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.

I love Jimena.

Ximena is the medieval/earlier (?) spelling so would be confusing (in Spanish speaking circles, if that matters). Unless you are actually planning on pronouncing it "Ximena" with an x like taxi? Or "Shimena"?

Xiomara

Xiomara it's more intuitive in an English speaking country. Likely the X will be said as Z though but it's pretty close even when teachers butcher it on the register at school!

Anyone who cares will learn to do their best pronunciation of it

@SleepingStandingUp 100% agree, whatever the pronunciation people should make an effort and learn it.

Although I do need to say, as you’ve written it quite a few times so I don’t think it’s a typo - Catalan isn’t a place! It’s a language - it’d be like saying ‘the Dr from Swedish’ or ‘the Dr from Urdu’. Catalunya/Cataluña is the actual place. Sorry I’ll go now 🙈

stickygotstuck It certainly wouldn't be confusing in any Spanish circle because that's literally 99% of the people I'm surrounded with and none of them would say Ximena by using the X sound as in taxi.

SleepingStandingUp
The doctor from Italy might have learned the sound later on in life as X isn't used in the Italian language and only present in words taken from other languages. Cataluña has it's own language so sounds are different hence why Xavier is more of a Tzavier kind of sound. It isn't an error but just a different pronunciation. The zay-vee-air and ex-ay-vee-air are wrong pronunciations to be honest.

@EileenGC

Anyone who cares will learn to do their best pronunciation of it

@SleepingStandingUp 100% agree, whatever the pronunciation people should make an effort and learn it.

Although I do need to say, as you’ve written it quite a few times so I don’t think it’s a typo - Catalan isn’t a place! It’s a language - it’d be like saying ‘the Dr from Swedish’ or ‘the Dr from Urdu’. Catalunya/Cataluña is the actual place. Sorry I’ll go now 🙈

Happy to take the correction from a friendly poster xx

It isn't just an American / English error by that logic though. My Italian doctor doesn't pronounce Zav-ee-aye, neither did the Dr from Catalan, pronunciations agreed upon further up the thread. The v posh lady pronounces it the same as the Italian doctor. I'll be sure to tell the pp upthread and the Italian Dr they're wrong and ignorant. Ultimately the name you give your child is the pronunciation as well as the arrangement of letters

It’s a Spanish name, the first letter of which is pronounced slightly differently depending on the dialect of the region. (Catalan is the language, Catalonia is the region). It’s never pronounced Zay vee er anywhere in Spain or France though. Italians don’t know how to pronounce it as it’s not an Italian name.

If you take a name for your child from a different language it’s wise to look up the correct pronunciation.

The only Ximena I know is a native Spanish speaker and she definitely pronounces it the same way as OP.

Although she is from Latin America.

Our dog is a Mexican breed which begins with an X and it always causes chaos at the vets etc pronunciation wise.

@closetclosetcloset

stickygotstuck It certainly wouldn't be confusing in any Spanish circle because that's literally 99% of the people I'm surrounded with and none of them would say Ximena by using the X sound as in taxi.

SleepingStandingUp
The doctor from Italy might have learned the sound later on in life as X isn't used in the Italian language and only present in words taken from other languages. Cataluña has it's own language so sounds are different hence why Xavier is more of a Tzavier kind of sound. It isn't an error but just a different pronunciation. The zay-vee-air and ex-ay-vee-air are wrong pronunciations to be honest.

I'd argue like anything in language, things evolve from their origin. So they were wrong pronunciations but are now widely enough used in other countries now that they've become names in their own right.

Xiomara!

I’ve adored the name since hearing it on JtV, but I think it would probably be a weird choice for two very white British parents.

Xiomara is so pretty and would be my choice. It also lends itself to a number of equally lovely contractions, Xio(Sio) and Mara.

The doctor from Italy might have learned the sound later on in life as X isn't used in the Italian language and only present in words taken from other languages

Yes, xenofobia or xilofono for example.

But schwartznegger is spelt phonetically.

Either would be lovely names but personally I slightly prefer xiomara

I like Xiomara best for 3 reasons:-

1. I already knew how to pronounce it. (Jane the Virgin!)
2. It looks and sounds pretty.

3 If your dd does get fed up of having to correct pronunciation and spelling she can shorten it to Mara which even the most useless Brit can pronounce!

My kids both have very classical British names. One is a very famous biblical name. book. One was once a King or Queen. They still sometimes get mid-spelled! One of them gets really annoyed, the other doesn’t care.

B*ramblebutter
*
Xiomara and Ximena are spelled phonetically as well in their original language just not in English 🤷🏻‍♀️

I like fewer syllables so Jimena wins (Ximena).
I would anglicise* the spellings if they very likely would grow up in an English-speaking country.

I used to speak Spanish but didn't recognise them. I was guessing they would be said Kai-may-nuh & Chai-oh-mara and came from... a Slavic language?

*Before the cultural name purists moan, I Spanishfy my name when introducing myself to Spanish speakers. This makes perfect sense to me.

llijk She will grow up in an English speaking country but not a chance I will anglicise her name. If you do that to your name when meeting Spanish people that's totally valid but I am not doing that for my child. She will have an English surname already and that's enough English in her name.

I prefer ximena

Jimena like in El Cid?

Whether you use X or J you will constantly have to explain how to pronounce. It is such a beautiful name.

Both dire. Sorry.

@Viviennemary in what way? The OP is Colombian honouring her roots. Many names from different places and cultures might sound odd to your ear but they certainly aren't awful.

OP answering your actually question Xiomara because its beautiful!

And don't worry! I don't mind all the neither, they're awful/dire/horrible comments because I am not actually looking for opinions on what you think about them. These are the two names we are discussing and it's going to be one of them no matter what. Hence why I'm only interested in knowing which one you'd choose over the other.

Both are beautiful but for me Xiomara has the edge.

Definitely Xiomara - as others have said I already knew how to pronounce it.

I have a very uncommon name (both first and surname) from a different language and honestly correcting people/spelling it has really never bothered me. I’m grateful that I don’t have a “standard” name, it wouldn’t match my personality.