Oenone

[Guacandcheese]

Please help!

Half Greek baby due in 8 weeks. Boys name is sorted, nowhere near close to a decision for a girl. What do you think about Oenone (pronounced EE-no-nee or eh-NO-nee)? We love it but obviously can foresee issues with spelling and pronunciation in the UK…

Please share your thoughts and any alternative ideas. Ideally would like a Greek name rather than a completely anglicised version, but ideally workable in the UK as well.

Thanks!

She will absolutely have a lifetime of "how do you spell/pronounce that?" "Where is it from?" "that's unusual" though

Lots of us do. In the UK at least, where people seem unable to cope with any names they think of as "exotic". I've found in most other countries they just ask and then get on with it.

I'm part Greek and have never heard of this name. It may be Greek-rooted but certainly not used in Greece. Check pp for some beautiful greek names.

I had a classical education up to GCSE. I would definitely struggle. I’m also a scientist so used to Latin and Greek stems/prefixes/suffixes

I know no one who received a classical education and I work in academia - maybe that’s common in some circles but I wouldn’t rely on it!

@Guacandcheese what about:

Ianthe
Ariadne
Circe

Do you know every person in Greece? Pretty sure you can't say that its certainly not used, just because you are part Greek.

Putting the name into FB reveals pages of Onenones....

Oenones even!

Is it a case of “There are known Oenones; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known Oenones, that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown Oenones - the ones we don't know we don't know.” ?

Dioni is a lovely name with a very similar sound?

@whirlyhead , you only have one life. Change your name.

I know a Greek Elefteria, she goes by Ella. Of course you could also shorten it to Effie or Ellie.

So many lovely alternative suggestions on here, thank you!

Really like these, so am making a note…
Eleni
Elefteria
Eulalia
Ione
Penelope - but dislike Penny
Xanthe

As long as it doesn’t actually mean wanking go for it! People can learn how to pronounce a new name.

@Floraflower3 , it doesn't quite work like that IRL. You end up correcting a lot of people.

@Guacandcheese, Check how different people say the names. I think that Eleni will get called El-ainey or Elleny not El-EN-ny, Penelope - Pennylope, Penny-Lopey, etc
Eulalia is too vowelly IMO
Eleftheria not Elefteria

Allow me to amend: it is not a popular or broadly used name. Better for you?

Eleftheria is often shortened to Ria (ree-ah).
Love Ione (Eeohnee) -how would you pronounce it?

@SKG2007 , how are the names said by Greek people?
I'd say Ione as Eye-OH-knee, but I think that might be wrong

Calista or Iphigenia?

Xanthe is lovely.

How about Theoni?

Or Eirene?

Ioni is pronounced Ee-OH-knee.
I often see the name Eulalia mentioned, it is not much used in Greece. The pronounciation is Aye (as in ay bee cee) vlah-lEEah. Although I guess the OP's child would be living in the UK so I don't know if the name's popularity in Greece is important.
I also love the name Dioni suggested by a pp (pr: TheeOHnee). It is one of the "pretty" ancient names.

I completely disagree. I have a very "foreign" and very few people struggle with it. I've lived in loads of countries and some countries (Spain, Poland, France) struggle with names that aren't traditional to their country. My kids school in the UK has children from 100s of backgrounds and the names are very varied. People just crack on with it.

@Simianwalk , your experience is based outside the UK. I'm in a multicultural area in the UK and people seem to struggle with names that they aren't familiar with, even names that look straightforward.

I don't think you can disagree with my personal lived experience of going through life with my name, actually.

I can do as you don't say it as ,"your experience" you said it as a statement of fact.
I was disagreeing with your statement of fact. I know at least 100 people with so-called foreign names and most people make an effort with the odd exception (looking at you FIL)
It probably very much depends where you live. If you live in the middle of the countryside in toryland then it will be a different experience to being in Birmingham.

I didn't make a statement of fact. I said "it seems" and "I've found". Neither did I mention "foreign".

If you're going to disagree with a statement of fact best to check it is one and that you've actually read it.