Isadora or Esmé?

[JanuarySunshine88]

Which do you prefer?

Isadora makes me think too much of Isadora Duncan.

Isadora

Esme.

Esme

I have an Esme - pronounced Esmay (nn Essie but pronounced Ezzie)
But we didn't do an accent

@Blubells

Isadora

Esmé is unpronounceable for most English speakers!

Really?!

Isadora Duncan is the famous name-bearer, but the nature of her death is sadly the most famous thing about her that gets remembered.

Esmé is incorrect with the single E and acute accent - it’s a masculine ending. You’d be better with the simpler anglicisation of Esme.

That said, Isadora is a bit flouncy for me. I’d go for Esme (no accent).

Isadora. After Isadora Duncan!

@Snowiscold

Isadora Duncan is the famous name-bearer, but the nature of her death is sadly the most famous thing about her that gets remembered.

Esmé is incorrect with the single E and acute accent - it’s a masculine ending. You’d be better with the simpler anglicisation of Esme.

That said, Isadora is a bit flouncy for me. I’d go for Esme (no accent).

I disagree. Her dance style was revolutionary. Obviously what happened to her was awful and sad, but...it isn't the first thing that comes to mind for me personally.

Re the 'unpronouncable' - I agree. The sound (final e, acute accent) exists in several Scottish accents and of course is originally French. (The first-known person with the name was, as previous poster said, a man and French-Scottish and a close favourite of Scottish James VI/James I of England, who wrote a poem about him comparing him to a bird of great beauty.)

But the final 'e with an acute accent' is not a natural sound in many English accents. It's halfway between (sort of) English Esmay and Esmeh.

Also, as a previous poser has said, Esme (with accent) is the MALE version of the name. To be correct in French, it should end 'ee', with an acute accent on the second e (out of the three).

Personally, I prefer the alternative spelling, Edmee, for a girl. In that, there is also an acute accent on the second e. It was the name (Edmee Elizabeth) of the witty and socially-critical feminist author EM Delafield.

I have an Esme with the Ez-me pronunciation (very short me), I much prefer it to the Ez-may alternative.

But in either case, it’s hardly unpronounceable. .

Isadora by a mile. It's lovely

Isadora but a country mile - that's a name that really needs to be revived!

And I think Isadora Duncan is a great name sake, remembered mainly for her revolutionary dancing, not how she died.

Esme is fine, but there are millions of them, and it shot up very quickly from nowhere so it will date.

BY a country mile, not but

I prefer Isadora.

I love the name Isadora. I do think of the dancer and have an impression of a strong, influential woman - no idea how she died. The internet has its downsides.

My daughter is called Esme and as child she literally was the only Esme that we new for about 20 years …obviously I love the name but Esme rather than Esmay…!!

Isadora but only if you can accept the high chance being Izzy at some point unless you strongly use Dora as a nickname instead

Isadora but with Dora as a nickname not Izzy