Girls Name - Ane

[Gatomalo]

Hi, we are expecting DC2. We are still not sure if it is a girl or a boy but we have been discussing some girls names.

I am basque (north Spain) and I have always like the name Ane, which is quite popular over there. Is the basque version of Anna.

We pronounce the last E, so it would be something like An-neh if that makes sense? Does the name sound weird to you? Will you pronounce it as Anne (Ann)?

Just wondering what people think as I have a difficult basque name myself and I don’t really want to give the poor kid a complicated name... but DH who is English thinks it would be nice to give the baby a basque name.

I just can’t decide if brave it and give her the name Ane or go with Anna and make her life easier!

Thanks

Would pronounce Ayn

If I was concentrating I’d pronounce it to rhyme with “name” but if I was skim reading or somehow in a rush I would probably misread as Anne. But if I was corrected I’d not continue to mispronounce and would understand it easily enough. It’s a perfectly lovely name

Beautiful, love it!

With the spelling, i'd assume it was pronounced "Ay-ne" or possibly even like "Annie" but I definitely wouldn't think it was Anne or Anna.

I don't think it sounds weird at all, but I wouldn't get the pronunciation correct from the spelling- but that is true of many names.

I did a double take then, my son is called Arie and at a glance it looked the same. I love the name and whilst different to my son's, she will spend her life correcting pronunciation. That's no reason not to use it though.

And I'd probably pronounce it Anais, until corrected

Nice name. But I would assume it was Ain (to rhyme with aim). Easy to correct though, it depends if that matters enough to you.

I'd have pronounced it Ah-nay. It's a lovely name, but she will spend her life correcting people and spelling it.

In my head I read it to rhyme with pain.
Will you live in the UK?

I like it! I'd say Ah-neh.

Thanks for all the replies, is very helpful to see what others think and see how would you pronounce it! It hadn’t crossed my mind that someone could pronounce it as Ayn/Ayne (rhyming with pain)!

And yes we are in the UK and have no plans of moving... That is why I am not sure about using it.

I'd say 'ain' as in 'pain' which is halfway to anus! Sorry...

It's lovely but I think she would have a lifetime of correcting people.

I'm actually watching a series where the main character is a girl named Ane. And I also watched a film with another girl named Ane. Big fan of Spanish films/series.

Watching those things really did get me thinking about that name and how basque Anes survive in the English speaking world haha and other people with basque names

Other basque names I love

Ainhoa
Arantxa
Laia
Amaia
Itziar
Nerea
Saioa (I actually now someone with this name and she goes by Saio)

I think most people in the uk wont know how to pronounce it. Fine with close friends family etc as once you know you know, but if you stay in the uk she will spend her life correcting pronounication which may or may not get on her nerves!
At first i thought it might a misspelling of the irish name aine , or anne.
Think i would pronounce it ay-n. Lovely name and history to it though and its proper pronunciation sounds pretty.

Said correctly it’s lovely.
Said the way I would say it without knowing, it’s Ayn.
Which is very very close to anus, and kids are vile.
I don’t know anything at all about Basque names but think it’s lovely to link to your heritage, however I would try to go with something that a native English speaker would instinctively say correctly.
The list from a pp has some lovely ideas. Arantxa looks so cool and fresh, I think I would say it correctly (arant-sha?) and love Ari as a short version too.

In English it looks like ayn / ain so that's what people would guess it was. It doesn't really transport all that well if she's going to grow up here, and she'll always have to explain or correct.

Could you compromise on something like Anna which works in several languages / countries?

my first thought was a new way to spell "Anne".
I think your child might have a lifetime of correcting people, My son has a welsh name, he has to spell and pronounce it a lot to people who dont know him

I'd not know how to pronounce it, but it's a beautiful name! You and your child would have to explain the pronunciation and spelling a lot. But it might be worth it to have a lovely and unusual name.

Do you plan to spend much time in in the Basque region? Because obviously if you choose an English-only name she'll have the opposite problem there.

I think having a Basque name is a great idea, but really don't think this one is a great idea. People won't know how to prounounce it, and you will get "Anne" (which is OK but not what you want) and "Ayn" which will remind people of "anus."

I just had a quick google and there are so many lovely Basque names: June, Nerea, Arrosa, Maielen. Perhaps have another look?

"Ane" rhyming with "pain," sorry.

@mum2jakie

I'd say 'ain' as in 'pain' which is halfway to anus! Sorry...

Yes, I thought this too,. Or even 'anal'

Lovely name but will get mis-pronounced all the time.
I love Anna. One of my faves

Yes I thought like rhyming with pain, and kind of most of the way to anus. Which isn't ideal...
If you want An-neh, I'd just go with Annie. Which is a pity as I know the whole point is to maintain the link to your heritage.

My first thought was anal. Sorry...