Think we found our name ... Sabine ... but I'd like to check how you'd pronounce it

[edeluna]

Expecting a girl in a few weeks. The name in the lead right now is Sabine.

I love it but I'm just a little concerned about whether its correct pronunciation would be baffling to anyone here in the UK. I'm not sure if people here are familiar with the name at all.

It's pronounced zaBEEna and comes from Italian; it is a familiar name in German and French.

Both Sabine and Sabina are acceptable spellings, though we prefer the former. However, I don't want her to have to constantly correct people's pronunciation. So if it seems likely that people might call
her saBEAN or something like that, maybe we go with the spelling ending in -a.

Grateful for any thoughts on this one!

I'd also think of it as Sa-bean but that's because I have a French friend of the same name.

Sa-Bean

Thanks, everyone.

I know the pronunciations are different in French and German; I probably should have clarified that it's the German pronunciation we prefer. We're not German, btw, but lived there for a long time.

My own name is fairly common in English but there's an even more common variation in the UK, so since moving here, I constantly have to correct people, who automatically go with the British variation instead of looking at how my name is spelled or listening to how I pronounce it. Not the end of the world, just a minor irritation.

Still leaning towards the Sabine spelling. As Merrylegs pointed out, the most important thing is that the people who know you personally get it right. I've met lots of people with unusual or unfamiliar-to-me names and you just learn how to say it. No big deal. So maybe I shouldn't worry about it so much. :)

I really appreciate all the feedback. Thanks again!

zabeena. i think of it as a german name too.

in french you would pronounce it with three syllables, i think, but the final e would be quite 'soft' (compared to a final -a in italian for eg)

it is a nice name.

Sabine is my Swiss SIL's name and she pronounces it sa-beany so that's how I would say it.

sah been.

for use in UK I would definitely stick the a on the end, otherwise she'll be for ever correcting people. A pretty name.

I'd say Sabeen unless I knew there was a German influence, in which case I'd know to pronounce the 'e'. However, if you're living in the UK the vast majority of people are going to say Sabeen so I'd go with Sabina. Looks nicer anyway :)

If it helps I've just liked on a few name websites and they all echo the same few facts:

Origin: Latin
Meaning: Of the Sabine tribe
Pronunciation: (sah BEEN)

Variant form of: Sabina

I must say Sabina is pretty but Sabine pronounced as above without the 'a' sounds very chic, I love it.

Liked = Looked!

In the context of history and art the word 'Sabine', usually pronounced say-bine, isn't the best link for a girl to have.

I would go for Sabina.

i think it might make life easier to spell it sabina, i would be unsure whether to go for sabeen or sabeena pronounciation if i saw it written down. if it was a german person i would go for sabina but otherwise not sure, alot of people would say sabeen i think
wouldnt worry too much about people mistaking it for sabrina, some might but less people than you will get saying sabeen i think

I think Sabina could easily be thought of as Sabrina spelt wrong by anyone not hugely familiar with the name, so for me, Sabine is the spelling of choice. 'Sa-bean-er' doesn't sound very nice, but 'Sa-bean' is lovely.

I'd pronounce it Sa-BEEN, but it would only take one correction to get it right. It is lovely. I actually like both pronunciations, and both spellings.

Sa-BEEN

If it is Italian then it 'eh' at the end rather than 'a' or 'n'.

I know a German Sabine so I would assume it was Sa-been-a.

But not keen on the association with Rape of the Sabine Women.

Sa-biyne here, but I know someone with that Surname.

I´d say Zabeenuh-but I´m in Germany atm.

Before then, would have said Sabeen.

I would pronounce the name Sabine, (Sa bee nah). I have a cousin with the name and that's how she pronounces it in Germany. I think it's a lovely name, but in this country I would substitute the e for an a. Saves an awful lot of correcting and explaining.

I would pronounce it say-bine and immediately think of the rape of the Sabine women in early roman history

I would ask, because I know French and German people with this name. If I knew it was an English person, I would probably lean towards expecting the 'sa-been' pronunciation.

Sa been

Sa-BEEN.

And I'd get the song "Sobbin' Women" from Seven Brides stuck in my head.

Sabine = sah been ah

Spell it as you like. You'll have to tell people maybe but they'll get used to it!