concerned about it being confusing for my daughter being called in 2 different ways

I wouldn’t worry about it too much. As a teacher, I have taught a few children called Eva. One was said as ‘ever’ one as ‘ay-va’ and the rest ‘ee-va’.
Even the simplest looking name can have a different pronunciation. Just correct people when they say the name with a hard g.

If you're planning on staying in the uk permanently, she will be correcting pretty much every single person who sees her name written, before they speak to her, for the rest of her life. Teachers, interviews, new colleagues, clients, doctors, etc. It used to drive me nuts (my surname is apparently difficult, despite being English!). Some people don't mind, though. So I guess it depends on your personal preference.

Yes it’s also annoying

If you’re planning on staying in the UK you have to accept that 99% of your daughter life she will be called Gilda in the English pronunciation and she will spend her life correcting people.

It won't be confusing, she will learn very quickly that she has 'two' names. When she grows up she will either have to answer to two names or spend a lifetime correcting people

My friend’s DD is very upset about constantly correcting people and they still get it wrong (mostly teachers). She doesn’t think of the other pronounciation as her name.

I think Gilda is a beautiful name with either pronunciation. It should't cause her any confusion.

2 different pronunciations won't bother your DD my DC all answers to their real names and various nicknames.

My name can be pronounced in 2 different ways. I answer to both though! I did meet a girl with the same name as me recently, who hated the Spanish pronunciation of our name (she was from Miami) So, that's 3 different pronunciations, but they all sound lovely to me! I don't find it a problem.

is it pronounce Jillda in Italian?

How is it pronounced? Gilda like the gilded or Jilda?

So I just looked up the Italian pronunciation and think it's closer to how most UK people would pronounce it. The other way Guild-a like Hilda might be used if you live in an area with strong Celtic connections but if not it won't be too problematic.

Of course, even more common names get regional variations. In East Anglia we get Meeshell, Eeevon and Eeelane, for example 🤦‍♀️

I don't understand what the two pronunciations would be.

Gilda as in gillder

And Ilda as in builder without the B, ?

Yes basically the G has the sound of J. Like in the name Gill/Gillian

It's we a j but as in the French j'adore

Oh, really? I was convinced that people in the UK would assume it was pronounced with a hard G (like in the movie Gilda?). If it's not so straightforward it might be easier to explain the Italian pronunciation we use

Jeelda

Gheelda

Both my kids have names like this and they are pronounced one way by all family - once they were old enough they would correct a mispronunciation

in this country most pronounce correct but where they don’t it doesn’t take more than once or twice to correct. Ultimately most are introduced verbally - it’s only things like doctors or places where they are reading the name off the list that they may be mispronounced

Theres a famous film called Gilda which means most english speakers will pronounce like the g in goose rather than the g in gin. Blame the latin alphabet!