How would you pronounce Lena?

[WhiteHairReally]

So, ‘Mr and Mrs Michael Tindall’ have announced that their nearly new daughter is to be called Lena Elizabeth. Pronounced ‘Lay na’.

I have to admit that I’d have pronounced it ‘Lee-na’ but rather like this alternative pronouncation.

Is she in for a lifetime of initial explanations of how to pronounce her name?

I know a Polish Len(n)a too. I don’t like Leena, don’t mind Layna or Lenna.

I would say lenna pronounced like Lennon if you know what I mean

Lee-na would be my guess. I am Irish and know three.

But the Lay-na pronunciation is found elsewhere iirc. Very nice either way imo. I thought Mia was a very blah choice for them. (Sweet child though).

Layna definitely. Lovely name.

Beautiful name.

I can’t see folk such as the Tindalls have a HUGE problem explaining the pronunciation of their daughter’s names.

Typically MumsNet, some PP are an Oracle on baby naming, no room for variation. Shame about that.

Layna- and it's a beautiful name

But surely it's an e and sounds like one, not an a that sounds nothing like an e

gilly

In most European languages Eva is pronounced Ava. Lena is a similarly European sort of name.

E can be pronounced in lots of ways. Like hen or like penis (um.... sorry... it was the only word which came to mind!) or like oven or like envelope (which can be the same as hen or more like on-velope) and particularly in names it can make a sort of ay sound. Like someone else said, it's closer to é really. Helena has this pattern in some pronunciations.

I know one Lena ...older lady and she pronounces it Leena

I'd pronounce it Lay-na. But only because I know someone called Elena, who pronounces it E-lay-na. Think it's lovely x

I like Lena but would spell it 'Léna' so it's actually translates to 'lay-na'

My Nanna was called Lena and it was pronounced 'Lee-nah' I don't know any other Lena's pronounced 'lay-nah' odd