Xanthe yes or no?

[Frankiefarr]

I love Xanthe OH not so sold on it. What are people’s experiences? Any pitfalls? Any alternatives?

Is it a girls name? I've never heard of it but I quite like it

I don't know how to pronounce it

Sorry but none of you are pronouncing it correctly. It’s Ksaanthi.

Doesn’t sound so nice now does it? And if you meet a Greek like me they’ll laugh at you.

Yes I sound like a bitch but you are giving (among the people I know) your dcs names which most are only doing it if they have to!

I have one (pre teen now) and love it. No regrets, even when mumsnet gets viper-ish (tongue in cheek really, everyone has an opinion, no one has ever been rude to my face about it )

@ImAncient

Sorry but none of you are pronouncing it correctly. It’s Ksaanthi.

Doesn’t sound so nice now does it? And if you meet a Greek like me they’ll laugh at you.

Yes I sound like a bitch but you are giving (among the people I know) your dcs names which most are only doing it if they have to!

Lots of names are pronounced differently in different languages. It’s always been the case.

True but if you take a name from another culture have the decency to actually know how’s it’s pronounced. It’s not a pretty name & has never been referred to as one. I know several & they all hate it. I hate my name as well so this is why I feel strongly about it.

I like it.

@ImAncient

Sorry but none of you are pronouncing it correctly. It’s Ksaanthi.

Doesn’t sound so nice now does it? And if you meet a Greek like me they’ll laugh at you.

Yes I sound like a bitch but you are giving (among the people I know) your dcs names which most are only doing it if they have to!

You don't sound like a bitch, you just sound a bit ignorant!

Speakers of other languages pronounce given names differently - it's the case in every culture/language.

Xanthe may be less widely used than, for example, Petra (which my friend pronounces as Paytra, because she is German, and I pronounce as Petrah, because I'm British) but it's the same thing.

Names aren't the same as nouns where the pronunciation 'follows' the language.

Interesting to hear the Greek pronunciation though, it sounds lovely to me!

Not sure about all Greeks laughing at pronunciations either, the ones I've met have impeccable manners :)

My name is French. I don't pronounce it like my French sister in law does (pity, it sounds nicer when she says it) because I'm not French and I'd sound like a right knob if I did. She doesn't laugh at me, she is entirely accepting of the fact that names can cross languages and change a bit on the way.

@YoniAndGuy 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

My nephew has a Ukrainian mother and a British father and they pronounce his name differently. Similarly, I have an Albanian friend who pronounces his own name differently to how he introduces himself iyswim because he knows we pronounce it differently to him.

The Xanthes I know love their name. I think it is very pretty.

I know an Ianthe. (12)

I like both versions, but Xanthe may be a bit tricky as a British pronunciation?

I think if you have a hatred of your own name then you’re going to project a little. That’s more than giving an opinion.

I know two Xavier’s, one hard X one soft, neither would dream of telling the other they’re wrong. Love them both FWIW.

Richard was originally French, I believe. I've never met a British Ree-SHARR before!

Love it and was on my list but dh & dm still give me grief for even considering it...no idea why!

Also, I'm Irish, but I'd never tell a Cormac or Dermott, with an English accent, that he was saying his name wrong, because English people tend not to pronounce their Rs.

So it's not Zan tea ? I would of said that, I quote like it, but it's more of a mouthful then I'm missing a part. Seems a bit clunky.

Thea has the same feeling to me, not unusual itself.

My friend named her child Heidi and we turned up to a music class with 12 children and she was one of 2 Heidis. Then an old school friend had a baby and named her Heidi a few months later. So weird how it goes like that. I've also met 2 Chases in my area, so yes unusual names can surprise you.

@ProfessorInkling

I think if you have a hatred of your own name then you’re going to project a little. That’s more than giving an opinion.

I know two Xavier’s, one hard X one soft, neither would dream of telling the other they’re wrong. Love them both FWIW.

I hadn’t thought of it before like this & maybe you are right.

To me Xanthe is like my name - you only give it to your child because you have to not because you choose to.

Basically we name after grandparents. So my dcs are named after my inlaws & my parents. It wouldn’t matter if I liked the names or not. Luckily they have decent names. I’ve already told mine not to name after me.

Anyway I’ve taken on board & it’s interesting to get other peoples ideas who aren’t in the community & have the same connotations as me.

Apologies if I upset anyone.

It’s Ok

I love Xanthe - I think it's beautiful. I also like the similar, poetic sounding Ianthe (but that will probably cause even more pronunciation issues!)

I love that name!

Xanthe is lovely. I haven't come across one though. I agree with the comment that names are pronounced differently as they move into different languages - and there's no problem with that. I think the Greek pronunciation is lovely as well.

@Xanthemum I concur with you on the Xanthe/Zanthe front -I have an Alexander and although he is known by his full name, if we shorten it we call him Xander (which is simply a shortened version of his exact name). 5 years of Alexander/Xander so far and still family and friends will still write Zander.

@ImAncient that’s interesting, I can see how having that cultural expectation to name after family would make you have completely different feelings about the concept of liking or not liking names.

I love Xanthe.