Ximena or Xiomara ?

[closetclosetcloset]

Which one do you prefer for a girl? And no, we don't really mind pronunciation issues or the fact people won't be able to say them. If people can learn to say Schwarzenegger I'm sure they can say either of these names.

Xiomara is pronounced like see-oh-mara
Ximena is he-meh-nah

It would be an average British surname with easy pronunciation. I am Colombian and DH is British and we live in the UK.

Xiomara. Beautiful name.

I like Xiomara best I think.

And I have a plain boring English name that has been incorrectly spelled many many ways, even by people with my correctly spelled name right in front of them. So I never get the "they'll always have to spell their name" thing as I have to spell mine every time. And my surname as it's one letter away from a more common surname.

DD is friends with a Jimena (same pronunciation) and I love it.

Neither. Your poor child will have to spell her name out for the rest of her life.

Like both. Probably prefer Ximena.

Both gorgeous, Xiomara has the edge slightly for me.

@Toddlerteaplease

Neither. Your poor child will have to spell her name out for the rest of her life.

Yes, and that is a fate worse than death.

I love them both but Ximena is my favourite.

Beautiful names! I slightly prefer Xiomara. Ignore the idiots being unhelpful.

@SelkieBoru

As is your reading skills and level of politeness. Go away.

OP Xiomara is my favourite out the two but they’re both lovely.

I know a 6 year old Jimena (they spell it this way)

I've never heard Ximena but it's lovely. I feel like Xiomara is better known and most people will be able to pronounce (but obvs that's just my preference!).

Xiomara I think it sounds very pretty.

When I come across names that I don't know how to pronounce that I need to contact for work. I just google how to pronounce before I call them.

I love ximena. To be honest it sounds like it looks. People will quickly get used to it.

I love both but probably Xiomara more! Both very lovely names.

@EileenGC

I prefer Ximena but both names are very nice.

I’m Spanish so would have no issue pronouncing either. Would you consider the spelling Jimena or is that not too common in Colombia? But maybe that would be just as confusing to pronounce in the UK...

I think the way phonics is taught, J is more confusing than X. I have an Xavier, only one person tried it with the h sound, everyone else assumed some interpretation of zuh

Xiomara sounds lovely.

@Toddlerteaplease

Neither. Your poor child will have to spell her name out for the rest of her life.

As do Jane and Jayne, Katherine, Catherine, Kathryn, Mai, May, Evelyn will spend half her time being called the wrong thing, as will Lena and Mia. Even common names like Charlotte and Sarah get spelt incorrectly and mispronounced.

Ximena is a gorgeous name

Both are fine but my preference is for Xiomara (but I do think people will initially pronounce it more like Zee- oh- mah- rah until you/she correct them).

Just read some of the other comments. I would ignore the negative posters. I am South American and my Dh is English so we chose names that reflected both cultures. Lots of people gave me negative comments about the names especially my in-laws we love them and as someone who had always had to spell their name I don't care and neither do my children. I gave all three children 'traditional English' middle names and have often said they are welcome to use them as their names and all three kids love their names and i hope it will remind them that they are English and Latino

Hey! I have a relative who married a Colombian woman called Ximena 👍

It’s very simple as you say; you meet her, you get told her name is He-men-ah and that’s what you remember to say from then on x

I love the sound of Xiomara and I think most British people will pronounce this truer than Ximena (which ends up more Him-enna in most people’s mouths that I’ve heard lol!)

Congratulations on your pregnancy
X

I really like Ximena but Xiomara is also pretty. I know how to pronounce it, surely most people know that 'X' in Spanish is a breathy 'h' sound, e.g. I've ever heard anyone pronounce Don Quixote wrong and Xavier is a reasonably well known name.

I wonder how many of the naysayers would avoid a name like Elizabeth or James if they lived in South America?

surely most people know that 'X' in Spanish is a breathy 'h' sound, e.g. I've ever heard anyone pronounce Don Quixote wrong and Xavier is a reasonably well known name
If you know the origins of the name that might work but it's a h for Ximena and a s for Xiomara so even that doesn't always work. And X is typically pronounced with a Z not a H in England

Meh, my DD is Elinor and has to spell it all the time, along with her surname which is not exactly phonetic.

I like both!