New Name... How would you pronounce it?

[elleaimeejohnson]

Heya!

My baby girl is due in January, and I wondered what you all think of the name Emmalia, and how you would pronounce it.

I'm not as keen on the emphases in the classically-pronounced name 'Amelia', but I love the name pronounced Emma-LEE-ah. Does this come across in the spelling Emmalia?

I know it doesn't really exist, but I think it's just so pretty!

Thank you so much :)

I first read it as EMMA-LIA

If you wanted em-ay-lia then I would remove one of the m’s

It will be shortened to Em very quickly in school, it's a bit clunky as a full name.

I would pronounce your proposed spelling Uh-MAH-lee-uh.

Unless you spell the name Emma-Leah you are going to hear a lot of 'Emily', 'Emilia', etc.

Would you consider Emmalena? Too like semolina perhaps...
Emmaline?

Or if you like Emmie/Emmy, just call her that.

I'd say Emma Lear. But I don't like it. Sorry

@Muma1992 oh I see. Maybe a regional thing, I've never heard folk adding R onto the end of Emma.. or any other word that doesn't actually have an R in it.

I can envision it incorrectly being pronounced Emily

To be honest whichever spelling you go for there is a high chance that it will be mistaken for Amelia or Emily so if that will bother you I would just choose a different name.

[quote AwaAnBileYerHeid]@Muma1992 oh I see. Maybe a regional thing, I've never heard folk adding R onto the end of Emma.. or any other word that doesn't actually have an R in it.[/quote]
I don't think it's the Emma bit that's making people think it would be pronounce em-MAR-li-uh, it's the lia bit.

Lots of names that end in -alia are pronounced "are-lia", like Talia, Malia, Natalia, etc...

it makes sense @AwaAnBileYerHeid if you don't actually pronounce Rs but they serve to lengthen the vowel sound.

As I've seen other posters mention, Emmeline is a beautiful name!

Using the same spelling logic as Emmeline, I'm wondering if Emmelia would work for you OP? I'm sure you'll still get people pronouncing it the same as Amelia but I think the double m would be enough to put people off?

Sorry if that's already been suggested, I have not read every reply!

[quote AwaAnBileYerHeid]@Muma1992 oh I see. Maybe a regional thing, I've never heard folk adding R onto the end of Emma.. or any other word that doesn't actually have an R in it.[/quote]
I am from the North, so I pronounce Malia like Mah-Lee-Ah. I wasn't aware there was another way!

@minatrina explained it better than me! :)

Emmalia just looks made up or that you made a mistake on the birth cert. Please don't condemn your child to a lifetime of 'no, not like that, this is how you spell it'.

This. Third/fourth Emmeline, Emily or Emilia.

@Muma1992 also from the north but I'd say MAR-lia - I guess it just depends on how the first person you meet with the name pronounces it, and it just sticks in your head!

Eh Mah Lee Ah

If you want Emma-Leah, then I'd spell it Emma-Leah.

Yes, people will drop the second part of the hyphenated name BUT, they will shorten a long name and just use the first part anyway, so that's no different.

I'd probably say emm-ar-le-ah if I was to pronounce that name, if I'm honest.

Maybe the spelling: emmileah would help make sure people pronounce the name how you like it?

Mmm my first thought was
Em marr Lee a

Yes, as did I 😊 the double M in ‘Emma’ suggests a non-rhotic ‘R’ sound. Everyone I’ve asked in person who lives where I do has pronounced it the same way 😊
Thank you

Em-ahh-lee-ahhh

Surely every name is a 'made up' name? The world wasn't created with a set of names we should use. I like it OP and I can't believe the rudeness of some people to actually write 'yuck'. Have we gone back to preschool?

@Dutchesss

Surely every name is a 'made up' name? The world wasn't created with a set of names we should use. I like it OP and I can't believe the rudeness of some people to actually write 'yuck'. Have we gone back to preschool?

Thank you!! That’s lovely to hear as you say, every name was ‘made-up’ once!

My first though was Eh-mah-li-uh. I agree with PP that Emma-Leah might be safer.

@Dutchesss

Surely every name is a 'made up' name? The world wasn't created with a set of names we should use. I like it OP and I can't believe the rudeness of some people to actually write 'yuck'. Have we gone back to preschool?

Yes, I wonder if God said; "What do you think of Adam and Eve?" "Which one's for the chap and which one's for the lady?" "Oh I don't know, I hadn't thought of that" "Pass us your hat and we'll pick them out of that"

Em - mal - ear. I don't live in UK so I probably put the accent in different places. Sounds a bit like the Italian girls name Amalia