Help me find a Greek girl's name

[echonarcissus]

Hello all, I'm new to mumsnet and expecting DD2 shortly. I want her to have a Greek name like DD1 but I want one that people can pronounce in the UK (we live in the UK but are from Greece).

DD1 (age 6) is called Xanthe and no one here can pronounce it so she is always called 'Zanthe' rather thank 'Ksanthi'. I know that X is pronounced Z in the UK but am surprised that people apply that to a foreign name. Especially as the X sound exists in the English lanuage, ie 'tax' and 'box'.

So this time I want a Greek name that Britsh people can pronounce. My ideas so far are:

Thalia
Arianna

And that's as far as I have got despite wasting hours thinking about it .

I have lurked here for ages and you all seem friendly, wise and honest. What do you think of the two names? Can you suggest any others?

Thanks all

Eleni
Andrea
Alexia
Helene

Came back to see if any suggestions were liked I'm sure OP is just busy but I wanted to see as there have been so many cool suggestions OP must like one!

I thought Thalia was pronounced ' tah lee a'

Ophelia
Saris
Delilah
Daria
Alina

Zoe?

Ariadne
Cassandra

Rhea?

We had baby swim with a little baby, and mum, and her dd was Isis. Idon't know if it's Greek, but her dg had called all the dc Greek names.
Sorry, just sounds Greek, and I think it's pretty :)

Aphrodite
Class name!
Persephone and Daphne also nice

I'm half greek cypriot and we all have anglacized versions of greek names

Christine- my grandmother was Christalou and i have an aunt Christalla
Andrea- aunt Andrula and uncle Andreas
Melanie- think Melanea is a greek version

Lemoni also pretty

Also have Aunts
Katarina - nn Nina
Orthodoxia
Eleni
Maria

Hello all

Sorry I'm so late in getting back, I haven't had a chance. WOW! So many gorgeous suggestions here, thank you all so much. I'm going to go through them all with dh tonight and let you know what I think.

Current favourite is Echo. Can't believe I didn't consider it. Also keen on Phaedra and Effie.

One of you asked why I have a problem with 'English' pronunciation of Xanthe. I don't have a problem per se as in an aggressive way, I am just slightly disappointed as the different pronunciation didn't occur to me and it just sounds odd to my Greek ear. that's all it is

thanks for all lovely ideas. will keep you posted

Nasara- Thalia is prononced ThALLeea, in Greek anyway, rather than tahlia or Thahlia

Eleni. I knew a greek girl by this name years ago when I was at primary school and I've always thought it was very pretty :)

Current favourite is Echo. ...doesn't that sound like 'I have' in Greek?
oh go on call her Artemis!!

It does a bit mamakubica...hmmm...

Well we called our DD Lydia, although she was originally going to be called Sophia (know too many Greek and English Sophie/Sophia's though) Toyed with Anastasia with the boys (before we knew they were boys! ) but knew I'd get annoyed correcting the pronunciation.

Off the top of my head I know quite a few of Helen/Eleni, Stella, Liana, Georgina, Demi, Christine, (mainly second generation, so born in UK to Greek speaking parents)

DD goes to school with Zoe, Athena, Sophie, Agni and Pavlina (all Greek)

Artemisia
Gelasia

Ianira
Cassandra

I love Antigone, which someone has already suggested. Just think, you can call her Tiggy for short, Im so envious!!!!

Ooh I have 2 new ones not (I think) on the thread yet:

Kalliopi
Anthippi

Eleni (lovely name)
Electra (strong, good name but only if you can ignore the mythology)
Cassandra (as above)
Athena

Kalista?

I used to work with a Theoni which I always thought was pretty.

Love Ariadne ... but that was one of a long list veto'd as too unusual by DH!

Echo would be pronounced completely differently in Greek though, wouldn't it? Ee-h-o with the emphasis on the o? I totally understand where you're coming from, by the way, I have a Greek name that's hell to pronounce properly in any other language and is also taken to be a boy's name too (it ends in -o). So we took great care to make sure that our boys' names would be written and pronounced more or less the same way in Greek and English.

If we had a girl, she'd be Emilia, Chloe, Phoebe or Leda.

There are some stunning Greek names but too often the mythology is incredibly sad (or disturbing!) - Cassandra, for example.

Good luck!