Baby boy name question - Please advise

[Hopitihop]

Hello,

I am currently expecting a baby boy and I and DH have decided that the name "Asterio" is the one we will go for.

The name is spelled as As-terr-ih-o and not As-teer-ih-o.

It's a Greek name and I appreciate it sounds weird in most British ears.

Firstly, can you please tell me how you would pronounce the name Asterios if you saw it somewhere written?

Secondly, we are thinking of using a short name that is Stergio. Do you like Stergio better? Would you keep the "Asterio" or "Stergio"?

Finally, an honest opinion on both names would be much appreciated!

Thank you all xx

@Hopitihop No I'm not Italian but I do know L'Aquila - lovely city and region!

@Laquila I completely agree :) And I am glad to know that Asterios sounds an ok name for Brits!

I see nothing wrong with Asterios and Stergio (have I spelt it right?) As a nickname . . . If Daisy can be used for Margaret then why not. I was at school with an Anne always known as Lucy. We just got used to it.

Just introduce him as Stergio and nobody will quiz you!

Asterios is a fab name , sounds really strong.

Go for Asterios, people will get used to it if they are unfamiliar.

@DuneFan If Asterios and Stergios are that much related as it's Anne and Lucy, then we should better stick with Asterios and not introduce a nn that doesn't sound like a nn.

That was funny :)

@KiloWhat Thanks for the reassurance. I was not expecting Asterios to receive any positive comments but I was clearly wrong!

I agree with the other replies to stick with Asterios and not worry so much! Asti or Aster are great nns and at high school kids will pick whatever random nn they feel like for a peer anyway! Will he have a middle name?

@PlainJane1000 Thank you for your reply and advice!

No, there will be no middle name. It's not something Greeks normally do unless both first names are heard together, which I don't find nice.

I know middle names are very common in the UK though.

@Hopitihop

Thank you for your replies!

@Skeumorph The full name is Asterios and not Asterio.
In Greece it goes like:

• What's your name? Asterios

but

• Asterio please bring me a glass of water.

@OnceuponaRainbow18 & @PlainJane1000 thank you both! Can you also please tell me which one of the two "Asterio(s)" or "Stergio(s)" would you prefer as a sound?

We don't have cases in English so people will struggle with the idea that his name is different when you are talking about your son from when you are talking to your son. People will probably just use Asterio all the time when they are speaking but write the name as Asterios and assume that the "s" is silent.

If you aren't bothered by that (and I am guessing you don't really have a choice if you are sticking to the tradition of using family names), Asterios is much nicer than Stergio.

Rio is probably the best and easiest nickname. Asti is ok. Aster is a girl's name and pronounced Astuh so doesn't work very well as a nickname for Asterios. Terry is ok but it is very dated. Terry is a second hand car dealer circa 1970.

I would probably pronounce as
As-tier-rio
As-tier-rios

But if corrected once it’s then easy to remember to pronounce ‘As-ter-rio’

Aster would be a fine nn, especially as the Greek heritage will be obvious.

@chesirecat99 & @RunningFromInsanity Thank you both for your answers, it's really helpful.

Rio & Asti sound both nice but I can't see me calling him Rio or Asti. However, he can choose them as a kid or adult if he wants.

I like Aster though as it's a proper shortening of Asterios.

However, based on your replies, I can see that some people say that it is a boy's name and other say that it's a girl's name and other say that it is a unisex name...

So, I am totally confused with Aster and if it's a nice choice or not.

Aster is fine. In this day and age, people will accept whatever name/nn you tell them to.
If you say his nn is Aster, people will call him Aster without a second thought.

Aster will be fine as a nickname for family and friends. You will be pronouncing it differently from the girl's name and people who know him will think of his nickname when they see it written down rather than the girl's name IYSWIM? I just wouldn't use it as a written shortening in new situations where people might assume he is a girl and pronounce it like the girl's name, I would use his full name instead. Not that it really matters but it would be annoying for him.

Or you could spell his nickname phonetically for English pronounciation in the same way as the surname Astaire? It's not quite perfect but I think that is how most English speakers will pronounce it in a UK English accent and it is closer to the correct pronounciation than Aster and has the emphasis on the second syllable (which Aster doesn't). It also has the advantage of not being a girl's name.

I think Asterios sounds good as it is....prefer it to stergio and with a Greek surname would make complete sense..

I wouldn't worry to much about nickname now....that'll develop over time

@chesirecat99 That's really interesting!

I would pronounce Aster and Astaire the same way (like Astaire) as I am not British but obviously it's not the same for Brits! [shocked]

@averythinline I think you are right...

Aster is a lovely name, though I know only girls called Aster (it's a flower).

@mitchellhpgx Thank you! I like Aster too :)

However, as much as I like it, I also think that Aster is getting too complicated as some of you say it's a girls name while others say it's ok for a boy!

Aster is pronounced A-stuh or A-stur (in parts of the UK that have a rhotic dialect and pronounce the r) with the emphasis on the first syllable, very different from how you would pronounce Aster in Asterios:

dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/aster

@chesirecat99 That's very useful! Many thanks :)

@jb7445 Thank you :) Everyone seems to prefer Asterios to Stergios!

Interesting that I am the only person to mention Asterix. Maybe it is not well known. The character is a total hero and a lot of fun. There is zero scope for bullying.
I can see the link between Asterios and Stergios it not sure how you say the g in Stergios. Is it "Steryos"?

I'd have said Asterios a bit like Stellios from britain's got talent
aster - eeeee - os (lower case sound rather than Os as in cheerios)