DP watches Girl with a Pearl Earring...

[hobbgoblin]

And desperately wants to use Griet as our baby's name.

Thoughts?

Shall post mine shortly.

I'm not keen!
How is it said, greet? gree-et?
Quite a harsh sound imo

How if Griet pronounced?

If 'greet' then that means to cry in Scotland.

That was my first thought.

Well, I am Dutch and in Holland it would be a perfectly acceptable (if somewhat oldfashioned) name. But in Holland they would know how to pronounce it properly. Here in England it is going to be a problem. My mum's name is Riet and is pronounced the same as Griet, and she really hates how her name is unpronouncable here whenever she comes to visit.

So no, Mr Hobbgoblin, do NOT do this to your dd unless you are planning on moving to The Netherlands forthwith!

Yes, Greet is pronounciation. I said exactly the same thing re. harsh sound.

Is a form of Margriet. The name of my (witch) ex MIL.

See, it is greet, not gree-et. But the g is pronounces 'soft' in Dutch, a bit like ch (but not ch as in what sound does a train make)
Hard to exlain really...

yes, like khreet, is my understanding.

As yama pointed out, it means cry. She would also spend her life spelling it/explaining it.

Yes hob, that is probably as close as possible.

It's not a very easy name to say, and a bit out of date even in Belgium and Holland.

Greta is an easier version. Margriet is pretty, and I know a child called Margot (Mar-go).

I'd second Greta being maybe an easier alternative?

But I do like Griet, I don't know any Dutch/German and would instinctively pronounce it Greet so I don't know if you would have that many problems with pronunciation.

Pretty. Prefer Greta, though.

I like Gretal too

sure they all come from Marguerite more or less

How about Scarlett?

I love Greta.
And Gretchen

Or gretel (as in hansel)?