greek mythology names!

[EdenM]

Me and DH are expecting our first child in March and really like names from Greek mythology. We love Briseis (for DD) but thought it might be pronounced differently. Just curious how you would pronounce it and your thoughts on the name as it is quite out there?

Oooh, interesting, how do you pronounce that?

I like athena and andromeda.

Bris AY is. It's a gorgeous name. She'll be Bree for short, probably.

@saiditbetterthanme

Oooh, interesting, how do you pronounce that?

I like athena and andromeda.

We would pronounce it Bree-say-us, possibly Bri for short!

I have absolutely no idea how to pronounce that, and I consider myself pretty educated and reasonably well up on Greek mythology.

I’m sure it’s a lovely name, but if not having to explain how to spell it pronounce it is important to you, I’d reconsider, honestly. There are some great girls Greek myth names that will be more familiar.

Briss-ay (to rhyme with hay) -us

Alternatives

Ariadne
ianthe
Danae
Juno
Hera
Diana
Athena
Helen

I'd pronounce it BrissAYus. She's in the film Troy with Brad Pitt, that's where I get the pronunciation from.

I really like it actually but wouldn't want it to be my own name, so wouldn't choose for my child.

OP I don't want to sound discouraging and Briseis is a pretty name, but do you know the original - real - story of Briseis? Not the Hollywood version.
In Homer's famous epic poem, the Iliad, Briseis is a slave. A possession. A captive. An object. She's quarrelled over by men who want her as a tropy. Men who own more than one slave to sleep with. She's oppressed, degraded, like all slaves are.

athenianinspector.wordpress.com/2018/10/14/complicating-the-briseis-achilles-romance/

Homer's poem has been around for over 2500 years and is very well known and is sometimes studied - in English - in schools.
Perhaps a present-day Briseis will never read Homer's epic. But what if she does?

Agree with flora, her story is tragic

Why would you name a child after one of literature’s most famous sex slaves, taken as war booty by the army that slaughtered her husband?

Hmm sorry OP I'm with the others who know the story - nice enough name, but as with any unusual name (and especially one seen in a Hollywood adaptation) Google is your friend. Her story isn't great. Greek mythology isn't too full of well-represented women, unfortunately...

I think I would pn it Bree-say-us but may be wrong in that. It doesn’t appeal to me but we all like different things! If I’d like a more familiar name (although I’m guessing not!), Penelope is the name of Odysseus’ wife.

Not a name I would use.
What about Iris?
Or Astraea?

I would say Bri say us. Agree with others that I wouldn’t name a child this because of her story.

I like a lot of Greek Mythological names but I'm not that keen on the sound of Briseis (and I think many people won't know how to pronounce it).

I love Thalia, Ianthe, Theia, Cressida, Iris, Juno, Selene, Xanthe, Athene, Ariadne, Artemis, Callisto, Persephone (and Galatea, Cassiopeia and Andromeda if you're brave!)

Please read the song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I think Briseis is a beautiful name!

As is Circe, another incredible book by Miller!

I have a Leonidas (Leo)

I would pronounce it ‘Bree- sis’ to rhyme with Thesis. I don’t like it I’m afraid.

I think it’s Bree-sis also.

The story of the character wouldn’t worry me, so many female characters don’t get much of a role. (And actually Pat Parker did a great re-write Of the Trojan War from the POV of female characters and put her at the centre), but unless you are dead set on it it’s a bugger to pronounce and spell.

There are a lot of other options -

Diana is long due a revival (especially with Wonder Woman), Persephone is really pretty, Hero, Athena, Circe, Clio, Maia, Hestia, Ianthe, Calypso if you are brave, Ismene also v pretty but she was a drip and that would put me off. Have a look around.