Is Cassia the next Katniss?

[BettyBi0]

Help! My beautiful new daughter is 15 days old and my partner and I can't decide on a name. The only name we seem to agree on is Cassia, as in the cinnamon bark. We've been pronouncing it Cass-ee-uh.

After a bit of googling I've found out that it is the name of the female protagonist in a teen trilogy called Matched by Ally Condie which Disney bought the movie rights to. Annoyingly she pronounces the name Cash-uh, as in Russia or like the Polish name Kasia.

Do you think there is a chance that Cassia would be the equivalent of Katniss in a few years time?

Also, which is the most common way people would pronounce it? I don't want her to be explaining it the whole time like trying to explain her name was See-oh-ban, when everyone else would call her Siobhan/Sha-vawn

I'd say Cass-ee-a. Pretty name.

If I saw it and didn't know I'd dither between the 2 and end up with Casha probably but as ever if you told me once I'd know.

No different than Marcia - it is Marsha or Mar see ah. Or Alicia as Alice eah or aleesha (actually locally there is a different as the aleeshas are usually spelled phonetically like that)

I'd say Cass-ee-a. I wanted this for DC3, but DC3 turned out to be a boy. It's lovely. I don't think it's all that popular and it has botanical origins, too as I remember. It's a spice - like a cinnamon, I think.

(Are people really calling their DD's Katniss??)

I think your pronunciation is more logical.

And if by "like Katniss" you mean "a name hardly anybody is using" then I don't think it's a problem. Cassia isn't made up.

I'm a little concerned that as a fairly unusual name it might be forever tied to the movie... just in case this teen movie turns out to be a success.

I am not aware that Katniss existed as a name before Hunger Games, unlike Cassia.

Nobody assumes boys called Edward in the last five years were named for Mr Cullen, do they? or every little Harry for Mr Potter? I take your point about Cassia's being more unusual, but you just say "no, she was born a couple of years before the film, actually. It's a nature name".

Not an excuse the parents of any baby Cersei have.

You know what? I agonised over the names of all my kids (I have 4) especially the eldest two (they are girls). And I gave DD1 a fairly uncommon name (it was then) Romilly - because I didn't want her to be in a class with loads of other girls with the same name. There are girls with popular names in her class, but there's only one of each anyway - so I needn't've worried so much. And she'd've been as much an Eliza or an Isobel (and still had no others in her class) but she'd've been happy that she could buy a pen in a gift shop at a theme park with her name on it. She would positively be delighted if there was a Disney character named Romilly.

I have never heard of the movie character, and will only think of it as my DDs arch-rival (nice girl) who pronounces it Cas-ee-ah

I know a lovely grown up Cassia and she has always been called Cass-ee-a. No problem. Gorgeous name!

Never heard of either!

I'm so glad some other people pronounce it Cas-ee-ah too.

I have an unusual made up name myself (thanks mum!) which I've had to correct people on the spelling and pronunciation my whole life and it has driven me nuts. At the same time I want something fairly rare for my daughter.

Thanks for the reassurance withaspongeandarustyspanner. Love Romilly btw.

Is Cash-uh the American pronounciation then?

Maybe, Betty, in the same way they pronounce 'Alicia' as al-ee-sha? I think if you love it, go for it!

Are people really using 'Katniss' now? It just sounds too much like 'catnip' to me.

Cassia is a lovely name, and I'd pronounce it Cass-ee-ah.

Yes I'd say Cash-uh was the American pronounciation.

I've never heard of Katniss, but it's nothing like Cassia!

The only "cash-uh" I know is Polish and spelt Kaszia.

Yes, UK - Cass-ee-a, North American - Cash-ah.
We took it off our list for this reason (DH is Canadian and don't want all the ILs pronouncing it differently). I don't think it will become super popular but I do think if UK people haven't heard it before they may swayed to pronounce it the North American way if those films are produced.

I know a Kasia pronounced cash-uh and a Cassia pronounced cash-uh, I also know a Cassia pronounced cass-ee-uh. I don't forsee it causing major pronunciation issues though.

Go for it, it's a lovely name and Cass or Cassie are lovely nicknames.

Is Katniss even a real name? It reminds me of catnip.

I have a daughter who has a name with multiple pronounciations. I just tell people once and they get it right. I think with certain names there is no 'right' way.

I've never in my life heard of the name Katniss.

Katniss is a sort of plant. It's not commonly used as a name, and I think that is the OP's concern - that the name 'Cassia' might be associated by some people solely with a character from a book/film.

OP, 'Cassia' (which I would say 'cass-ee-a') is established enough as a name (and well-known enough as a spice/bark/thing) for that not to be a concern. At worst, I would think it would be more like 'Hermione' - some people might associate it with a character, but it is obviously a name in its own right.

Id pronounce Cass-ee-ah. Nice name.

Have to admit that Circe and Nemesis have been dream names of mine for years (have never seen GOT etc) but I'd never have got them past DH! I love Greek myth names.

I read it as Cass-ee-ah as it wasn't spelt Kasia. I think it's really pretty!

I really like it and it is on our shortlist, not heard of the book but will keep a look out. BTW also pronounce it Cass-ee-a.

Katniss! That's a new one. Sounds a bit too much like Cat Piss.

Katniss is a character in the Hunger Games for those who haven't heard of it or got the reference to films.

I too think it sounds like a cross between catnip and cat piss (in fact I was considering a name change last night to some sort of HG pun on cat piss)

I would pronounce Cassia as Cass-ee-a and think its a pretty name. It wouldn't be a huge problem to point out that its pronounced a certain way as the spelling supports that - its only when the spelling suggests a totally different pronunciation that I think it causes real issues.

I have never heard of katniss.

Cassia i would pronounce as cash-uh