If you live in a country where they pronounce your baby's name differently...

[NancyinCali]

Does it bother you?
I love Clara for dd2 but I don't like the American pn: Clair-a. We live in California and won't be leaving any time soon. Should I choose a name that is pronounced the same in the uk and the us?

[NadiaWadia]

But I don't think it's as simple as an accent issue, ikea as with your name, Amy. With 'Clara' it is more like a different version of the name (although spelt the same).

[ikeaismylocal]

I think it is hard because both countries are English speaking countries so it is more of an accent issue rather than a language issue.

My name is Amy, in the south of the UK that is pronounced as ay-me my family in Manchester say my name "errr-muh" it would be really rude of me to insist that they called me ay-me because it is their accent rather than them just pronouncing the name wrong.

Ds is half English and half Swedish, his name is pronounced nearly exactly the same in both languages, that was really important to us. But for Dc2 we are considering giving either a very English or very Swedish name and just educating our families as to how to say it.

If we choose a name which works in both languages but sound very different (such as jenny "yennu" Erik "ear-ik") I would expect to use the Swedish version as that is where we live.

[temporarilyjerry]

We moved to France when DS2 was 4. I'm sure that the different pronunciation of his name added to his difficulty in settling at school.

[pigsinmud]

Dd1's name is a Welsh/Scandinavian name (slightly different spelling to English spelling) and is always pronounced as the English equivalent. Really annoys me, but after 10 years of correcting sometimes I let it go. I have corrected certain people loads of times and they still say it wrong.

[ratqueen]

My Grandma had an Auntie Clara (pron. Clair-a). They lived in Hull!

[LillianGish]

The question is does it bother you? If it does then don't do it.

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

When in Rome, diddl, or in this case, when in Edinburgh.

[diddl]

"She just had to get used to it."

Why did she have to get used to her surname being pronounced incorrectly?

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

When I was a student in Scotland, I knew another American student who had the surname Lamont. In the States, this is usually pronounced La-MONT. It is a Scottish surname, and in Scotland it is pronounced LAM-ent She just had to get used to it.

[HolidayCriminal]

I know that it wouldn't bother me in the slightest OP, but since it bothers you a lot then you must not use it. Perhaps Clara as a middle name & you can use it in future?

[itsnothingoriginal]

We could never move to the states as they pronounce my DDs name completely differently and my DS has a girl's name over there! I'd have to change both their names

Must say it would really annoy me to hear the name I love being pronounced in a way I don't like and to have to constantly correct people. I love the name Clara but agree the Clair-a pronunciation doesn't sound as nice. Good luck with your decision!

[SconeRhymesWithGone]

This is interesting because when I first saw the OP, I thought she was objecting to Clair-a (ai sound as in air) as opposed to Clar-a (with the first a sounding like the a in fat). These would be two ways that the name would be pronounced in the US, with the latter preferred in the South. It's probably a subtle difference, I suppose. Clah-ra with a long/broad a is much less common in the US and I think it may be hard to get people to say it that way, unless you were in a heavily Spanish speaking area.

[diddl]

When I was a kid (am 50 now) I knew a Clair-uh but I think now that the European way is more used.

[NadiaWadia]

Footle, same here, I had an ancient great aunt from Yorkshire named Clara, pronounced 'Clair-uh', as was the norm. Perhaps we are distant cousins! It is the original English way to say it, you are right. Shame it is being lost. I find it pretty and a softer sound than 'Clah-ra' (although I don't dislike that, but always think it sounds like it should be spelt Klara).

[NancyinCali]

Lots of interesting perspectives, thank you everyone!

Nadia yes we know a Tara and the pn is very strange to our ears :)

I like the idea of asking a local to pronounce names, I may have to try that.

[barebranches]

my dds middle name is clara after her great grandmother... my nan pronounces her mum's (now dead) name as clair-a...we've gone with the usual pronunciarion instead... i think you should go for it and just say the name way you want it said. love the name!

[Ludways]

I wouldn't mind the pronunciation discrepancy, at least it's the same name.

I lived in the US for a number of years and everyone automatically shortened my name and bunged a y on the end, they'd look at my name written down or I'd actually day the full name and the very next time they spoke it would be the nn, grrrr! I loathe it too, far too cutsie for me. Obviously I'm not still angry about it though, lol

[diddl]

Can they really not say Clara then?

We're in Germany & if a name is misprounced then we just correct people!

(PFB's name has a vowel sound that is said differently here)

[NadiaWadia]

Or if it is the 'ah-ra' ending of the name that particularly appeals to you, you could go for 'Lara', 'Cara/Kara' or 'Mara' I suppose. Not 'Tara' though, because in the US they seem to pronounce that 'terror'!

[NadiaWadia]

'Clair-uh' is a perfectly nice way to pronounce it (I prefer it myself), and actually is the traditional English language way to pronounce the name. The recently popular 'Clah-ruh' pronunciation is imported from continental Europe, and people in the UK seem to be forgetting the older way. Not in the US though, apparently.

Couldn't you just use the name anyway, and she could be 'Clah-ra' at home with you, and on visits to the UK. Like another poster said about having 2 names in your head, when she grows up she could have the choice. My DD's own name has at least 2 pronunciations and they get used interchangeably, doesn't seem to bother her. It would provide your daughter with versatility, or do you think it would be too confusing for a small child?

[Nataleejah]

My children have grandparents in Lithuania so their names have sort of translations. But it is only for grandparents and other relatives as we go there only on holidays

[SavoyCabbage]

I live in Australia which is no friend the the vowel so one of my dd's names is bollocksed right up. I wouldn't have picked it if I'd have known. I worry that she will call herself that forever. Whilst wearing crocs and track suit bottoms.