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!

Me personally I wouldn't want to set any child up to be a target and giving them a stupid name is setting them up to be a target. It's not nice but it's true.

My experience is that bullies choose who they're going to bully and then choose what about them to pick on. A colleague of mine was bullied for years over his surname (Hartley) and to this day doesn't believe it's a perfectly normal and unobjectionable name, avoids saying it if possible etc. If you're not the kid picked out for bullying, you could be called Clytemnestra and no one would bat an eyelid. If you are, you get bullied mercilessly over the fact that Lucy sounds a bit like loo seat or whatever. Bullies cause bullying, not names.

@DietCokeUser , someone's name is very personal to them, and someone might be immune to other attempts to bully.
I might laugh off a comment about being thick, red hair or big bum, but call me Kristen or Kristeen, I might flinch, and that's when the bully will find that they've found my weak spot.

Yes but that’s the case whatever someone’s name is, as you’ve demonstrated through your own example. It’s not related to whether you have an unusual name.

@DietCokeUser , the example names are not my real name.
If the name is very unusual and contains unfamiliar sounds/spellings, there is more of an opportunity for people to get it wrong.

You can see/hear people thinking 'How the hell do I say it?' and you get your name said or written strangely a lot.

I could say Lily could get misspelt (Lilly, Lilley, Lillie, Lili) and teased (Silly Lily) but
not many people will stumble over it and make a complete hash of saying it.

That’s been my experience. I have a ds and dd both with unusual names and people ask (sometimes they attempt or wrongly first) and then once told, they remember.

I never quite understand the flood of posts on threads like these saying don’t call them that, no one will know how to say it - some people will always not initially know how to say a less usual name, but they can and do learn. (Though occasionally accents can make certain sounds impossible, not in this case though.) For me, it’s much less the whether people will instantly know how to pronounce it and much more whether you like it/it sounds pretty, OP. You’ll have just as many asking how to say Persephone or similar. I have my ds a well-known mythical name (think Hercules, though it’s not) and most people still ask or mispronounce it first time, but then learn. My dd’s name is less well-known so I wasn’t surprised no one immediately knew how to say it, but they get it right once told.

@MagpieSong , because of a lifetime of having to explain it etc each time you meet someone new, or because after finding that it was almost impossible to teach someone to say it, or finding it easier to use an alternative or a 'nickname', and finding that it gets misspelt a lot.

The name in the thread title has two different pronunciations in the OP. I did a search and got:
How to pronounce Oenone in Greek | HowToPronounce.com

Yes I understand that, sorry, I didn’t explain well. My point was that if a parent is likely to choose an unusual name, it makes little difference what that unusual name is because, if all the name choices are unusual, the child will always have a lifetime of explaining it to people they meet for the first time whether it Oenone or Gaia. If it’s purely the Greek or Mythological connection, then this stands less as a few names are very well known, like Phoebe. However, if it’s going to be an unusual name whatever the choice then having to explain how to say it is less relevant, just because this occurs with all less usual names.

Every time this thread pops up in Active/threads I'm on, I read it as oh-enno-nee, even though I know how to pronounce it from the thread.

I can’t unsee ‘Wonwon’ a la Lavender Brown.

I know, I have an unusual name myself. I’ve seen people butcher ‘normal’ names too. Why avoid honouring your heritage because some people are stupid/rude/unwilling to try?

OK… Coming back to this thread as I’m still stuck! I feel like Oenone has mainly been a “no”, which I kind of expected.

What do you think of Chloe?

I like it, and it obviously works seamlessly in both cultures. I worry it seems a bit too safe when I think of all the lovely, more unusual Greek names out there. Will I regret not choosing Oenone? Can’t make up my mind and blaming the hormones!

Chloe is a stunning name. You don't have to make any decisions yet you can always wait til you meet your baby and see what suits her :)

A nickname for Persephone could be Percy, which would be pretty nice I think,

I knew a Jocasta at university (her parents were classicists). It really suited her and it has the advantage of being relatively easy to work out how to spell.

I think Chloe is a lovely name. But I would urge you to be a little more adventurous in acknowledging her Greek heritage. There are lots of Chloes out there whose parents have chosen it because it is a great name, but have no connection with Greece.

We went a bit unusual (nothing too scary) with our children's names with a definite nod to our heritage. They are both very proud of their names, and it is a lovely connection to our family roots. Good luck, whatever you decide

Ariadne?

Too much like Anenome.

What about Hermione? Or is it too HP...

@Guacandcheese Phoebe is nice, or Persephone if it's not too goth for you.

Phaedra, Daphne, there are lots of Classical options. You could look through an A-Z index of Classical/Ancient Greek names or something.

I know this thread is a few months old but I wanted to see if you chose Oenone in the end for your little girl?
By fluke I found this as was googling my daughters name, who is now a few months old.
We have had nothing but positive comments and to be honest we couldnt care less if others do or dont like it, her name suits her, the nickname Noni is super adorable in our opinion and if others don't agree that's not her or our problem Ha!
We've had to explain spelling and pronunciation at times but then so do the likes of Niamh or anything vaguely 'unusual' in our area. Nothing new.
People are so judgemental and negative.
It's a beautiful and unusual name with a mythical meaning. I've always loved Greek Mythology and the name x

Oh and my Google search led me to find its also the Latin name of an amazingly beautiful rainbow coloured Hummingbird. What's not to like x

I probably already said it, but too much like anenome.

I have a friend named Oenone , I love the name and have never heard it mispronounced. I didn't realise it was an unknown name .

I didn’t use it, but I still really love it! @ScepterdIsleRose - congratulations on your daughter and her beautiful name.

I work with one too! Not Greek. She pronounces it “Owenonny”

I have two lovely Greek colleagues called Kalliope and Eirini. Do you like either of those?

Why not Anastasia?
If you are living in the UK it won't be pronounced the beautiful Greek way unfortunately though.