To change or not to change our favourite name

[suzettenoisette]

Thank you all for your feedback on our favourite name at the moment: Eva-Maria.

Many people have told us that it sounds very Catholic, very close to Ave Maria and that it might be too long. We respect all religions, but we are actually not Catholic so I'm wondering whether it will lead to misunderstandings.

Several people suggested the name of a classic actress which is Eva Marie. Only that we would spell it as Eva-Marie was we want both names to be used at all times.

Should be keep Eva-Maria or change it to Eva-Marie? We still have a while to go and while Eva-Maria is still our favourite as of now, Eva-Marie is quickly growing on us and it solves some of the issues such as it sounding like Ave Maria or the length.

Eva-Maria or Eva-Marie?

Our other favourites as of now, I might do a separate post on them in a couple of days: Ella, Sara, Anastasia.

Is Avie a name? [grimace]

Eva Maria seems to be your favourite so go with it.

Both are a bit of a mouthful. Bit I think Eva Marie is better.

My mum is Ewa Maria (Ukrainian said Ever Maria) she is forever correcting pronunciation. Your daughter will too but that's fine. Slightly annoying but fine. I also have a name that I have to pronounce and spell!

Vote for Eva Marie only as the other is a bit too rhyming for me but definitely go with the one you love most, you'll be saying it all day, maybe try saying them both out loud for a day with your partner and see what feels more natural

I know a little girl called Avie, yeah.

Eva Maria is too much of a mouthful (and very close to Ava Maria). Eva-Marie flows much nicer

Most people will pronounce her name as ‘ee-va’ (like Eve but with a short ‘a’). I would go for Ava instead. I’d put Maria as a middle name. I’m not too keen on hyphenated first names.

I’m a singer, so ‘Ave Maria’ jumps to mind for me quite quickly. I think if it’s a middle name, it doesn’t really matter. If you plan to use both together, it’s not exactly the worst association - so if you feel like you could deal with some people noticing the connection and it won’t bother you, then go for the name you love! But if you think it would annoy you when people mention it, then perhaps worth going for Eva Marie (both work nicely together IMO).

Congratulations on your baby. Maybe a pointless post here but go with your gut favourite or you might regret it. I personally prefer the Marie ending if pronounced Ava, as you’ve expressed a preference for, for the reason it sounds more like Ave-Maria. Not necessarily a terrible thing though, I don’t think! Just something that I wouldn’t want but it’s not my daughter obvs.

This will probs be an unsolicited suggestion based on a couple of your replies I’ve scrolled past quickly but if you’re going for the pronunciation of Ava (Ay-va), I’d go for the spelling of Ava as Eva is also a popular name, as is Evie, so many are very familiar with that most common pronunciation of it. I have a name that’s constantly mispronounced and simply correcting people once or even a few times just doesn’t work. It’s really irritating and mine isn’t spelt like an entirely different name. My sister has a nonstandard spelling which is also even spelt incorrectly by her close in-laws. So it just shows that ingrained spellings and pronunciations become the default. But if you live in a country where Eva is pronounced Ava, fair enough. But that’s not the case in the UK.

Just use Marie? Sounds so pretty and under used every other girl is callled Eve/Eva/Evie these days those names are ruined through over use. .

This. Just choose Eva or Marie. No one will be calling her Eva- Marie by the time she starts secondary school.

If Eva-Maria is your favourite you should go with that.
I personally think Eva-Marie flows better. I prefer the name Maria to Marie though. Maria is my favourite girls name but as a stand alone name.

Is that Ayva-Marayuh or Mareeuh?

Eva-Maria is fine imo.
But are you prepared to accept people calling her Eeva-Maria or simply Eeva/Ayva? Or are you willing to continously correct people and insist on your preferred pronunciation?

It'll be a ( hopeless) fight getting people to spell it or say it as you want.

Don't do it to your daughter too.

Choose something simpler.

( From one who had a 'difficult' name.)

Eva-Maria, as a Catholic, seems a very religious name to me and i would assume you were Catholic too. But people always assume something from people's names!

Eva and Evie are super popular. That might not bother you. Usually two in a class (secondary teacher, south-west). Ellies and Ellas are un-countable - sooooo many for the past 20 years.

I like Sara Maria. No Saras in classrooms for decades. The odd Sarah here and there. Sara Maria is lovely. And doesn't sound hardcore Catholic.

Agreed. Pronounced Eeva too

Your baby your choice! But don't expect people to use her full name (or get the pronunciation right!). Eva can be said 2 different ways, and it will almost certainly be shortened to EM, Ev, Eva, Maria etc as she gets older.