Spelling Baby's Name

Hello there,
Have you considered Kyra?
My son has a friend in college with that name and that's how she spells it.

spell it how it feels from your heart--i have a son i named Ayden
my name is M. and i want his name to have some of my names letters in it ---i love it and it fits his personality
M.

gorgous name :) i named my daughter keira and i have the same issues you are having with spelling. there's keira kiera kyra. it drove me pretty crazy. but so far with our spelling i havent had any problems with pronouncing it. KI people might call her KI RA. i pronounce mine more keira as in keira knightly.

i went through alot with my name in school its V. but sounds like von. so i didnt want my daughter to go through the same thing. i hope that helps

I like the second spelling better.It can be pronounced better I think. Like some people said Keira is harder if you don't know what the name really is. It is a cute name to.

Between the two, I would take Keira-partly because if that's the way most people are spelling it, that's they way most people will spell it, and partly because Kiera could be pronounced "Ky-eera"
Not to throw a wrench in your gears, but the two gals I've known by that name were both Kira. Do what you like; even if you named her Jane, someone would spell it Jayne!

Hello,
My husband and I named our 16 month daughter Keira as well. We chose to spell it Keira and have not had many issues with spelling nor pronunciation.

Hope this helps!
R.

~Kiera~
easier to sound out and spell

I have a daughter, now almost 16, and her name is Merisha. It was just something that we pulled out of nowhere. She absolutly loves her name all though people often pronounce it Marissa. I asked her once if we should have gone more common and she told me no. My name is also spelt different from the norm. All through school I had to correct people on the spelling and still do today, but I do not find it to be that big of a deal.
I say follow your heart and decide that way. My daughter feels special knowing only a few have the same name. I also felt special growing up know my name was not spelt the normal way.

Generally I understood that the second vowel in a combo like this is pronounced, making Kiera the right choice. Growing up as a "K. with an i-e" I understand your plight. Good luck!

J. - go with what you want.

I agree with the other moms here. No matter which way you go, people will always ask how to pronounce it and how to spell it.

SO do what YOU want!!!!! And good luck with your c section!

D.
mom to zeno

I am also a teacher...and I would say choose the spelling YOU want. People will probably pronounce it correctly (or at least most people will). I am sure it will be spelled incorrectly often, especially by her peers (look how common of a name Michael is, and many people misspell that using Micheal). But who really cares?? If you want to spell it at Kiera, then spell it that way. Don't make it easier on others...choose the way you like it the most.

I would pronounce Kiera like Kyra, and Keira like k-ear-a. I think you should use what ever spelling you find works best for you. You are the ones who will have to teach it to her and correct anyone who says it wrong.
Good luck,
A.

Well, since I've only seen this name once, and recently I might add, here is an objective opinion just from reading your post.
I guess it depends on if your baby's name is Kear (as in ear) -a, which is how I would pronounce Keira, or or Key-ear-a/Key-are-a which is how I might pronounce Kiera.
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I have to admit that I would have mispronounced the second spelling. The first is clearer. Beautiful name by the way.

That's a pretty name, but I've never heard it and I'm not sure how to pronounce either spelling. So, if you're worried about pronuciation or spelling, I think you'll have problems with both. It is pretty though, and I think you should name your child whatever you like best.

Personally, I would go with something off the wall (Keera), but that's me. If I had to choose between the two you gave for examples, I would choose KIERA. The other option may be pronounced wrong, as ppl may relate it to "their" when trying to pronounce it. Good Luck!

BTW, it's been my experience; no matter which way you spell a name, someone at some time is going to mess it up! LOL. My name, and my children's names are some of the most common names out there and ppl still manage to either mess them up or have to ask how to spell it. ;)

I think it's pretty much the same. It will get spelled incorrectly no matter which way you do it. I tend to think it's Keira, not Kiera. I think it will be pronounced the same no matter what spelling you use.

I don't really know the pronunciation you're going for, but:

Keira looks like it should be said "Kay-ra" or perhaps "Kay-ee-ra"

Kiera looks entirely different: "Key-air-a"

If you want to go with a different spelling of a popular name, why not spell it the way it sounds? Like for Kiera - Keyaira.

Just an idea.

My two youngest daughters have hard to pronounce/spell names. Galatea and Sakura and we often get a lot of negative feedback for it. Since you're a teacher, I'm sure you know about all the problems that can come about in school from having an odd sounding or oddly spelled name.

Well just my advice is to go different. I didn't really think of other people pronouncing or spelling. But I named my daughter Breannah way different from the popular way of Brianna
and by putting the "h" at the end alot of people pronounce it different but she responds either way. And I think while going thru school she will remain a little different in that not alot of her classmates will have that spelling (I hope).

The second spelling is more feminine. I would go with that if it was me!

My name is K. pronounced Keira, but people generally don't pronounce it correctly. I would go with the spelling you and your husband like and just be prepared to correct people. As much as I have dealt with mispronounciations and misspelling I am glad my parents went the way they did. Good luck!

I would go with Kiera mostly because it follows the i before e rule. It might be easier for people to spell. I think people will pronounce them the same. Check out what people have to say for both names at:

http://www.americanbaby.com/babynames/index.jsp

I say go with what you want. My name is J., and while that's not a problem if you see it spelled out, its a problem on the phone, and even in person! I am regularily called Jo, Joel, Michelle, Shelly, Shel, Gel, Gil, just to name a few. It doesn't matter how simple the name is - someone is going to have problems with it. Don't worry about other people - just worry about your precious new baby!

Even though you may choose the easier version I am sure people will still mispronouce it. My daughter is Cassie. I can't tell you how many times they call her Casey like "Casey at Bat." Just spell it like you want to. People will either catch on or you will have to correct them like I do. LOL

i before e except after c. =D

Hi J.,

I thought I'd let you know that I don't really know how to pronounce your daughter's name just by reading it (even with you having written it down) so I'd say that it's likely to be mis-spelled and you guys should not sweat it. I thought it might be (phonetically speaking here) K-eye-ra to begin with, then K-ear-a by your spelling. If it's the first pronunciation, expect Kyra and if the second Kira. Either way, it's really not a big deal unless you make it one. People will not be mis-spelling it on purpose and may get a bit irritated with you for choosing a "difficult" name. I love the name either way, by the way... it's not totally unique, but you don't hear it every day either. ;o)

My name is N. (like Coca cola) and everyone spells it wrong... as well as my nickname, Nicki (no one gets that right on the first try either). It's just something that you have to get used to if you have a name that isn't simple to spell. I remember a time when it was a big deal to me (youth), but now I love the fact that my name is more "unique". In the grand scheme of things, it won't be a big deal... trust me. ;o)

i doesnt matter how you spell it. my daughters name is keira and well i spell it keira and people still pronounce her name wrong. they pronounce it key-era. just when she gets old enough to correct people just have her politely correct whoever pronounces her name wrong.

I agree with Amy on how the names look to be pronouced. I am also a teacher as well as a mother with a child name Cara. So I know how important this is!!
We are always letting people know it is Car-ah not Care-ah. So getting it to look like you want it to sound is my best suggestion!! Good luck with the name and the baby!!

Who cares about making it easier on other people. Do what you want. Her future teachers will learn to pronounce and spell it whatever way you want and who cares if they don't like it. Good grief. This is why this country has gotten to the point it has. Everyone is too concerned with things that don't matter.

The name you have chosen happens to be my good friends name. She spells her name this way: Kira. I think the way she spells her name is the japanese version as she is partly of Japanese decent(her mom is japanese)

hi im new to this website. but i say who cares what anyone else thinks or who it will be easier on! do you what you want and spell it how you want! i just had a new daughter on january 18, 2007. her name is Kyndra, but everyone keeps wanting to call her kendra. her name is pronounced KIN-DRA. some people say its too difficult to remember and they say everyones going to pronounce it wrong but i say i love it and who cares what everybody else thinks!! :)

I agree that 2nd spelling (Kiera) is more feminine. I'm not familiar with this name, but you could also consider the heritage (language) that the name is derived from. For instance, in German "ie" is always pronounced "ee" and "ei" is always pronounced "aye".

Honestly, if it's supposed to be pronounce "kee-air-ah" I would go with 2nd spelling, because when I read the 1st spelling, I thought it was "Kay-rah". Peace!

As another one with an unusually spelled name, go with what you want. Yes, it's a pain having to spell your name all the time and deal with people mispronouncing it, but once they get to know your daughter (and get corrected a few times) they'll get it. My name has lots of different spellings anyway- Lindsay, Lyndsey, Linsey, and so on - pretty much anyone with this name ends up spelling it a lot!

We named our daughter Elissa (pronounced like Alyssa), so I usually just go ahead and spell her name before people have to ask. Most people get it, but she does occasionally get called Elyse, or E-Leesa. But, we love the name, so it's worth the occasional correction and we like that she doesn't share it with 500 other kids her age.

I would probably pronounce "Keira" like Kira but would be more inclined to pronounce "Kiera" like Key-air-uh since it looks similar to Sierra.

I do like the second spelling better and I think it will still be pronounced correctly! I honestly think you and your husband should go with what you like and not worry about what other people think, etc... That is what we did because I like alittle different names with different spelling, not the same old thing! Best of luck to you with the new baby!!
p.s. If you are interested in learning more about much safer products for you and your family and your new baby, ones that don't contain the harsh, cancer-causing, caustic chemicals, let me know. I would love to share some great information with you! Take care and again, best of luck to you. Go with you gut feeling about the name!
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How about Kira no questions on how to say that one! : ) Good luck!

My daughter has the same name, but we spell it Kira. I've also seen it spelled Kyra, as well as the two ways you have spelled it. Either way, it's not a very long name and I doubt it would pose much of a problem however you spell it. Chances are most people have seen or heard it, so it wouldnt be difficult to learn to pronounce or spell.

The primary goal is to be comfortable with it yourself and to imagine how someone she may come in contact with would attempt to pronounce it. If you spell it Keira, I'm assuming the pronounciation would be Kee-ra. If you spell it Kiera, I'm guessing it is Kee-air-a. Another option is to utilize the "y" or "ee" as in Kyara (Kee-are-a would be the assumption) or Keyarah/Kiyarah. It's truly your comfort level since when your child is very small, you'll most likely be there to correct mispronounciations and, as soon as she's vocal, I guarantee she'll be proud of her name and fix any errors someone might have in their choice of how they say it.

Hi J. M.-
I am also a teacher, and could not discern whether you were trying to spell Kira (Kir*ah) or Kiera (Key*er*ah). My personal vote would be Kira.
A.

I think you should spell her name any way that you want. It shouldn't matter what others think.

I don't know if this will help you, but spelling it the traditional way will save you a lot of time. I say this because I work at a front desk checking in people for appointments and those that spell their names different are never found in the computer. It is only after many different searches and spellings that we are able to tell where they need to go. Another thing is birthday and holiday cards (name spelled wrong by family members?!), as well as mispronounciations. I don't believe that it is as important spelled as much as it it pronounced. If you want to make her life easier I would choose Keira.

How does Keira (or Kiera) Knightly spell her name? I pronounced them both the same though.... I think that because it is getting more popular, it doesn't really matter... go with the one you like (I like the Kiera personally... it looks prettier for some reason...)

My cousin is named this and it's pronounced key air ah. I think your child will grow up having to spell the name to others all the time no matter what you decide. JMO. I have trouble remembering how to spell her name. I think I tend to lean towards Kiera.

Congratulations! I pray that you and your husband have a healthy baby a and problem-free delivery. The English language has many odd and inconsistent phonetic variations. Conversely, in Espanol....phonetics/ pronunciations are much more predictable. The name you've chosen is a beautiful name in any pronunciation......Is it Key-rah, Keer-ra or Key-Are-Uh or ? I've often seen Kiersten shortened as 'Kira' . How many syllables is the name to have and does it have any ethnic significance? I.e. naming my son, Colin, who is half Irish was a small challenge because, in English phonetics....it would be pronounced, 'coal-lynn'. (think colon: large intestine-hence my hang-up on the spelling) In Gaelic, the spelling is correct. "Colin"- (cah-lynn ) In English phonetics it should be 'Collin' which is is usually a surname. So, He's Colin with one 'l' and we haven't had any problems with pronunciation or spelling other than the wonderful Latina ladies at his day care several years ago who called him "Coh-leen".

What a beautiful name J..... Option number #2 will work just fine. It follows the whole "I" before "E" rule except after "C".It will make it easier for Kiera to spell it in school later on. As far a people having trouble with pronouncing it unfortunately it is one of those challenges some of us have to go through in life. My name is K. and although I generally don't have a problem with people pronouncing or spelling it wrong... everyone seemingly wants to call me Kim... Although Kim is still a great name I really prefer the name K.. I am often put in a position to say "No, really it's K." or "I really do prefer K. please." So names even the simple one are a problem for all of us on that note don't sweat it you have choosen a beautiful name.Take Care J.. Ps. Everyone is pretty hip these days they will catch on fast.

Hello- it just so happens that my name is K.! When people don't know me and try to spell it, the always leave out the e and spell it Kira. I have had many people say Key-era and maybe that is what you are looking for. If you have any questions, let me know:)