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Original poster

Leonie Frances or Romily Kathleen?

39 replies

ScarlettBanana · 09/10/2014 15:02

Utterly torn between these two, so wondered which one people prefer? Leonie Frances or Romily Kathleen? Obviously we may change our minds after actually seeing DD but would love some opinions in the meantime.

Perhaps worth mentioning that we aren't considering alternatives like Leona (I like it, DH doesn't) or Leonora (okay but not wild about it).

We were thinking Kathleen as a middle name for both options until we realised LEonie KathLEEn would be LE- overload.

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moxon · 09/10/2014 15:09

LE-overload? Not really. It's not like you're writing it fifty times a day. I think Leonie Kathleen and Leonie Frances are both good. Somehow Romily doesn't go with any of the other names, for me at least.

StoneFoxMama · 09/10/2014 17:11

I'm Leonie Francesca Grin it's served me well!

Original poster
ScarlettBanana · 09/10/2014 21:16

That's good to know StoneFoxMama! I think I'm veering towards Leonie as I realised I was secretly hoping the replies would favour that.

OP posts:
burgatroyd · 09/10/2014 21:20

I like Leonie Kathleen

TotleighTowers · 09/10/2014 21:28

I love Leonie Frances - I think that it flows the best of all your options.

fizzymittens · 09/10/2014 21:38

Don't like Leonie and there are three ways at least to pronounce this name and I have encountered children with all of them. MUCH prefer Romily Kathleen. Classier and unusual.

bringbackfonzi · 09/10/2014 22:25

I like Romily Frances, I think it flows better than Romily Kathleen. For my taste, Leonie is a bit nick-namey. But having said that all your choices are basically nice, and not too popular.

OscarWinningActress · 09/10/2014 22:29

I like Frances and Kathleen better than either Leonie or Romilly. Can't go wrong with classics...the others seem a bit too 'try-hard'.

Original poster
ScarlettBanana · 10/10/2014 01:34

fizzymittens I would pronounce it Lee-o-nee. Trying to think of the others now, I'm guessing Lee-oh-nee and Lay-oh-nee?

OscarWinningActress thanks for giving the middle names a thumbs-up but I think they'd be boring as first names, with our surname anyway. They don't give me that 'oh that's lovely' feeling.

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 10/10/2014 04:38

I like both of the Leonie options. I also love both of the middle names as first names. And Leonie Francesca is gorgeous.

I pronounce Leonie with emphasis on the O. I've never met anyone Irish who does not pronounce it this way.

I'm not keen on Romilly, but I agree with pp Romilly Frances flows better.

Ihearthickson · 10/10/2014 04:41

Leonie Frances is lovely. One of the nicest name combinations I've heard in a long time.

DecaffTastesWeird · 10/10/2014 09:11

Romily is lovely. Agree with pps that Romily Frances flows better though if that's an option.

Romily is probably my favorite girls name but DH doesn't like it Sad

fizzymittens · 10/10/2014 09:50

Yes Scarlett those are the other ways of pronouncing it that I have come across. Are you Northern by any chance? My friend at university was from Cambridge and a Leonie (Lay-oh-nee). She used to get really annoyed with a friend from Newcastle who insisted on the Lee-oh-nie pronunciation. Think he did it to wind her up in the end!

Have actually revised my opinions of your names and think that Romil(l?)y Frances is the best. Still not keen on Leonie, sorry.

Oxtailchambermaid · 10/10/2014 13:52

I have a 3 year old Leonie - we pronounce it Lee-o-nee but when we went to France she was called Lay-o-nee. Have to admit the French made her name sound even better!

I love her name, still to encounter another one IRL and she gets loads of compliments on her name (South East).

Original poster
ScarlettBanana · 10/10/2014 14:33

Nope I'm in the south. I've never met a Leonie so have no precedent for how to say it...

OP posts:
PrincessOfChina · 10/10/2014 14:35

I prefer Romilly Frances.

But I have a Romilly and am therefore biased.

Bowlersarm · 10/10/2014 14:42

I love Romilly.

CaptainAnkles · 10/10/2014 14:43

Leonie Frances is lovely. I don't like Romilly or Kathleen.

StoneFoxMama · 10/10/2014 17:57

I get Lee oh knee from English people, Leh o ni (the accented e sound in French, round o and ni as in knights who say) by my French family and Lay oh knee by English people making an attempt to say it the French way. I'm perfectly happy to answer to all. I love hearing a Dublin accent say my name, it's gorgeous.

Tranquilitybaby · 12/10/2014 22:46

I love Romilly x

beastling · 13/10/2014 11:19

I have a Romily, so obviously I am going to tell you that it's a great name :) Agree with pps that it goes a bit better with Frances, but also like Kathleen!

Mammanat222 · 13/10/2014 11:39

Leonie Frances is lovely!

Not keen on either of the other names at all.

Beehatch · 13/10/2014 11:45

I love Leonie Frances, it is very similar to my DDs name Smile

BreeVDKamp · 13/10/2014 11:54

RomiLEE Kathleen is just as many LEEs as Leonie Kathleen. I like them both, it is a tricky one! Wait til you see her, I think Leonie and Romilly are v different so hopefully when you see her the decision will be easy.

1805 · 13/10/2014 14:36

I have a relative called Leonie. We pronouce it Leer-nee.