Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Pronunciation of Esme

172 replies

Halfpastfreckle · 02/09/2018 09:56

We had pretty much decided on this name if this baby (currently 32 weeks) is a girl. I think of it as es-may. However at the park yesterday I heard one little boy call out to his sister Es-mee. Don’t like this at all and frankly it is putting me off. Is this a common pronunciation of the name??

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
EllenJanesthickerknickers · 02/09/2018 18:36

I know only one Esme and she pronounces it Ez mee. I heard Ez may on Peaky Blinders but thought it was the Brummy pronunciation! Blush

Allthatsnot · 02/09/2018 18:43

Ez-may its a very very old french boys name hence the masculine spelling Esmé, for the feminine it would be Esmée. Both are correctly pronounced Ezmay.

MrsTerryPratchett · 02/09/2018 18:45

I always think of it as a diminutive of Esmeralda. And unless you're saying Ez mee relda (Hmm) then it should be Ez may. Surely.

MountainsPlease · 02/09/2018 18:47

Ez-May for me.

Even if everyone else prounces it wrong, you just correct them and people will soon lroune it your way. You could call her “Claire” pronounced “Heather” if you really wanted to!

You love the name and you’ve picked one of the pronounciations that you like.

grasspigeons · 02/09/2018 18:50

Ez may to me - that was how I heard it first (Scottish if it helps)

but I know ez mees too

toffee1000 · 02/09/2018 19:02

To me it’s ez-may. But given the responses on here you’re probably right to change, if you hate the ez-mee pronunciation that much.

StuckInTheMiddleWithJude · 02/09/2018 19:17

I know one 2 year old Emse pronounced Es-mee, and had only heard that pronunciation (SE), I have a friend of a friend who have a daughter called Esmae pronounce Es-may... I'm not a fan of the spelling or pronunciation tbh.

Funnybunnyfluff · 02/09/2018 19:21

Niece is called Esme, pronounced EZ MAY.
Actually gets on my nerves when people say Ez mee.
I know 3 Esme all pronounces EZ MAY.

Funnybunnyfluff · 02/09/2018 19:21

South east here

moredoll · 02/09/2018 19:25

It's ez may. Never heard it pronounced any other way and I know three Esme's ranging from 8 months to 70s.

DelilahandDaisy · 02/09/2018 19:30

If you want it pronounced Es-may, it should be Esmée for a girl or Esmé for a boy. Esme would be Es-mee, I like Es-mee better.

DelilahandDaisy · 02/09/2018 19:32

But MrsTerryPratchett since when is Esmeralda pronounced Es-may-ralda?

ferrier · 02/09/2018 19:33

I've never heard it pronounced Ezmay. Is that a US thing popularised by Twilight? If so then all us oldies won't have heard it and will all be saying Ezmee.

OzymandiasFanClub · 02/09/2018 19:37

It's Esmée. Pronounced Ezmay.

pixieloux · 02/09/2018 19:38

I've never known an Esme that didn't pronounce their name as Es-May. I'm not a fan of the Es-Me pronunciation personally. It's a name we've always considered but decided against because of this debate. It's back on our list again (spelt Esmée) but I feel like it's always going to be misspelt or mispronounced whatever you go with... Shame as it's a lovely name.

Unexpectedbaby · 02/09/2018 19:39

I have an Esmée pronounced "Esmay".

However when she was in NICU no one seemed to manage the correct pronunciation. My grandfather cannot say it for the life of him and my nan still had to correct herself a lot.

I love the name still I would say just be prepared for even the closest to you to get the pronunciation wrong for years.

miniHovis · 02/09/2018 19:39

I have an Esme and no one has ever called her esmeee it's always pronounced ez may but that might be cos we are in Scotland and esmeee sounds so long and drawn out in my accent

llangennith · 02/09/2018 19:42

Esmee in U.K., Ezmay in Oz.
It's quite a common/popular name for girls under 11 yo in Cardiff area.

IHaveBrilloHair · 02/09/2018 19:43

Ez-mae.
Please don't put an accent on it though, that's just silly and no one will know what it means anyway.
Isla is very popular, but given how many people have replied on here I think Esme is too.
Have you any other names you like?

SequinsOnEverything · 02/09/2018 19:47

Ez-may

buckingfrolicks · 02/09/2018 19:49

Esme like sesame. Esmay is horrendous. pretentious.

I speak as one with a huge vested interest in this. It is absolutely true that one spends ones life correcting people - who STILL PRONOUNCE IT WRONG even after being out right.

MrsTerryPratchett · 02/09/2018 19:57

Delilah it's (in my accent) Ez Meh relda. Which is very close to Ez May. A million miles from Ez Meee.

PuppyMonkey · 02/09/2018 20:21

There will never be a consensus on this one, mark my words. Grin

Ontopofthesunset · 02/09/2018 20:26

I was really surprised the first time I met a little Esme pronounce Ez-mee. The name I had always known was Ez-may. It's not a Greek name like Penelope, Chloe etc so it doesn't echo those pronunciations. It's derived from a French past participle so used to be pronounced accordingly. Mind you, I know a couple of Aimées who pronounce their names like Amy when it seems to me it's obvious it's French and so should be it's E - may.

RyvitaBrevis · 02/09/2018 20:38

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation anyone? Ez-may.

Esme with one e is in the top 40 so you still might find it's not unusual enough these days anyway.