Xanthe or Ianthe?

[CalamityJess]

What do you think of these names and which do you prefer?

(Pronounced ZAN-thee and eye-AN-thee)

The embarrassment should be on the adult working in a school who can't pronounce names!

Xanthe and Ianthe are not difficult, weird or unpronounceable at all, where have you been?!

Ps, I prefer Xanthe

@indigo13 really? I have a very unusual surname. I would never presume that anyone would magically know how to pronounce it! What an odd thing to say.

Xanthe. I really dislike Ianthe - even how it looks.

I have a Xanthe, I still love it and she's 6 now.

She is very attached to the X in her name and started recognising her own name from quite a young age as there aren't many words in English that start with an X.

I do like Ianthe too but didn't go with it due to the I/L issue that can make it difficult for people to recognise.

Xanthe. I know an adult one. It’s not that uncommon. Ianthe is fine but I find it too bland with all those softer sounds. Xanthe has more oomph.

Unless you are Greek neither.

Greek people aren’t really using these names any more unless they have to.

I’m Greek - I’ve had a life time of a similar name in the U.K. it’s awful - having to spell first name & surname. No one pronouncing either properly. Having it said differently in Greek & English. Just so you can give your child a lifetime of an unusual name. Selfish beyond belief.

At least my parents have the excuse of naming after their parents. (Traditionally Greeks name their dcs after their parents).

So unless you have a parent named Xanthe or Xanthos - Greeks will think you are a fool.

Xanthe

Just so you know

Ianthe - if pronounced properly is Yanthi. The I & A combine to Ya sound, the ‘e’ is more of an ‘i’ ending NOT ‘ie’.

Xanthe is quite harsh sounding if pronounced correctly XXanthi - so double X & I ending (as above) & even then I doubt it would be pronounced correctly.

I’m Greek - I’ve had a life time of a similar name in the U.K. it’s awful - having to spell first name & surname. No one pronouncing either properly. Having it said differently in Greek & English. Just so you can give your child a lifetime of an unusual name. Selfish beyond belief.

I nearly changed my single-syllable, easy to pronounce (but various spellings so have to spell it several times a day) name to Xanthippe by deed poll for my 40th. 🤔

Didn’t get round to it, but I use it as my Starbucks name.

I voted Ianthe as I think it’s prettier said out loud but having read some of the comments I think I’m changing to Xanthe as it’s easier to read
Both are nice & I like names like Hannah & Lucy so about as safe as it gets - I don’t see ‘weird and obscure’ here

That’s fine more but I bet you still aren’t able to pronounce correctly

There are many many kids with weird and wonderful names in my kids classes and no one bats an eye because kids don’t realise they’re ‘weird’ til someone says its so.

Thinking about the Ξάνθη (Xanthi) I know

They pronounce a mix between Zanthi & Ksanthi - a sort of blend between the two is the best way to describe it! But it’s very hard as even my dcs wouldn’t be able to get the gutteral needed to say it correctly.

Xanthe.

Ianthe will be mispronounced as Eye anthee

Arya

When is the last time you heard an Isabella being called with an Italian accent/emphasis? Or Claire with a rolled “r” as the French would say it?

I pronounce it zan-THIP-ee.

I know lots of Isabella’s actually so said in the Greek way dame as eg Alexia, Christina etc!

You definitely aren’t saying Xanthippe correctly!

I didn’t know Claire was a French name.

Same as not dame as!

I prefer Oenone (Oe as if Phoebe, no, ne as is Persephone) 😄 but mainly for its mind boggliness so probably not the best option as an actual name haha 😄

I prefer Xanthe from your two options!

I assumed they were boys names only the comment above about a DD gives a clue otherwise.

As for the comment that adults in a school should be embarrassed by not knowing the correct pronunciation of names from other languages with different spelling rules or the 'unique' spelling parents choose. Seriously get a grip.

I didn't know how to pronounce Ianthe til this thread, looked at it for a while then got it wrong! Pretty name, but you will gets lots of ignoramuses like me. Prefer Xanthe on that basis, also like the name anyway. I'd be fine with Ianthe (which I see as 'Ian (the boy's name)-thee') once I knew how to say it.

I am a hypocrite though as one of my dd's has a hard to pronounce name (or rather it can be pronounced in multiple ways). She doesn't like it, I still do! Selfish parent really.

I have a six month old Xanthe and we love it! Yep, it’s taking people a while to remember it/pronounce it correctly and we have worried if we have stuck her with too unusual a name. But our son has a very popular name and he hates meeting others of the same name, so you can’t win!! Both of your names are beautiful but obviously my vote has to go for Xanthe.

You definitely aren’t saying Xanthippe correctly!

I’m sure you’d struggle with pronouncing my child’s welsh name correctly, but I wouldn’t judge you for it.

I didn’t know Claire was a French name.

Every day is a school day.

Actually the parents don’t get to choose how to pronounce a name from a different heritage IMO. They make efforts to pronounce correctly or give another. It’s quite insulting to give a name from another heritage & not know how to pronounce correctly. And as I’ve explained Ianthe is not pronounced Ianthee but Yanthi. Completely different. I know a couple who are named after their grandmothers. They hate it- just saying as do the Xanthi’s & Antigoni’s I know!

Anyway I’ve said enough. Thank goodness the young Greeks now aren’t saddling their dcs with these names unless they have to. Mine know they are barred from naming after me . They can name after dh whose name translates well.

I know a teenage Ianthe and a Xanthe.

Call your daughter Phoebe.