Name begging to be mispronounced?
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Name begging to be mispronounced?
| Mon, 05-14-2007 - 8:57pm |
I just found out by ultrasound I am definitely having a daughter. (I have a poll up too).
My husband is set on an Italian name to go with our very Italian last name.
One of the names I love is AGNESA, which is pronounced without the Hard "G."
The pronunciation is Ahn-YAY-za. This is the Italian version of Agnes, and is more like the French pronunciation of Agnes, which is Ahn-yes.
Anyway, I am very interested in honest opinions whether people like this name, is is too hard to pronounce, too much for a little girl. Does it sound pretentious to the American ear.
Thank you!

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Hi....
I don't think it's pretentious...., but I do see teachers mis-pronouncing her name for the first week of every school year.
You could always have it as a middle name and have a first name of like.... Katerina (I think this is the Italian for Catherine/Katherine ).... or Sofia/Sophia
Connie
Well...yes, I think it will be mispronounced a lot as Ag-ness-a. BUT...I don't think that should stop you from honoring your heritage if you don't mind making the corrections.
Oh...and those of us that watched the Bachelor last season (the one the filmed in Italy) should get it right since that was the Italian girl's name. :-)
I think a lot of people will mispronounce it, but it doesn't sound pretentious, esp. with an Italian ln.
I've never seen this version of Agnes! It's lovely, but there's a very good chance it'll be mispronounced often, since you don't see it much. I don't think it's too difficult that people would have to be told repeatedly how to say it, though. I would choose a mn that's a bit more common, just to balance it out, though, and give her an option later, if it does become irritating to her, to correct people on the pronunciation. Alternatively, she could go by Aggie or Ness/Nessa/Nessie.
Anyway, like I said, it's a lovely name, and you shouldn't let the possibility of mispronunciation stop you from using it, if you really want this to be her name. After all, most people's names these days end up being mispronounced by someone they meet, at some point. My name isn't off-the-wall at all (Colleen), and I always get Connie, Carleen, and Pauline.
It is a very difficult name for us Americans!! I think almost everyone will say it w/ the hard "g", as I thought it was pronounced.
"I am very interested in honest opinions whether people like this name **not particularly**,
is is too hard to pronounce **definitely**,
too much for a little girl **probably here in the US**.
Does it sound pretentious to the American ear **It doesn't sound pretentious, really, just confusing**."
AJ, enjoying life with C.
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