Names you love that don’t work in English

[MangosteenSoda]

A name on another thread made me think about this...

I love Manon in a French speaking environment and I like Belen in Spain, but think neither work well in an English speaking environment.

Are there any names you feel like this about? I’d occasionally come across a name in my expat (and childbearing) days and think YES, then, oh no.

How is Irene meant to be pronounced?

DD has a friend called Manon (French father).

Fia/Fiadh is Fee-a to me. Nothing like Fear - that’s the same as Fir in my accent.

@Chicchicchicchiclana- I too like Schehrazade because we did it as a school play! I like it, but its far too long and confusing for people to pronounce until they know it well.

@elQuintoConyo does your DS go to Grange Hill

@steppemum the Dutch names just reminded me of a little girl I knew called Guusja (I’m probably spelling it wrong). Sounded pretty in Dutch, but mangled when I attempted it.

I love loads of Irish names but think they sound most beautiful in an Irish accent. There’s a lilting quality I can’t recreate.

Agnes in French. It's so beautiful. But in English it's hideous.

How is Irene meant to be pronounced?

in Russian it is (sort of ) ear - rain - ah with a rolled r too (looks really odd written like that!)

Oh wair, maybe it is

ear - een -ah?

One might be Dutch and one Russian

I am fascinated by same name with completely different pronounciations.
We had tp avoid names with a th and with a g as these are unique to English and Dutch.
But also the stresses are totally different.

Abigail
Dorothea
Naomi
Elena

@Anoisagusaris

How is Irene meant to be pronounced?

DD has a friend called Manon (French father).

Fia/Fiadh is Fee-a to me. Nothing like Fear - that’s the same as Fir in my accent.

Irene - Eye-reen-ee. It's originally Greek (Eirene) and the ending is pronounced like other Greek names: Penelope, Hermione, Calliope etc.

Benoit

I like Efthimia too

Sounds like a form of Bipolar.

@BlackLambAndGreyFalcoln thanks, I always thought that was an English pet name for Irene 🥴

Pia (sounds like one who pees)

I'd pronounce Irene as Eye-reen-ee (Greek) but I think the 2 syllable version is much more common now.

DD's were born in a country where Anastasia is a popular name. I love the way it's pronounced there and the shortened versions but it would forever be pronounced Ana stay sha here, which doesn't work with the shortened versions either.

Joke. Usually I think Dutch names are pretty easy once you understand the rules for pronouncing them, but that one is never going to work.

Manon is a lovely welsh name so hearing it said in a French accent (even though I know it’s also used in France) is just strange to me.
I know someone called Alwen who’s parents wanted to call her Arwen until their friend (from SE) pronounced it with a long drawled ‘Aaarr’. Much easier for people who don’t know welsh to pronounce the ‘Al’ correctly.

Dushko (Serbian) for a boy.

The Arabic name Weded means Rose but sounds like “we dead”

Absolutely adore Pauline and Paulina when said pow-leen/pow-leena.

Mailis (My-lees)
Kyllikki (Kyul-ekeh)
Thaïs
Tineke

Also, Sidonie

My ex wanted Seweryn for DS

Pronounced Seh-verrin

Not so good in the U.K. so had to veto that one!

Élodie, Emmanuelle, Églantine, Beauregard, Gaylord, France, Alexandre, Yves, Étienne, Baptiste, Anatol, Augustin, Laure., Margaux... The French have got some beautiful names! I live in France, but went for a name that works in both. But the pronunciation isn't the same at all. Same with my own name. I say it differently depending on who's asking.

@MangosteenSoda

I like a lot of these names a lot!

How is Saskia pronounced in Dutch?

Sa sua

Spanish “Mercedes”. Over here it sounds like you’ve named her after a car.

Sa sua

err, no. It really isn't.
Dutch is very phonetic, it totally follows phonetic rules, and the K is very clearly and firmly pronounced.
My dh is Dutch and he is really laughing at this idea that Saskia is pronounced differently in Dutch. It really isn't.
Yes, very subtly the A sound is a little different in Dutch.

but Sa sua?
No.

If you know someone who pronounces it this way, that is their thing. Fine (odd, but fine) but really it is not the standard way to pronounce it in Dutch.