Hard to Pronounce Baby Names

Hi, A. -- Please tell us what the name is -- I bet it's lovely both in spelling and in pronuniciation! If your family heritage is Scottish and the name therefore is meaningful for you, and you both agree on it, then I say, use it. Yes, especially in the early years you will have to correct people (including teachers) constantly, but soon your child will do the correcting herself; teach her to take pride in her name and always speak up for it! It's up to families to use the names that are meaningful to them, and up to the rest of us to respect that and learn something about other cultures at the same time. In this area, with kids of many backgrounds, there are increasingly plenty of names that are "different" from wha we grew up with. And look at it this way -- if her name were Elizabeth and you wanted her called that, not Bet or Bess or Betty or Lizzie or Beth etc., you'd end up always correcting people anyway. We knew a young James who always politely corrected people that he was James and not Jim, Jimmy etc., even when he was a little boy....We have family and friends in England, Wales and Scotland, and there are many beautiful, if unusual, names there....

1 mom found this helpful

I have an unusual name. My mom made it up and it's a combination of her name and my dads. While in theory it's a lovely name I HATED growing up with such an unusual name. So much so, that I now strictly go by my nickname. We moved around a lot when I was little due to the military which might be more of a reason why I hated having such a unique name. Noone could ever pronounce it. Anyhow, just giving you a differnt opinion. ;)

1 mom found this helpful

My name is also not pronounced the way it is spelled (it's pronounced almost like Erica, just with a D at the beginning) and while it has caused me some irritation over the years (especially with substitute teachers) I wouldn't trade it for anything because it is unique. I love being able to stand apart from the crowd in this way. I think mispronunciation has even been a good conversation starter and a chance to maybe educate people a little bit here and there if they were amenable. This could be especially true for her if the name connects her with her Scottish heritage. Especially if the family has very recently immigrated to the US (like within the last two or three generations).

I'd say, if you and your husband both like the name then name her that. But if you still have lingering worries about how it will effect her in the future, then give her a very "normal" middle name (like Catharine or something with a few different forms attached that will be available to her) that she can go by if she so chooses later in life.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.

I think the name you choose is between you and your husband and if you like names that are a little different and not the run of the mill names that are common here then so be it , in my experience an everyday name can be pronounced incorrectly aswell , so if you like the name and the spelling then use it.

Good luck.

if you both agree and like it, i'd say go for it. i have a bunch of cousins with Irish names some easy some more difficult. my sister chose another different name Gaelic for her daughter that suits her perfectly. we have such a difficult last name that we chose a short less syllabic name for child. another good friend named her son a great name which sounds great with her accent - she is from Argentina.

Hi A.,
I agree with everyone else with going with what you and your husband like. I am also expecting a little girl and we had a hard time agreeing on a name. My husband is half Japanese and I wanted to have a Japanese name that had a beautiful meaning. We ended up agreeing on Emi, pronouced Emmy and it means beautiful blessing. For her middle name we are giving her two, she will have my middle name and my grandma's. If you can't agree now on a name then maybe you could have two names to choose from and then when you see her you can decide what name will fit her. We did that with my second son when he was born. Good luck and go with what you and your husband like.

Hi there,

My name is one of those hard to recognize and hard to pronounce and it has been a pain my whole life. It's pronounced "Tyra" like the supermodel but spelled so others pronounce it "T-air-ah" or "Tee-ara". Even though it is a pain when I go to every doctor's appointment, or when I tell friends the correct pronounciation and then they revert back to the wrong way, or when my own husband spells it wrong on cards I very much LOVE having my name. I am the only person I knew with that name my whole life. It's unique...

if you give her a 'weird' name she'll go through a period of hating it.
if you give her a 'normal' one she'll also go through a period of loathing its boringness.
i say go for the one you and her dad both love.
eventually she'll love it too.
;) khairete
S.

I think you should go for it! I can't think of a name out there that will be spelled correctly!! If you name a child John, it can be spelled Jon or if you name a child Sarah it can be spelled Sara. I too think you should share the name with us! My husband is from Scotland and there are some beautiful Scottish names! Good Luck!

When we were trying to select names we let a few of our friends know what the short list of names was and we asked them to purposefully mess up the name as much as possible to see how bad it could get. As an extreme example - we were trying to avoid names that could potentially rhyme with a curse word or something stupid like that. I just had visions of naming my daughter something that is a beautiful name in our culture (we are from India) and her getting tortured from kids making fun of her in school. Silly i know...but it worked.

Good luck!

We have Ryann (a girl, pronounced Ryan), Madelyn and Hayden (a boy) and though their names get pronounced right most of the time, they never get spelled right and they are not that uncommon. Ryann's name gets pronounce wrong most often with people calling her Ry-ANN. If you really like the name than go for it, just know that you'll likely have to correct people. It's not that big a deal really. We also love the name Aislinn which is pronounce Ash-lyn or Ash-ling depending on the spelling. If we have another girl eventually, that will likely be the name we go with.

I say go for it...my husband's name is Schuyler (pronounced Sky-ler)...he has issues with people not knowing how to pronounce it when they try to read it, but honestly most people who know him were introduced to his name when it was spoken...Does that make sense? Best of luck!

A.,

Any name you chose will define who your daughter is. Make her name special. One of the other posters said that about 90% of kids have unique names these days and they are right. I've heard some very good ones and some that, in my opinion, are a little out there. Just an example, if I have another girl I want her name to be Anastasia, but it will be pronounced Ana-sta-see-a. Nobody will get it the first time. It's also a Hebrew pronunciation of the Russian name. God Bless in whatever name you choose.

Go for it girl. It's your child. Name her what you want. I have a fairly common name, however it is spelled differently. I have spent years telling people the proper spelling of my name, but I wouldn't change it for the world. It may be a common name but at lestit's somewhat unique and it's me. Please let us all know what the name is though. I's driving me insane not knowing what the name is.

Hi, We named our daughter after 2 of her grand mothers --ANNA but we do not pronounce it that way we prefered the euoropean pronounciation (Ah-na). We think it is eloquent and beautifull. we get many compliment on her name and sometimes questions and we always repond that it is a family name and it stops people from commenting further. I truly believe children have a name when they are concieved trust your instincts and follow your hearts.
Our daughter is now six and loves her name and she will speak up or ignore you completely if it is said incorrectly --depending on her mood!!:) Good luck with the naming!

I have three(out of six) with unusual names that are scottish gaelic. Mine are all guys. Advantages, unusual, kid gets remembered for it, not much confusion about who the teacher is calling on, etc. Disadvantages, almost everyone who takes a stab at them, misses the first time. I have told them that their names are special and different, and people need to get used to them, so for the most part, there is a level of patience with other people. On a few occasions my one son has had to correct a teacher or coach numerous times, and he has asked for intervention from me. He's 10, so that's only a few times in ten years I have had to go to someone and say, "uh....it's actually pronounced"

i have to spell both of my dauughters names for people...they get miss pronounced alot too. for me though it's worth it. i love their names and when people finally get the name right they love it too. only drawback i cant fix is when there are items for sale with kids names on them i cant find one for my kids, at least not with the right spelling. but i would do it again. i think now adays, at least in my kids class, 90% of the kids have made up or changed spelling names

Do what you feel! I find the best policy is to do what is best for your family in all matters. It's lovely you are going with your heritage. It have meaning and thought behind it. I have a friend who works with a lady whose daughter named her baby girl Placenta - because she heard the the doc say it and thought it sounded 'pretty'............

My son has an Irish name and yes, people pronounce and spell it wrong all the time but I wouldn't change it. When someone calls his name out in a doctor's office or at sports I always just correct them right away. When I have to say it to someone to write it down I just automatically spell it for them. For every 1 person that looks at me when I say his name I have 5 that tell me what a cool name it is. I would go for it if I were you!

Hi A.,
We named our second son a not so "normal" name. While i was pregnant so many people questioned our decision, and at one point i almost changed my mind to give him a common, normal name. My husband just told me it was our child and it doesn't matter what others think. We did stick with the original name and we are very happy we did. We named him Magnus. If you and your husband like it and it feels right to you, do it. Good luck in your decision.

We have an 11 year old daughter with an unusual name and then, 2 years later, a son. We couldn't have HIM have a normal name alongside her 'strange' one so we named him something odd, too.

Honestly, different is very normal these days. Our daughter has been through 8 years of school (preschool - 5th grade) and she has never heard her name on anyone else and it is not a big deal. Really. It isn't.

Go for it.

Personally, as long as it is a real name and you are using the proper pronunciation, I think it is cool.

I HATE made-up spellings and made-up names.

I had a "different" name (common enough now, but not when I was little) and wasn't happy about it, but it was a real name, there was a reason behind it and I learned to deal. I like my name now.

I am a ballet teacher and have been for many many years and so I have come across alot of girls names that are foreign and difficult to pronounce and spell. I personally think it is great to have a unique name, especially if it reflects your heritage. If you teach your daughter from a young age how to properly say and spell her name she will be able to correct people when you are not around and when you are - simply kindly say "It is pronounced/spelled this way". In my experience there are alot of kids out there with non traditional names and your daughter will be one of many, yet still unique and special because no one will share her name. It is important to be sure the name cannot be turned into some word or phrase that can be used to tease her and also that no one says the name incorrectly. Teach your daughter to be proud of her scottish name and insist that people pronounce it properly - I am sure it will not be a problem. There is a 4 year old in one of my baby ballet classes named Lochlan (I think thats a scottish/gaelic name) and no one has trouble pronouncing it. I have a 17 month old and a baby due november as well - when I picked their names I considered what nicknames kids might throw at them because sometimes thats hard to avoid. I am naming the baby Jack (I let hubby pick the name) and my husband wanted Paul as a middle name for his grandfather but I said no because I did not want him to call himself J.P. and so I picked Jack Henry. Good luck with your new arrival! I would love to hear the name you choose! : )

D.

First of all your baby names need to be a 100% agreement!! I know that is not easy. Our daughter's name is Erin, nice Irish name, but when the doc calls for appointments, they always say my son Erin. Does not bother me because when they see her, there is no doubt. My parents were a little not excited about the name at first but we both loved it as soon as I said it. Now that she is here the name totaly suits her and my parents agree. As the mom you have an advantage on helping decide a name that suits because you are carring and can pick up on these type of things. You will both decide and I am sure you will be great!!
T.

Go with your heart and your gut. If people question the pronounication and/or spelling of the name you choose then they will be all the better for it after you educate them on the Scottish background.

Hi A.! Congratulations on your daughter-on-the-way! My feeling with both my children was that I wanted names where the pronunciation was obvious and the gender was obvious. I also wanted names where they probably wouldn't be asked to spell them--we have a difficult last name, and I always have to spell my first name, too, so I was sensitive to that. We also picked names that were special to us--both children are named for people important to us. You can certainly go with something more exotic, and your daughter will absolutely survive. She may love the uniqueness or not, probably both over the course of her life. I'd keep talking about it with your husband--you still have some time to mull things over--and perhaps think about other names that have the qualities you like about the name you're thinking of now (other Scottish names? other names that sound similar?) to see if anything else grabs you. For both our children, we didn't officially decide on the name until the last month or so. Ultimately, you just have to follow your heart, I think. Good luck!

Hi. When my husband and I were considering names for our daughter we really liked the name Phoenix - all be it it's not hard to pronounce, but it is different. We had some friends that said, No, pick a name that your child won't get picked on about while growing up, blah, blah, blah. The more we discussed it, we decided that the name needs to be meaningful to the parents/family, so it doesn't matter what others say; as long as it has meaning to the family, that's all that matters. Kids will get picked on over all sorts of things and as long as you're there to support your child through these trials and tribulations of growing up, they'll have character & self esteem. I have a rare name, R., and as a child went through a phase not liking my name because it wasn't easily found written on toothbrushes, pencils, keychains, magnets, etc. But honestly, once I grew in confidence, I came to love my name and treasure it now as an adult. I say go with the name that's calling you and has meaning and just be prepared for the mispronounciations/misspellings and just brush it off when it happens so your child will too.

It sounds like you have concerns and if you were to decide this you'd have to be ok with the fact that people would have difficulty pronouncing your child's name and how would you feel about that if it were you? Would you want a name that you always had to spell and pronounce for everyone? I think those are factors you should consider when making your decision. Best of luck!

One of my sons has a difficult to pronounce/read name, and my mom was against us naming him that, but he is almost 4 now and really IS that name! We are so glad we named him that. I know in school they may misprounce it now and then, and who hasn't been made fun of by their name? My name (V.) rhymes with a LOT of things! I think if you encourage your child, and help them understand how special a name is (the Bible says a good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth Proverbs 22:1 King James).

Best wishes, and congratulations!!

My name is a common enough word but not so common as a name. I spent the life up through high school being teased for having a different name. Teachers always thought it was a misprint for Susan. I was actually marked absent for the first week of 1st grade because they called for Susan instead of S. and I didn't answer. My name became "cool" once I hit high school. It is definitely a conversation starter as everyone always wants to know how I got it. The only problem other than teasing that I have ever had is I have to constantly spell it for people, especially over the phone. For some reason people sometimes think I don't know how to spell my own name:) Another downside is that everyone remembers my name while I have a hard time remembering anyone's. I long ago got over that by just asking their name again. I wouldn't trade it though. I say go for it!

my husband is from greece and our sons are named konstantinos and nikos. nikos is easy to say but the other one.... we call him kosta for short and people still have problems with it. it makes the kids unique, which is good but it can also be a pain. i would look at all of the way people will adjust the name, ie shorten it or nickname it and be sure you like it. i'm not sure my son likes his name but it is what it is. good luck.

Sorry to hear you are troubled by the hard to say name. However, if you and your husband both agree on the name then, go for it! Maybe she'll have to correct more people than most but she will have a very unique name and I'm sure she will love being distinct. Best of luck.
Cheers.
S..

My three kids have an extremely difficult to pronounce last name. They have learned to live with it and correct people when they ask for correction and to just answer even if it is pronounced wrong. My daughters have "normal" names but my son is Juan. Some people take it upon themselves to call him "John". He is six and will correct anyone who calls him John. I think that if you have cool, unusual names, then you should. My kids love that they are named for family members and ask about the history all the time. Let the world adjust to your child and her name, not the other way around.

A.,

We gave our son, now two-years old, an Irish name which is not common here. We are very happy with the choice and now many people have gotten aquainted with his name. We also met another boy with the same name which we hadn't expected at all. If you both agree on it, I'd go for it. Plus, every kid wishes they had a different name at some point so at least you two will be happy :)

A.

You've had a ton of responses, but here's my 2 cents. My name is somewhat unusual - my parents picked it because it could be pronounced the same in our 3 langauges (English, Spanish and French) and didn't have to be translated like common names. They think it should be pronounced "Veh-ra" but at least 50% of Americans call me "VEE-ra" and my family goes nuts about it. I'm tired of correcting everyone, so I answer to either most of the time. I'm also tired of having to say my name multiple times when I meet someone, lest they think I'm "Sarah." When naming my kids, I followed the same rule - pronounceable the same in all 3 languages. I always caution friends, you may not speak Spanish, but chances are your kid will study spanish, so make sure your kid's name is at least pronounceable in Spanish and doesn't have a bad meaning in other languages.

My other rule of thumb, if you pick a weird name, don't pick a very long one. And always imagine your child as a corporate executive or other grown professional with that name. Is it too cute or weird for a respected adult? This is how my sister's baby boy name went from "Hannalei" to just plain "Alex"!!

People can screw up just about any name - say it wrong, spell it wrong, or ocme up with a nickname for it. I wouldn't let worrying about other people discourage from selecting something you think is special and beautiful. You nust need to decide how much it will bother you to have to clarify it. But personally I think it is best to pick a name that if you call it on the playground, your daughter will be the only one to look up. I don't think a name has to be unique for the sake of beiing unique, but if you like it great. And it is a good story for your family and your daughter when you explain why you picked it. And it will be fun for her to go to Scotland with that name!

What is it?????????????

My name is J., and a lot of people pronounced it wrong, and still do. My teachers usually got it right before the end of the first day of school, and most friends knew how it was pronounced before they knew how it was spelled. I've loved it. Sure, I've been called "Jenna" "Je-anna" "Janna" "Janine" and the list goes on, but it sets me apart from a lot of other "Gina"s. I also know whether a call is from someone who knows me, or someone trying to sell me something. It adds to my unique-ness, though, and in all, I'm pretty ordinary, so I always liked something being unique about me. Also, if people got me personalized gifts, they had to have them made, which made them more special to me. It showed that that person was willing to go the extra step. It wasn't hard to live with, or confusing, or frustrating. The only frustrating thing was that I had a teacher for half of the school year in 7th grade who never got it right, and to me that said he didn't care about his students-to even learn how to say my name. He was the only teacher who messed up my name more than 5 times-I think the only person who messed up my name more than 5 times. Everyone else did fine, and many have told me over the years that they love that my name isn't common. I even had friends in school who thought "J." or "Gina" depending on which girl they were talking about in our year--they thought the same pronounciation as two different ones because the spellings were different. Good luck with whatever you choose!

I have a distant cousin by marriage who has a fit when anyone pronounces her name not the exact way she wants it. Karin likes it pronounced "ka-RIN" not "Karen". Naming can be tough. Though the proper spelling is traditional, maybe you could go with a non traditional spelling? Something that would get the phonetical pronunciation you want? But that can be complicated, too. I once knew someone who's grandson was named "Eric" but spelled it Airich. I have another friend with a grandson named Torsten. I just hope whatever you pick will be fairly easy for your girl to write when she gets to first grade.

My husband's first and last names are long and hard to pronounce. In high school, he changed his name simply to Tom.
For that reason, we gave our daughter a simple first name and kept the complicated one for her middle name, especially since our last name is also complicated. But people STILL mispronounce and misspell her first name!