Help us find a name for a daughter - Polish name that works in the UK

[RosieAnnie]

We don't know what we're having yet as we want it to be a surprise. My husband is Polish and we would love a name that works here as well as in Poland and Germany, where my relatives are from.

This is our list:

Aniela (sounds like ahn-yell-a)
Malina (mah-lee-na)
Liliana
Lilia
Kalina (kah-lee-na)
Pola
Andżelika (we would be willing to spell this Angelica as it would be easier)
Jásmina (we might change this to Yasmina)
Apolonia
Kaja (we might spell this Kaya, pr. kah-ya)
Oliwia (only like the Polish/German pronunciation so might take this off the list)

Comments appreciated!

I know a Polish Luiza and always like that name. Not sure if it's Polish but Lena could work too.

Congrats! My DH is also Polish and we have boys but girls names on my list included:

Hanna
Maria
Halina
Helena
Paulina
Alexandra
Zofia

I taught a Helenka who goes by Lenki. Really like it.

Ewa?

How about Matylda.

My friend is polish and she chose this and used the Polish spelling.

These are all lovely names. I agree with the spelling of Angelica.

My grandfather was Polish. My mum's lovely cousin (his niece) came over from Poland to visit often. Her name was Zosia, which I always thought was lovely.

I think it's a diminutive for Zofia, which was her grandmother's (my great grandmother's) name.

My mum is Helena.

All lovely names. As you are Polish, go with the name you want. None of them mean anything bad in U.K. I work in primary school and children accept all names and adults get used to new ones.

How about Justyna?

My Polish and French couple friends chose Lily as it works in all three languages (including English).

Girls in the UK I know with Polish heritage:
Anna/Annie
Alexandra/Alex
Justina
Maya
Roxy
Gabriela/Gabi
Emilia
Alicja

My favourite is Aniela

Malina sounds like Melena which is a medical term for blood in poo so I'd avoid that.

Angelica, Kalina, Lilia, Liliana all work very well as do Yasmina and Kaya.

Most Poles settled in the UK that I know spell their kids name in the English way but they call them the Polish version at home.

i.e Katie on birth certificate, Kasia at home, Lucas on bc, Wukasz at home.

How about Milena, Anna, Ela, Kasia, Klara, Misha, Julia/Yulia, Nadia, Aleksandra, Antonina/Nina, Valentina, Natalia, Lena, Maria, W/Viktoria, Maja, Izabel, Filipa, Krystyna, Bronia, Ola, Krysta, Gabriela, Rozalia?

I think Zosia is Polish equivalent of Sophie. I love Zosia and Zofia.

"melena" I've never heard before. Is it really that well-known or are people repeating what they read here previously? Just wondering.

Malina is "mah-LEE-na" (the mah wouldn't sound the same as the "mel" in "melena").

Choose what you like! My children have pretty horrendous names for any English speaker because they are in a different language. But it’s their heritage and culture and people just have to learn how to say them. otherwise we’d all be Pat and Bill and John. My son is a “john” but in a different language😂

Not Malina (mah-lee-na)

It's pronounced in a similar way to melaena which is a type of bloodied poo

My children have pretty horrendous names for any English speaker because they are in a different language.
Why would anyone give their child a name that would be pretty horrendous for any speaker of the most spoken language in the world?

So many lovely names on here.
I know a polish woman called Kasha /Kasia- really love her name.
Also like Yulia and Yana

It's very well known, I learned it at school.

Most UK people will pronounce it almost exactly the same - "muh-LEE-nuh" for both Melena and Malina unfortunately.

Yola pronounced yow-la

Not in your list but I like Beata

I'm Ania in Polish and Anna in English.

My daughter is Zofia on birth certificate but known as Zosia. She loves her name.

Love Aniela- my two fave girls names in one 😊 In the UK I'd be inclined to spell it Aniella but you know best if that works culturally or if the extra L turns it from a nice name into the literal translation of spoon, for example

I really like Kalina