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Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Is Leonie too weird?

110 replies

LewishamMum · 14/06/2021 09:40

I don't know the sex, but have loved this name since read it in a novel aged about 12. Never met anyone who has it though.
I always assumed it was pronounced Lee-OH-nee. I know it's different in France/Germany (where it originates), but that doesn't bother me.
I don't want my DD (if it is a D!) to go through life spelling and pronouncing her name for people.
How would you say it? I like unusual names, just not names where you have to spell it out all your life.

OP posts:
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TheMostHappy · 14/06/2021 10:28

I knew a girl called Leonie at school. It's nice.

Gullible2021 · 14/06/2021 10:46

@LewishamMum

Hmmm bit concerned by the various pronunciations. *@Overdueanamechange* - Actually I love the fact it means lioness!
I wouldn't worry about the pronunciation at all. The majority of people who would say LAY-on-ee would be French, German, bilingual etc but for the vast majority of English speakers in the UK, they will say Lee-OH-nee.

We pronounce other names - Lee-OH-na, LEE-oh, LEE-ann, Lee-oh-NORA, Lee-oh-NARDO

so the LEE will be commonly used here.

Non native speakers will always say things slightly differently, it's just their accent and nothing to be concerned about. Like the way Americans might say "naddalie" for Natalie or "Naw-tahh-sha" for Natasha, Ell-ah-NORRR when we might say EL-uh-nuh etc, a Spaniard might make Sarah sound more like a rolled r Sara or Sada, the French would pronounce Gabrielle in a different part of their mouths to us (more throaty than running the teeth along their bottom lip, like English speakers)...even between London and Edinburgh or Cardiff there's a big variation in how a name as simple as Mary or John might be said. Just accents.

And then you will just always get people who are native speakers who pronounce some names a bit oddly. We had an RP headmaster who was incapable of saying Leanne/Leigh-Anne/Lianne correctly. It was always "lay-anne" to him. And Naomi always ended up "nigh-oh-mee" instead of "nay-oh-mee". It was infant school and the little ones could be quite blunt and tell him that their names were "lee-ann" and "nay-oh-mee" and would get very frustrated at him. Most people would only need told once.

Leonie really isn't problematic.

LewishamMum · 14/06/2021 11:09

@Gullible2021
I think you are right. Never heard Leanne pronounced Lay-ann, although some people are just weird!
And I really don't like the way Americans pronounce "t"s as "d"s. So many lovely names ruined. Katie yes. Kadie urgh.

OP posts:
ShonkyCat · 14/06/2021 11:25

Along with Leon, Leonie (pr. LAY-oh-knee) has been incredibly popular in Germany for at least 10 years now so I am sick to the back teeth of it.

However, objectively, there is nothing at all wrong with it.

KirstenBlest · 14/06/2021 11:50

I'd say it as LAY-on-ee

EdgeOfACoin · 14/06/2021 11:55

I know one Leonie pronounced Lee-OH-nee

Classica · 14/06/2021 11:57

The one I know is a LEE-uh-nee

DorotheaDiamond · 14/06/2021 12:01

Love it (and the georgette heyer book i read with it in - these old shades). Always thought I’d use it for dd but in the end it just didn’t suit her!

zafferana · 14/06/2021 12:02

No, it's not weird at all!

I know two - one is pron. lay-onie and the other one is lee-onie.

Chunkymenrock · 14/06/2021 12:02

Not weird and very nice indeed!

bridgetreilly · 14/06/2021 12:03

It's not weird, but it does have two different commonly used pronunciations, so she would have to correct people fairly often.

KnottedFern · 14/06/2021 12:04

It's beautiful. My French cousin is called Léonie, pronounced Lay-oh-nee.

merrymouse · 14/06/2021 12:05

Leonie Snell is a character in the Archers.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/VyC15DHFkjkLD7hf66NqC/leonie-snell

LoopTheLoops · 14/06/2021 12:05

How is it weird? I knew one in school, never considered it weird? Prefer lee oh nee (not lay)

RuthW · 14/06/2021 12:14

I went to school with a Leonie. She would be 50s now.

Lovely name.

mygee · 14/06/2021 12:28

I think it's a lovely name. I'd use it!

DumpyDonkey · 14/06/2021 12:30

Great name. Only ever met one who would be in her late 30's now.

Lee-oh-nee.

Blossomandbee · 14/06/2021 12:34

I know one, pronounced Leon-ee. It's a lovely name, not weird at all.

Jellybabiesforbreakfast · 14/06/2021 12:34

I love it. It was my choice for DC if we had had a girl but DH didn't want it (he wanted Arianna). Luckily we never had to fight that one out Grin!

Violetlavenders · 14/06/2021 13:50

I'd pronounce it as LE-oh-nie. A bit like Leon
-ee or Léon-ee.

I've never heard the middle O emphasised.

AmIPeriOrAreYouJustAnnoying · 14/06/2021 13:53

It's lovely.
I know a Leoncha nn Leo too.

Fnib · 14/06/2021 13:54

Pretty name! I have a friend Leonie, pronounced Lay-on-ee. I guess if you decide to go with it, you need to be clear on the pronunciation early on.

prettybird · 14/06/2021 13:54

I like the name - I think nowadays there are lots of unusual names, so people are more used to checking out pronunciation and spelling.

Although the only "Leone" (pronounced Lee-oh-nee") I've cone across in real life is a large Fijian very good rugby player who plays for Glasgow Warriors Wink

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leone_Nakarawa?wprov=sfti1

Lovebug06 · 14/06/2021 13:55

I know three leonies. Two are about 30 and one is about 10. Not weird at all. I'd say its a normal name, just one you don't hear all the time which is nice.

Violetlavenders · 14/06/2021 14:01

Why would it be 'weird'?