regret my baby girl‘s name

[lizye]

Everyone, pls help me choose a name. I named my baby girl “Ariadne “ cuz it is less popular , however, it is hard for people to pronounce it right. I have been thinking to change her name( she is 9 months old) . Any ideas, please? I like Clare , Clara .....

Ari is a great nick name

Never heard that name before op I had assumed it was a 'younique' spelling of adrienne but now that I've read the thread I realise I was wrong it's a lovely name and as others have said surely at 9 months she is responding to her name so it is too late to change ?

Ariadne Oliver was a recurring character in Agatha Christie novels.

@TeenPlusTwenties

Provided your are saying it as arry-add-nay then if you like the name stick with it.

Yes, you haven't chosen a unique pronunciation have you?

Don't always go a bundle for Welsh names, but Ariadne is an absolutely lovely one.
Interestingly, I was thinking to myself that, had this been twenty-five years ago, people would have known it, as Jenny Nimmo's excellent 'The Snow Spider' was televised by the BBC. But I've just googled it and it appears that they've filmed or are filming a new series, which should be shown shortly-ish (although I guess there may be Covid delays). So it'll be like 'Hermione' and people will be able to pronounce it correctly (although it's bonkers that they can't already). I think you're at the absolute limit for changing it in terms of her already responding to it. But I don't think you should anyway. Really pretty.

Ah. The spider was called 'Arianwyn'. Makes sense, as it was silvery, I think. Still think you should keep it as it is!

Ariadne isn't hard to pronounce - it's pronounced exactly how it's spelled. Stop hanging out with idiots if they can't pronounce basic things.

@VillageGreenPreservationSoc, Ariadne is greek.

The spider was Arianwen wasn't it.

Yes - apologies. Obviously Ariadne is Greek. As for the spider, I'll take your word that it's 'wen' and not 'wyn'!
Still really like Ariadne, OP.
Although I'm now finding myself quite drawn to Arianwen . . .

Ariadne is really lovely!

Do you still like the name? I wouldn’t have said it was particularly difficult to spell or pronounce, and being an actual name (as opposed to a made up one) it is easy enough for people to google it if they are unsure. We are a very multicultural country so people are surely used to coming across names they are less familiar with.

@VillageGreenPreservationSoc, no worries.
Bear in mind that Arianwen is Arr-YAN-wenn not Arry-Anwen. It seems a bit made up to me, and it will get misspelt and mispronounced.

The -wyn/-wen (boy/girl) ending often gets mixed up but if you went with the name Anwen (Ann+wen) and it got misspelt it isn't a boy's name at all. Anwyn is a word for starvation!

Another similar name is Arianrhod. (Arr-YAN-RHodd).

I like Clare. I think it's beautiful. Big change from Ariadne though. If you aren't happy then change it while she's still a baby, but don't pick something just because it's easy to pronounce. Choose a name you really adore.

[quote MikeUniformMike]@VillageGreenPreservationSoc, no worries.
Bear in mind that Arianwen is Arr-YAN-wenn not Arry-Anwen. It seems a bit made up to me, and it will get misspelt and mispronounced.

The -wyn/-wen (boy/girl) ending often gets mixed up but if you went with the name Anwen (Ann+wen) and it got misspelt it isn't a boy's name at all. Anwyn is a word for starvation!

Another similar name is Arianrhod. (Arr-YAN-RHodd).[/quote]
Having watched some on YouTube to see if it's as good as I remembered - not bad; obviously dated - all the characters pronounce it 'arry-an-wen'. But something the grandmother (Siân Phillips) says does suggest it's a name made up by her character on the spot. Interesting to see how they pronounce it in the new series.

9 months is too late imo, she will recognise her name.

Ariadne surely can't cause that many pronounciation problems.. Its fairly easy to spell and say - especially if youvetold people once.

Clare and Clara are just plain in comparison - I'd be pretty gutted if I was named Clara and found out I previously had a much more interesting and lovely name but my mum changed it because of other people struggling with pronunciation.

Ariadne is gorgeous. Tell people it rhymes with Harry had tea.

Don't change it - the bureaucracy will be a nightmare forever. I changed my dd's name and it turned into a right old saga. I use her passport as if anyone saw her long birth certificate they could get confused - the new name goes in as a note at the end.

@VillageGreenPreservationSoc, the name is composed of Arian + wen (obviously). Arian is silver or the word for money. 2 syllables.

I have listened to a bit of it and the boy definitely says it like I say it. Them calling Sian Phillips Nain is weird, she'd be Mamgu.

SP says Eirlys with a strong South Wales accent - it sounds almost like Airlys in her accent.

I didn't know that SP's real name was Jane. It makes sense though.

How are they saying it then?

My name is Clare and I hate it. It's so dull.

I watched part of the video which appears to be the whole thing (3 or four episodes?). I watched between about minute 20 and minute 26 when SP names the spider and clearly says 'Arry-an-wen'. Then the boy has a row with his father and tells the spider she's got him into bother, and definitely exclaims: "Arry-an-wen!".
Can't even remember what happened to Bethan in the end. I imagine she reappears. Magically an' all. Might watch it later!

Clara could have pronunciation issues too - I know of people who pronounce it Clare-a and others who pronounce it to rhyme with Tara/Lara/Zara.

@VillageGreenPreservationSoc, I'm sure we are talking about the same video, but you aren't hearing what I am describing.

The 'Arian' bit is two syllables. Add 'wen' and it is 3 syllables.

Arian is Arr-yan not Arry-Ann. It is a commonly used word for money, cash, silver.

It would compare with something like saying Elizabeth as Ellie Zabeth

@VillageGreenPreservationSoc, here is a link.

I think the trouble is that the difference is not perceptible if you don't speak the language, but if you do it sounds wrong.

Or maybe it is how you say you hear the name compared with how I would say it.
E.g. Olivia - O-liv-ee-a or Ol-iv-ya.

To me, it's not dissimilar to 'GoT' where the character is variously called 'Aria' or 'Ah-ia' with no rhoticity in the latter at all. In the case of the 'Snow Spider' I can hear four distinct syllables in those clips, with SJ in particular clearly sounding the 'r' in 'Arianwen' 🤷🏼‍♀️

Hard for some people to say perhaps, (and of those, a couple will just be being lazy or deliberately awkward), but not for everyone?
I think Ariadne is lovely and distinctive and besides, 9 months on is pretty late to change it.

@VillageGreenPreservationSoc, I only hear 3 syllables, so we'll just have to agree to differ. If you type Arianwen or arian into google translate, they are 3 and 2 syllables respectively.

I hear Aria as Ar-ya, (rhotic r) but on his thread someone posted Ar-ee-a. I'd guess Ar-ee-a to rhyme with Maria, but we probably say it the same (?)

Please dont change your child's beautiful name because of some other people's ignorance / laziness!