Opinions on Esme and Ismay?

[CeciliaC]

Both names are of French origin and have the same meaning.

Both names have been recorded as girl names since the 16th century.

Esme is nice enough. The other one is depressing!

Esme is nice.

I’d assume Ismay was someone trying to be ‘unique’ with Esme, or couldn’t spell it properly.

I always think Esme as Scottish.

Esme is lovely. Ismay will just get misheard as Esme.

Esmé is actually the male spelling of Esmée, and without the accent will get mispronounced as Es-me in English.

At lest with Ismay as the pronunciation is unambiguous.

My DDs went to school with one Esme. Pronounced Es Me. Now it’s fairly common I think. Names have cycles. Emily was the name 35 years ago! Jessica too. When I was little, Susan and Margaret. Do we have baby Susan’s snd Margaret’s now I wonder?

I have always thought of Esme as a girls name and Ismay as a boys name. I would find it odd to come across a girl called Ismay, but sometimes odd is good.

I quite like the name Ismay, but it is so strongly associated with the Titanic disaster that's all I could think of, he's the one that told them to massively reduce the amount of lifeboats.

Esme is so much prettier. And you can pronounce it however you want, people will soon learn how to say it.

Esme ok
Ismay not

Esme is a nice name with a nice sound to my ears but it’s one I avoid saying and writing as much as is possible as I always get it wrong. I know so many and they all spell a d essay it differently.

I know an Esmé pronounced Ezz-may
an Esme pronounced Ess-may
another Esmè pronounced Ezz-me
an Esmee pronounced Ess-may
Esmay pronounced Ezz-may
Ezmeé pronounced Ezz-may

I think. I’m very conscientious in trying to get everyone’s names exactly right as it’s just respectful but I really struggle with this one.

Ismay is boy or girl. It’s unusual but so what? My DD has an unusual name and she really appreciates the fact she gets remembered. Networking means a lot in her career. Why be the same as everyone else?

Ixnay to Ismay.

I actually like Esme now because I've heard it so much. It was my aunt's name (born 1930) so for the greatest part of my life it was an old lady name, but there are LOADS of them now, Ez-may, Ess-may, Es-mee, Ez-mee... it's a minefield.

Ismay looks nice, but it's just Esme when you say it, so it would seem to be complicating things for no real purpose.

I prefer Esme, it’s pretty and elegant
Ismay sounds a bit like “is me”

Esme often sounds like “ez me”, isn’t Ismay pronounced ‘iz-may’? I think people pronounce both wrong, but they sound pretty similar really

Agree: Esme is better.

Esmeralda is better still!

Ismay (Bruce) is hardly a hero covered in glory and as others have said too close to Dismay.

Esme is fine, for a girl.

I’m afraid Esme will now always be associated with Esme on the sewing bee !

Esme was the name I wanted for ds21 had he been a girl, this was before it became so popular. I still love the name, but are you happy with it being so popular? Ismay I've never heard of.

It was 137th most popular in 2005 and 51st in 2024, it’s not exactly a stratospheric rise. And that’s before you take into account all the other Ezmee, Esmee, Esmae, and whatevers. It’s been very popular for a long time!

I think I'm the only person on this thread to have come across an actual Ismay. The one I knew was named after her grandmothers - one was Isabella and the other Margaret, I think. (I only knew her granny Isabella).

I think it's a lovely name and I don't think she's had any issues. The "may" ending sounds feminine to me, and any connection to Bruce Ismay has never crossed my mind.

I'd say it's a name which is unusual, but easy to say and spell.

Don't like either but if going for it go Esme. Other option is awful 🙈

not keen on either tbh but Ismay is awful

Maybe we are related :-D

I have only come across Ismay as a surname, @CeciliaC - but Esme is a lovely name.

I would personally avoid Esme, otherwise your DD will be subjected a lifetime of “is it Esmeee or Esmay?”