Gretel?

[lemoncurdcupcake]

DH has become very emotionally attached to the name, in homage to a close, late relative. His family are German originally.

It's the first name he's suggested and I desperately want to at least consider it and not be/feel dismissive. But despite my best efforts I'm not warming to it at all. To me it sounds very harsh. I don't like Greta, Gretchen, Griette etc either for the same reason.

I appreciate the kid in sound of music was cute, but that's still not selling it 😂

What do you think of it?

If you have a German background, I think it’s fine, and like the name. People will assume Sound of Music though.

How do Germans pronounce Gretel?

What's the American way to pronounce it?

Not if it’s pronounced ‘Grettle’, to rhyme with ‘kettle’, as it would in the UK.

How should it be pronounced?! I’ve only ever heard it rhyme with kettle/nettle but lots of posters saying this isn’t right!

I think the fact it’s outdated in Germany is irrelevant. I believe Amelie and Elodie are both ‘old lady’ names in France now but in this country they are common little girls names for this generation, and not at all common among old ladies here.

I have to say I don’t like Gretel though, sorry 😬 not a big fan of German sounding names in general though so can’t suggest anything else! Much prefer other nicknames for Margaret.

Nope from me. Such a hard sounding name, like rattle, kettle. Yet also old fashioned and delicate like my grandmother Grettle. It’s certainly not a strong confident name.

No I don't like it either because it's so hard sounding. I love Maggie though, or what about Maisie?
Margaret is hideous but Margarete is nice.

Margaret is not hideous - how rude. It is just not fashionable now and hence the reason for the OP trying to find an alternative with a nod to the name, which I assume is after someone close to them.

I don’t mind it. Feel it suits a toddler or older lady - not sure about a teenage Gretel but she would just grown into her name

Few more versions of Margaret here, just in case there is one he hasn’t considered

https://nameberry.com/list/62/margarets-international-variations

The American pronunciation is GRET - CHEN where 'gret' rhymes with 'fret' and 'chen' is the same as 'chen' in kitchen.

I think it’s very cute. How are we supposed to be pronouncing it though?

Molly is a form of Mary not Margaret, @lemoncurdcupcake .
Margaret - Wikipedia.

It means Pearl so could that be an option?

The Welsh one in that link isn't quite correct. The Welsh forms are Mererid (merr-ERR-id), Marged (MARG-ed) and Mared (MARR-ed).

But that's not Gretal?

@AuContrairePubicHair I'm equally confused, and I live with a German who pronounces it like Nettle 😂 when he's speaking German it's more in the back of the throat with a rolled r...trying to think of how to describe it phonetically in English. Guess it would kind of rhyme with Greer (as in Germaine) like Greer-tell.

Edited to say Grey-tell is probably a better description!

How else would anyone pronounce it though? Isn't that just how Gretchen is pronounced?

(ETA in the English speaking parts of the world that is)

It's more like GREY-tchenn

@StationJack Molly came up as a modern diminutive for Margaret so was considered, but didn't make DH's short list.

Idk how else to say it really, the only name he's put forward for consideration Gretel. I can see how much it means to him so trying to help myself like it. Not looking for alternatives.

Yes but spelt Gretl.
Liesl is beautiful too.

@lemoncurdcupcake , Molly (name) - Wikipedia.
You mentioned several different forms of Margaret.

Baby name sites are not reliable. Molly and Polly were forms of Mary.

I like it. It's much cuter than Greta or Gretchen which i too don't like. It does conjure up the image of gingerbread houses.

@StationJack true. I was trying to show that DH has looked at many options which have their origins as Margaret but this is the one he's set on. So the origins of Molly are neither here nor there really as it isn't on the consideration list, was just an example of names which have already been disregarded.

Your link mentions it can be short for Margaret though. But then Wikipedia isn't exactly a reliable source either 😂😅

It's not and i implied as much in my post.
Gretl might suit her.

How about Marguerite or Margo?

I really love it.

You need to find some English people with that name and ask how they feel about it.. I wouldn't want that name

Absolutely!

Do not name your child Gretel and expect it to be a German name. It’s a comical name and Gretchen is even worse!!