What do you guys think of Theia?

[RoboJesus]

I'm not sure but I like the meaning behind it.

It looks like you've added the I to be different, you and DD will have a lot of explaining the meaning of her name if you go with that spelling.

@AtticaRose see I didn't know the Greek behind the name at first, I just knew it as the planet. I was reading about the planet a while back and it went in to detail about the history of the name and thought it was just lovely, the whole thing. I like kids names to have real meaning behind them

It looks like just another of those silly misspellings, on purpose names. That she'll spend her whole life correcting/re-spelling.

According to Nameberry, Thea is the anglicised version of Theia.

My friends little girl is called Theia. It's pretty name and I much prefer this spelling!

However, since it was pointed out to me that it sounds like 'fear' I always think of that.

She’ll be spelling it out phonetically all the sodding time. Apart from that it’s OK.

AS earlier posters have said, Theia and Thea are different spellings of the same name. It simply means 'Goddess' or 'Divine'. Ancient Greek used the spelling with an 'i'; modern languages such as English tend not to.

The planet is a hypothetical planet. Because it is named after an ancient Greek mythological character, it has been given the 'Theia' spelling.

Today, Thea is ALSO often used as a short form of names containing the same 'goddess' (Thea) element: Dorothea or Theodora.

The Greek titaness Theia can also be spelt Thea, in the same way that the Greek Thalia can be spelt Thaleia. Neither is more correct, but one is better recognised in predominantly English-speaking countries, so it's logical to use that spelling.

So, I'd choose Thea.

But how does a planet have meaning to your baby? I don't get the connection, but fair enough if you like the name. I think it looks awkward and will be pronounced 'the-i-ya' by many which doesn't flow at all.
Prefer Thea.

I think it's fair to say as PP have suggested, that Theia looks like a spelling mistake and too try hard. Make life easy for your daughter and call her Thea.

Thea would be deliberately spelling it wrong so I would never do that. Like I wouldn't name my kid Jak or Cris just because they are popular. Thea comes from a nickname. It doesn't have the meaning

Are you Greek, OP? Because I am telling you that Thea and Theia are as interchangeable as Lucy and Lucie. Neither is wrong.

You can spell it either way. Lots of Greek words/names have varying spellings due to differences in transliteration and the Latinisation and/or Anglicanisation of Greek words. Theia is probably more true to the root. And I say this as someone with a Classics background and a Thea (full name, not an abbreviation).

I would probably pronounce Theia as They-a but then people sometimes pronounce Thea as They-a anyway (which I don't mind, though I don't like it pronounced as Tia).

OP I say go for it. Name and meaning both lovely.

They're different names.

Theia - pronounced They-a

Thea - pronounced Thee-a

Why give your child a name she will have to correct the spelling of every single time for her whole life? Particularly when the choice is based on a false premise?

I think it's lovely. Phoebe and Rhea get used all the time, so why not Theia? Having said that, I really like the sort of name that MN considers "try-hard".

Thea is not ‘deliberately spelling it wrong’ 🤨 it’s a perfectly legitimate spelling of a Greek name. And, yes, you may feel all whimsical about its meaning but it’s not you that has to say ‘Thea with an i’ for the rest of your life.

Why give your child a name she will have to correct the spelling of every single time for her whole life? Particularly when the choice is based on a false premise?

This ^^

People don't care or think about the meaning of names of others. All they go by is the written look and sound of the name.

Theia will strike the majority of people as a 'makey-up notcool to misspell name'.

It doesn't look easy to pronounce and every appointment will be awkward while the person calling the name stammers over it.

Thea is a nice name and sensible spelling.

I don't like it, it just looks misspelled even if it isn't. Plus being called that would be really irritating having to spell it all the time.

It looks made up and try hard.

For all the spelling of it is important to you, it will be misspellt for your dd's whole life. I have a name like this and I'm quite blase about it, it doesn't bother me and likely it will annoy you more than her. My name is written Elena, Ellenor, Eleanor, Ellen, Ellener, Helena and even Helen! None of them are correct!!!

It is written correctly only by my family. I've had 3 bosses in my life and 2 spellt it wrong consistently. One for 9 years!!

If you wouldn't like it half as much without knowing the meaning then it seems like you don't really like the name itself all that much.
Other people probably won't know the meaning of it or perhaps will spell it 'Thea'...will you snap at them like you've snapped at a few posters on here?
Go for a name you love without focusing so much on the meaning because how many people care about the meaning of their names? Naming her after a goddess won't make her any more impressive amongst her peers

Theia would be pron. Thay-ah. I think it's prettier than Thea, which I don't like.