What do you think of Esmae?

[gemcgem]

What do you think of Esmae as a girl's name? It's listed on Mumsnet's Baby Name Finder.

If you spell it Esme 99% will pronounce it Es-may

If you spell it Esmae, at least 70% will think it's a bit cre8tiv

If you spell it Esmée, or Esmeé the French/Dutch whatever way, the same people who pronounce Esme as es-me will still mispronounce the name

So solution: call her Esme, or Esmé, and pronounce it es-may. Your sister will eventually get the hang of it, but will probably say it wrong to start with which will at worst be irritating for a few months or up to a year. Your daughter will have the name for her whole life though, and it's important that she feels good about it too and isn't irritated by the spelling.

I personally vote for Esme. Everyone apart from your sister and maybe 2 or 3 other people will pronounce it Es-may.

I promise!

I would pronounce

Esmée (feminine form of Esmé) = Esm-meh (like Renée,with a long eh sound), although many English people will pronounce it Esmay or Esmee. I prefer the French pronouncation

Esmae = Es-may

So, whilst people may find it unconventional, if you spell it Esmae, there can be no ambiguity over the pronounciation.

thats very ture annasophia, would my daughter want to have to correct the pronounciation or spelling !?!?
is it just me or are girls harder to name!?? :S

Esme was the name I wanted for ds if he was a girl but it was vetoed by ex. It is a beautiful name.

She would always have to correct the spelling. She would only have to correct the pronunciation very occasionally...

Esmae looks as though you have no idea how to spell, as the others have said. Esme is a lovely name, surely it's becoming popular with the Twilight craze?

ooohh id forgot there even was a esme in twilight, thats food for thought!

For a girl, I'd use Esmée, as Esmé is a boys' name. Like Renée vs René.

I'd pronounce it Es-me.

I'd pronounce Esmay and Esmae as Es-may, although I don't like that pronounciation as much personally.

There is an Esme in a book I love. She is strong and determined. I love the name. I'm sorry to repeat what others are saying, Esmae is less great. Although, people change spellings all the time. I am a Kate and get asked how I spell it?!?!?! Everyone wants a C. Thanks Blanchett!

The book I was referring to was Weird Sisters NOT Twilight BTW!

Please call her Esme and not Esmae!

Katey: It's amazing how many Bella's, Alice's and Esme's are appearing at the moment!

'Original' spellings are just cruel imho. I know a couple who've called their little'un Ashlei. It just seems silly to me to purposely take the last two letters off and looks incomplete and makes me glad that me and the father didn't stay together

esme lovely.
spelling mistakes in general make you look a bit dim, so i would avoid esmae. (i am a bitch and it would make me smirk every time i saw it written down. sorry. )

"spelling mistakes in general make you look a bit dim, so i would avoid esmae. (i am a bitch and it would make me smirk every time i saw it written down. sorry. )"

But it's true - people will just assume the parents didn't have a clue!

Not a good look...

but its not a spelling mistake its a choice! an hay if we all liked the same things it would be a preety boring place!! i can think of fare worse names!!

Esmé is lovely - getting much more popular right now.

Esmae is horrible, sorry.

well i like it so im sticking with it, but thanks for your opions but that of my family an friends come first i'll just try to stop her wondering to far from home in case she gets sticks an stones !! lol!

My name is a creative spelling of a classic name and it is a real pain. I really wish to god my parents hadn't bothered. Esme is lovely though.

i couldn't do it. i couldn't go to parent's evenings at school knowing the teacher would have been laughing at me in the staff room all year, but you've obviously got thicker skin lol. it may be a choice, but the world won't know that. they will assume you are thick, and will pity your daughter as a result.