Sibling doesn’t like baby’s name - torn!!

[notactuallylolling]

I know this annoys people when the OP doesn’t give specifics but I don’t want everyone to get distracted commenting on the actual name…

We just had a baby girl and picked a name that is pronounced differently in English and in Spanish. OH is Spanish so we opted for his pronunciation. Conscious that this will bring a challenge of telling everyone how to say it but hopefully people will just accept that. It’s not a strange or unique name, at the same time it’s not too popular but it’s nice and simple and I like it. Im not madly in love with it though and that’s probably why I’m torn. Saying that I don’t have another name that I’d prefer….

So we decided to ‘try out’ the name for a couple of days and ended up telling some people (mostly positive reactions). However yesterday her big brother said he really doesn’t like the name and got upset and said he wants us to change it. This really upset me in turn as I have been nervous about how other people would react to her name. Again there isn’t anything weird about it but I’m tired and emotional which won’t be helping!

So to get to the point…..the reason for my post is this….should I just keep the name and a) hope that DS (7) just gets used to it and b) accept that not everyone will take to it immediately/ know how to say it?

Should I consider changing the name? If I change it I will end up picking something that’s just ‘easy’ for everyone to like and say.

Sorry for the ramble but my heads a bit of a mess at the moment!!! X

Thank you all so much! This may be outing but that’s ok! The name is Eva. In Spanish pronounced ‘Eh-Va’. I am worried I will always have to explain that it’s not ‘Ee-Va’. I’ve decided that my DS is just going to have to get used to it.

The more I think about it the more I am sure I am making a mountain out of a molehill and actually it’s a lovely name.

@Geamhradh totally! I’m pretty sure the names ‘Fortnite’ and ‘poopoo’ have been on the cards for this very reason!

It's pretty bonkers to live in the U.K. and deliberately pick a name that will be pronounced wrong all the time...do you think that's fair to her?

I can remember crying my eyes out because my DPs had given my DSis one name and I wanted her named another. Soon got over it

@CloseYourEyesAndSee

It's pretty bonkers to live in the U.K. and deliberately pick a name that will be pronounced wrong all the time...do you think that's fair to her?

100% agree with this....you're not in Spain....99% of people will pronounce it ee-va 🤷‍♀️

Could you use Ava, which is the best of both worlds as people pronounce it the way the Spanish pronounce Eva?

@CloseYourEyesAndSee to be honest I look at half the kids in my kids school classes and I wouldn’t be sure how to pronounce so many of their names! There are lots of children here with mixed nationality parents (Indian, Spanish, German, African etc) that there is a real mix of names and not all ‘trad english’

Ds wanted the new dc to be Bob after his friend's ddog!! We declined his suggestion. He got over it..

@HappyTimeTunnelDinosaur we discussed that but Ava is not Spanish, Eva is……and we wanted a Spanish name

Yes, stick to your guns

In some ways I think it would be easier for her if she had a Spanish name, Elena for example, rather than one that will have 99% of people assuming the UK pronunciation.

am worried I will always have to explain that it’s not ‘Ee-Va’

Yes, you will! If that worries you, change it.

Do you mean you will pronounce it ‘ever’?

I love Eva-with the usual pronunciation

[quote notactuallylolling]@CloseYourEyesAndSee to be honest I look at half the kids in my kids school classes and I wouldn’t be sure how to pronounce so many of their names! There are lots of children here with mixed nationality parents (Indian, Spanish, German, African etc) that there is a real mix of names and not all ‘trad english’[/quote]
Sure, but usually they will be parents who are either both from a different culture, or the names have cultural/religious significance, or they are immigrants who named them whilst living in another country. You are English (I assume) and named her whilst living here.
My DS is half another nationality and when we named him the main priority was phonetic spelling so it wouldn't be pronounced wrong in the U.K.

100% agree with this....you're not in Spain....99% of people will pronounce it ee-va

I disagree, people will pronounce the name the way they hear you or your daughter pronounce it and if they don't they are just being rude.

Stick with it OP and pronounce it the way you want it pronounced.

Eva is well known with the Spanish pronunciation due to Eva Peron. In fact it's how I would automatically pronounce it.

@gogohm

Eva is well known with the Spanish pronunciation due to Eva Peron. In fact it's how I would automatically pronounce it.

Precisely.

Could you spell it Ava so that everyone pronounces it that way? Tbh I think it’s just one of those names that there are a couple of ways of pronouncing (like Evelyn and Laurie) and that it’s one of those things. As for your seven year old.... definitely ignore him. If I had a baby tomorrow my two would want me to call it Taylor or Cardi in honour of their favourite pop stars! Seven year olds name judgement is poor (and at that age I’m pretty sure I wanted to be called Belle as in Beauty and the Beast!)

@gogohm I immediately thought of Evita in terms of pronunciation too!

It's a lovely name OP, whichever pronunciation

One of my closest friends is an Eva (the English pronunciation, although she's not) but we largely call her Eeeeeeeeva like Wall-E

@gogohm

Eva is well known with the Spanish pronunciation due to Eva Peron. In fact it's how I would automatically pronounce it.

Maybe I would have too prior to meeting approx 100 children called Eva (Ee-va) in the last decade. The vast majority will assume it's pronounced Ee-va. No big deal to correct someone but could get very dull very quickly when it's something that happens with each new person you have an interaction with.

I don’t think you’re unreasonable to ignore your seven year old’s protests.

I do think you’re unreasonable to name her a name she will constantly have to correct everyone in the country she lives in.

Surely it’d make more sense to have the English pronunciation here and with her English family and have the Spanish pronunciation for her Spanish family

My DD has simple name which is used widely in UK and in the country we’re from. Spelling is the same. We used short name at home which is not widely used in UK and shows her heritage more. People managed to spell wrongly both full and short versions of her name over the years.

See this is why I didn’t want to mention the name, because everyone will have an opinion on how it should be spelled or said

You’ve all really helped me to see that:
a) I don’t need to worry about what my 7yo thinks
b) that it is a lovely name
c) it doesn’t really matter what we pick because not everyone will like any name

It really is a lovely name but keep in mind that she may herself, once she's old enough to have an opinion on these things, prefer to use the more common UK pronunciation. Or she might like to flick between the two depending on which country she's in.

Congrats again

I work in a school OP and we had a Lithuanian child who's name we mispronounced for 2 years we pronounced it the English way and he obviously did not. His DM came in eventually and explained and we began to pronounce it the right way. The children just accepted this and I'm talking very young primary children and call him by his correct pronunciation now. So chances are you won't have to explain numerous times once you have introduced her (if that makes sense).