We named our daughter [name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name] (pronounced with a long e as in eve). We are already bothered by the confusion when introducing her. So many people think her name is [name]Ava[/name]. We were thinking of adding one of our other favorite baby names to the front of her name…changing it to [name]Jane[/name] [name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name]. Our hope would be to save her from constantly having to correct people her whole life. We didn’t really mean to give her a small twist on a super popular name. Any thoughts?
[name]Hi[/name]!
I’m sorry your daughter’s name is giving you trouble! Unfortunately, with [name]Eva[/name], there are people who pronounce it how you want it pronounced and others who say the name more like [name]Ava[/name]. It’s like [name]Lucia[/name] in that way…
Personally, I much prefer [name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name] to [name]Jane[/name] [name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name]. The addition of [name]Jane[/name] just really messes with the flow of the name in my opinion. I think [name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name] is really pretty, and if she were my daughter and I still really loved her name - I’m assuming you do! - I’d simply introduce her as “[name]Eva[/name], with an E sound. It’s spelled with an E and sounds like an E!” That’s easy enough to remember, right? There will always be people who mess up her name’s pronunciation or spelling, but it won’t be just her who has this problem growing up. I’m sure that as people begin to meet her and be around you and little [name]Eva[/name], they will pick up on how you pronounce the name and it will carry over. In the mean time, I’m just going to tell you to tough it out. Not what you want to hear, right?
If you would want to change it, I might suggest changing the name to [name]Evangeline[/name] [name]Shalom[/name] or [name]Evangelia[/name] [name]Shalom[/name], thus keeping the [name]Eva[/name] nickname! [name]Both[/name] are beautiful.
Hang in there, and let us know how it goes!
[name]Lemon[/name]
You know, until I looked on this site, I never knew anyone ever pronounced [name]Eva[/name] any differently than you do. If you really love the name, keep it. People will remember how to say it once you tell them. Honestly, I don’t think it’ll be a big deal.
Yeah. I wouldn’t change it. Once someone knows how to pronounce it , your child will be fine. People pronounce my surname wrong initially, once I correct them it is fine.
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name] is a really beautiful name! I think it would be a shame to change it!
[name]Eva[/name] is one of my ultra-ultra favorite girl names that I would use for a future daughter! I would not change it. The long E sound is quite distinct, so it is hard to figure how people misunderstand it as [name]Ava[/name]. Maybe you can introduce her specifically as “[name]Eva[/name] with an E” so people cannot mistake it for anything else. When people see it written down, it should be very clear to them.
If you feel you must change it, I would stray no further than [name]Eve[/name].
[name]Eva[/name] is a perfect and enviable name in my opinion, so I would keep it!
I too say don’t change it! I always think of [name]Eva[/name] as Ee-va. [name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name] is beautiful.
I was considering [name]Eva[/name] for my baby & that is exactly what I was afraid of - being confused with [name]Ava[/name]. My daughter [name]Alexa[/name] is constantly called [name]Alexis[/name] and it’s annoying.
Thank you all for the encouragement. Upon just about every introduction I’ve gotten the confusion with [name]Ava[/name], a list of others they know with the name [name]Eva[/name] pronounced [name]Ava[/name] & 1 imitation of the movie ‘[name]Wall[/name]-E’. All of this was making me 2nd guess the name. It’s such an important decision & I want my daughter to love her name. Also, we are most likely relocating to a new state in a couple of months & so I will have a new chance to be introducing her. I was feeling the draw to something more straight forward & less popular. Who is going to get confused with [name]Jane[/name]? And it’s cute too, I think. But the responses so far are pushing me towards leaving it as is. Any others with thoughts?
I would not have confused [name]Eva[/name] with [name]Ava[/name]. I know them as seperate names. I’m in favour of keeping her name as [name]Eva[/name]. But having said that, if you are not truely in love with it then now would be the time to change. Does she suit her beautiful name? Now that family and friends know her name, do they pronounce it correctly or are there still problems?
[name]Eva[/name] is only EE-va where I come from. [name]Ava[/name] is pronounced totally differently
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name] is very pretty. There are many names around that are difficult for some people to pronounce. Most people are willing to learn to pronounce a name correctly. Once you move to your new state and introduce [name]Eva[/name] to people, they will learn to say her name correctly. Lots of people have extra patience for learning children’s names. I love the combination of [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Shalom[/name]. [name]Jane[/name] [name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name] doesn’t flow as well. I think [name]Eva[/name] is way more interesting than [name]Ava[/name] because it isn’t as popular.
keep it as eva…very pretty…
xo
I think that if you love the name [name]Eva[/name], you shouldn’t change your daughter’s name. No matter what, someone will almost always say or spell a child’s name wrong or shorten it to something you don’t want them to. For instance, a lot of people shorten our daughter’s name to [name]Maddie[/name], but once we correct them once or twice, they get the picture and call her [name]Madelaine[/name]. It may take a bit of work in the beginning, but eventually everyone will say her name correctly and I think you’ll be happy you kept the beautiful name that you love.
I think its fine to change it if you want too, she is so young and if you regret [name]Eva[/name] then pick a name you love just as much. Its understandable that you dont want to be constantly correcting the pronounciation. Good luck.
I named my daughter [name]Adele[/name] in the midst of “Dude, you got a [name]Dell[/name]” commercial days. My own name is [name]Michella[/name]… ([name]Michelle[/name]-but-with-an-uh). I have spent my life correcting others. I spent my daughters first year ignoring a dumb pop culture phenomenon.
On both counts, I wouldn’t change a thing. [name]Adele[/name] loves her name and those commercials, like [name]Wall[/name]-E, fade. As for the constant mispronunciations on my own name… it happens. But I wouldn’t change a thing. You’ve given her a beautiful name, and anyone who has ever had a phone number on a telemarketing list has had a goof or two. I vote keep it. It really is a gorgeous name!
I would keep [name]Eva[/name]. I love the name and personally dont confuse it with [name]Ava[/name]. Once people know her name they will no longer confuse it with [name]Ava[/name]. Have you considered [name]Eva[/name] [name]Jane[/name] [name]Shalom[/name]? Then you could call her [name]Eva[/name] [name]Jane[/name]. [name]Jane[/name] [name]Eva[/name] doesnt flow as well.
[name]Eva[/name] is beautiful. I don’t understand how people can mispronounce it. We are having similar issues, so I understand how irritating it can be to have people constantly question your baby’s name. It drives me mad and has made me consider changing my own baby’s name. We named our daughter [name]Genevieve[/name] and people automatically correct us and “tell” us that we must mean [name]Genevieve[/name] (french pronounciation). So I know where you are coming from. While [name]Jane[/name] is very clear and easily pronounced, I think [name]Eva[/name] is a beautiful name!
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Shalom[/name] is beautiful
[name]Eva[/name] is lovely, it’s pronounced EE-va here in the US and if you are in a Spanish speaking country, then it might get confusing but otherwise, with [name]Eva[/name] longoria pronounces it [name]EEva[/name] here in the US, and people no her well, so I think you’ll be OK. I have had to correct 4 of my 5 kids’ names’ pronunciations at one time or another so it does seem to be a normal problem.
That said, I am going through some name regret now and am considering changing my DD’s name, but mainly because I am not in love with the name and the nicknames and mispronunciations only drove me further into a name regret spiral… If you LOVED/[name]LOVE[/name] the name [name]Eva[/name], I say stick with it!
FWIW I love the name [name]Jane[/name], but I wouldn’t stick it with the other two, more exotic names. GL!