Leonidas

[orangebowl]

Ok so need some help please! I have a Greek background (DH English) and we both like Leonidas for our baby due in 8 weeks. We would probably call him Leo day to day but I want a green connection (very English surname) And really like Leonidas. My only worry is how English people would naturally pronounce Leonidas?

In Greek it is pronounced "lay-on-i-thas" with the accent on the "i" and the "th" in the last syllable sounding like th in "the".

So 1. Do you like the name and 2. How would you pronounce it?

Thanks all!

I quite like it but would probably pronounce it Leon-i-dus, which isn't so nice.

I love Leonidas. I would pronounce it Leo-nee-das. There is a brand of posh chocolates called Leonidas, like Godiva, so I'm sure people will be subliminally familiar with it.

Leonidas = Belgian chocolates to me, not a boys name. Sorry. I'd pronounce it LAY on EE dass.

Lee-on-eye-dass or Lee-on-ee-dass. I'm afraid I'd never get the "th" sound without being told.

Leo is lovely though.

Lay on I dus. I instantly thought of the 300 film about the Spartans.

I like it though

Lol at the chocs references- hadn't thought of that. Most people ive spoken to before say main association is the spartan king/ Gerard butler in 300!

I don't think I mind the Leon-ee-das pronunciation. And once people had been told the lay-on-ee-thas pronunciation it wouldn't be too hard to say would it?

Ooh just not sure if this pronounciation thing will make me regret it...

I like it but it makes me think of chocolate not a bad thing at all

I thought 300 too and therefore pronounce it Lay on I das

How would you pronounce Leo? Lee O or Lay O?

SPARTA!
Most English people will say it wrong, until you tell them how to say it correctly. Depending on regional accent - I would say Lee-on-ee-dus until corrected . Leo is a lovely nn to compromise on between the different cultures.

Lovely chocolates :)

Leeoneedass

Definitely lee-o, for Leo. lay- o is weird

Think some Greeks would also say lee-on-ee-thas so not too dissimilar to what most people are saying ie lee-on-ee-das

We have used as a middle name for ds1, ds2 has Thaddeus. Dh Greek, myself English. Havent had any problems but I suppose middle name isnt used as much.

Like you say others might prounounce differently at first but will know how once you say/ correct how

Leo is a very nice name.

But Leonidas does sound a bit like a bubble bath (Badedas)

Lovely chocolates.

It's not hard to pronounce, people will just have to learn. If you love it, use it. Leon also an option as a diminutive.

I have a (Greek) friend from university called Leonidas. Everyone called him Lee-on-ee-das. He never corrected any of us.

Go with it.

Belgian chocolates to me too.

I would be saying Lay on ee das and then singing 'Leonidas is combing his hair, his hair. King of Persia, Beware, beware! For Leonidas is combing his hair' all day in my head.

MMMMmmm Belgian chocolates.

I say Leon-ee-das. You would be forever correcting people.

This is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw your post:

shop.lego.com/en-GB/CHI-Waterfall-70102

But that probably says more about me/my DS1 and his current Lego obsession than your choice of name!

I think i would pronounce it lee- o - ni - dus

but then my accent does like to pronounce all vowels as long vowels even short ones.

Thanks for all the replies! I don't mind if people say lee-on-ee-das as that's just the anglicised way of saying it... And I think im probably making a fuss over nothing as we would call him Leo day to day...

Think we've decided on it for now- 8 weeks to go till due date so plenty of time to mull over.

Thanks again for all your comments (but not for making me want chocolate with all the Choc talk!)