Zélie

[youretheonethatiwant]

This name has become really popular in France (top 100), but isn't seen much in the UK. It sounds pretty much like Zelly (rhymes with jelly). What would you make of this name?

FYI I have a French background but live in the UK.

Also, just to save anyone the task of raising and discussing it, I know the potential challenges of having an accent in one's name in the UK!

Thank you

Love it. Always thought it was pronounced Zay-lee though rather than Zelly

I'd stick with the formal Azélie and perhaps Zelly as a nn.

I'd also say Zay-lee. I'm pretty neutral about the sound of it.

I love it!

I’m another who says it as Zay-lee. I love the name, met a girl at uni called it.

Gorgeous name - unusual, pretty and elegant!

Zay-lee since the é is like in café.

I like it even though I don't like Kayleigh and Hayley.

Well you've got your answer OP

No one quite knows how to pronounce it which will be a lifelong annoyance

That's lovely!

This. Or spell it.

I love it!

Are you a French speaker? I don’t know anyone French who would pronounce it to rhyme with jelly .

DD has a Zélie in her Reception class. All the kids pronounce it “Zel-lee”, to rhyme with jelly.

Thanks for your comments. All the people I know with é in their name we pronounce it in a French accent so the idea that it is pronounced 'ay' is news to me...but I get the comparison with café. How do you pronounce Azélie in English - A-zeh-lee or A-zay-lee? How about Amélie? A-meh-lee or A-may-lee? I only know French ones and thought the meh sound was closer to what we say in French.

Rockahularocks - is your Zélie French?

Thanks

I would say Am-uh-lee but A-zeh-lee. I don't like the A before Zélie is it disrupts the rhythm with stress on the A not the Ze.

I also think most people can cope with accents. The people that can't will probably spell Phoebe as Pheobe and no one whines about that as a name choice.

I think it looks and sounds lovely, for a child with a French background.

I’d also pronounce it as Zay-lee if coming across it for the first time (don’t speak French!) but it’s very easy to remember the preferred pronunciation once corrected.

I think it's gorgeous and never heard it before. I might think it might pronounced Zay-lee but I'd either ask or you'd correct me or more than likely I would hear it before seeing it written down and that would be that, no probs.

I'd think the same with Azélie and wonder if it's - A-zeh-lee, A-zay-lee or maybe even A-Zee-lee? I would pronounce Amélie like Emily with a hard A at the start, unless told otherwise.

My first name is totally ordinary but I had an odd maiden surname, I regularly corrected people, or people would always stumble, but it's really not a big deal in the slightest, family, friends, teachers and colleagues will very quickly learn how it should be pronounced and that will be that. It's really only strangers and customer services people on the phone that are an issues, and who really cares about them, it's not the end of the world.

I really think Zélie is a lovely name!

I love Zelie.
Everything about it is nice.
Zelie is not too popular but known, modern and attractive.

Similar sounds ..
Zali - The Olympian Zali Steggall.
Alizee

I love it. I've not heard it before but know Azelie. Which is v similar. It's french for azalea, the flower. X

Surely as it is French the é is pronounced almost as an ay sound. For example Chloé (Chlo-ay) or Amélie which in a French accent is almost Am-ay-lee. Do you speak French?

I think it sounds great if in France but in an English accent “zelly like jelly” sounds silly. It almost needs to be in a French accent for it to sound as it should.

Beautiful name. Very easy to remember once introduced.

DD has only been at school with her since September so I don’t actually know. Her mum has a name with a French spelling of a popular English name so possibly. I think Zélie is lovely, a little ray of variety when half the kids in DD’s class are saddled with the initial of their surnames as there are multiples with the same name.