She’s here - rhymey?

[christmascracker772]

Previously posted about our name list for our 3rd, and she is now here!

Siblings are Kristina and Nikolai, and just to clarify as it was a question on my last thread we are Russian.

Our options were Irina, Alexandra and Maria.

Now she’s here Maria definitely doesn’t suit her! DH and myself are leaning towards Irina, but Alexandra as a close second.

Is Kristina and Irina too rhymey? For clarification Irina is Ee-ree-na. There is 9 years between them both, so they won’t be in the same school etc.

Personally I'd go for Alexandra. I don't think Alex as a nickname is inevitable - if you call her Sasha, others will call her Sasha too.

If they're going to be Kristya and Ira most of the time, the rhyming thing is a total non issue! I'd go for Irina

Go for Irina, it sounds like you really love it and you might always regret it if you don't.
I don't think they are to rhymey especially if you use nicknames anyway.

I used to work with an Irina/Ira and nobody had any trouble pronouncing her name properly. She never got called
Eye-rina that I heard.

We do really love Irina, but I don’t want her name to seem strange to people because it rhymes or impersonal.

I am not entirely keen on Alexandra for her the more I think, I don’t think it suits her properly but I think it would be okay. DH doesn’t mind either name, he likes both equally. I think a softer name suits her better, she has such a sweet face and Alexandra seems harsh on her.

I don’t know if that sounds stupid or not! I suppose she could grow into Alexandra, and she obviously won’t be a baby forever. I am sorry, I must sound fussy with this but I just want to get it right.

Of course you want to get it right, she's a whole human! Try not to over think, don't think about rhyming and siblings or English pronunciation. Just look at her, take your time, what fits?

After all. Rhyming siblings- unless you are calling them Jenny and Penny or something then it really can't be that bad. Plus she will spend most of her life not living with her siblings. English pronunciation - we are more and more multicultural and exposed to other names and languages. People can manage all the weird names on Game of thrones they can manage a simple Russian name. If they don't then it is because they are rude not because they can't.

Go for Irina, it's lovely

Prefer Alexandra. Have you considered Ekaterina?

IMO Alexandra just isn’t as beautiful as your other kids’ names, Alex in particular is just a bit lumpen for a girl (although I quite like it for a boy). I’d go with Irina, it gives that big fur hat beautiful woman vibe. Maybe I saw the Elton John ‘Nikita’ video at an impressionable age.

Don’t suppose Anoushka is by chance Russian? I’ve always loved that name.

Anoushka can be used as a diminutive for Anna, but I believe it is a full name elsewhere in the world 😊

We thought about Ekaterina but we didn’t think it would be easy to spell here

Spelling and pronunciation for Ekaterina would be pretty straightforward for English speakers I’d say. Is Katya the standard diminutive for that?

Congratulations! I say to similar, although Alexandra Irina is lovely.

You know Ira, spelled like that but pronounced eye-ra, is a male name, of Jewish origin? Like the writer Ira Levin (he wrote Rosemary's Baby).

Coincidental of course and pronounced differently from your Ira short for Irina.

She would only be Ira with family as it is only for those close, and I did not know there was a writer with that name. I suppose a lot of countries share similar names and diminutives, it is interesting 😊

Yes, Katya. Maybe it is, I do not know if it would be seen as easy for English speakers! It is a nice name but not for her. If I ever have another daughter!

We intend on going back to Russia by next year as DH is here for work and has been for a couple years, so by then I won’t have any issues 😊

In that case, definitely go for Irina as the names don't really rhyme when said the 'proper' Russian way. Congratulations on your new daughter.

If you love Irina go with Irina, it's a really nice name. It does match with Kristina but only because they both end in ina and I can't see it being an issue at all.

Me too 😂

I don’t think it is too similar, your names are lovely OP.