I stumbled upon the girl’s name Itxaro (ee-CHA-ro rhymes with… tomorrow?) a while ago and didn’t think much of it, but I came across it again and am now completely obsessed with it. I love everything about it: its meaning (hope in Basque), that sassy little x right in the middle, the way the sounds all come together, but it is certainly a very ‘out there’ name. It’s rare even in terms of Basque names, and I couldn’t find a single conversation about it anywhere on the internet, so I am starting one. I know it’s probably a total GP, but what are everyone’s thoughts on Itxaro in general?
I really love it! Idk if you have Basque heritage – that would certainly help you justify it to ppl and to a child. I think it’s a fantastic name and you should definitely go with your heart – assuming you are actually expecting a child 
This one is going on my list.
Itxaro! Yes, a really love basque name. I like it, and I’d use it (maybe to me is a bit less GP because I do have basque heritage and I live in Spain so it wouldn’t be that out there). Basque names are always so spunky and strong… I also like the tx sounds. There’s another name, pretty similar to Itxaro that I’ve always loved: Itxaso. It’s the equivalent for “[name_f]Marina[/name_f]”.
I think it’s usability depends on where you live. It would be very annoying for the child to have to tell everyone who sees her name written down how to pronounce it, and everyone who hears it how to spell it.
I love it. I believe I saw it in @ashthedreamer’s signature once and fell in love. I’m a little obsessed with obscure girl names ending in -o, like [name_f]Amparo[/name_f] and Ildikó, so Ixtaro fits right in. I think it would make a fantastic middle name, especially if you had Basque heritage.
I guess the main problem is that I don’t have any Basque heritage and live in the states haha. I forgot to mention that, oops! We are planning on moving to a place that happens to have one of the largest Basque populations in the US, but I don’t know if that would make in any better. We aren’t even TTC, I’m just a planner/daydreamer and was frustrated that I couldn’t obsess more over this name.
@undertherainbow Itxaso is lovely too! Basque names do have a certain quality about them that I love!
I think Itxaro sounds beautiful and the meaning is lovely. I feel in an English speaking country it would work best as a middle name due to the pronunciation issues.
I like this name pronounced as ‘icks-tarrow’
However if you are all american and living in america, think about your kid! they will have to explain their name to [name_f]EVERY[/name_f] SINGLE PERSON FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIFE. they will have to constantly correct people. living in a basque area may not help if the name is so obscure that even basque people donot use it (you mentioned it wasnt on any forums). What if she moves to a normal area in the future?
Also do not underestimate the impact on her future employment in the usa. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if her CV doesnt get binned for being too ethnic, imagine the college interview, job interviews, every single important meeting:
“[name_m]Hi[/name_m] there, I’m [name_u]Sam[/name_u] [name_m]Jones[/name_m]. Great to meet you…uhhh… eee…uhh…how do you pronounce your name?”
" Eee-chay-ro"
“Eye-Chair-Uh?”
“Ee-chay-ro”
“[name_m]Ah[/name_m]-cha-ruh?”
“EE-chay-ro”
“Uhhh…ok…thats sure is an interesting name, is it native american?”
“No its basque”
“Riiight! Are you basque then?”
“No, I’m american”
“What about your parents or heritage?”
“My parents are american but they just thought it sounded cool”
"Ok ah-cha-ruh, great to meet you, lets get down to business! "
“Its ee-chay-ro”
“What???”
[name_f]Imagine[/name_f] this as the start of a job interview. Doesnt bode well.
[name_m]Trust[/name_m] me . I have had the above conversation soooo many times that I no longer bother correcting anyone. However I am racially affiliated to the culture where my name comes from and obviously I am changing my name which is why im here.
It is a lovely very cool name! But due to the unusualness and difficulty to pronounce I strongly ask that you consider to keep as a middle name only!
I instantly love it! If you have any Basque heritage, you should just go for it!
If an interview begins this way, you should leave immediately. A professional would ask for the pronunciation of your name once and, if the pronunciation proves too difficult, proceed by calling you by your surname. Additionally, it’s inappropriate to ask for an applicant’s heritage in an interview unless it’s relevant to the position. Refusing to pronounce a foreign name correctly is ignorant and xenophobic. We should not endorse these attitudes by relegating ethnic names to the middle spot.
This is an intriguing one! I’ve never heard of Itxaro before, but I think the sound is just lovely and the look of it is very striking too, although probably a bit of a spelling and pronunciation minefield if she’ll be growing up in a predominantly English-speaking community. Even in the ten or so replies you’ve had, already a couple of people have got the X and the T the wrong way round! Living with a Maximilian who frequently gets misspelt on official documents as Maximillian, Maxamillion, etc. (and then has to send off ID to get them changed), I know how annoying this can be.
It is a stunner, though — thanks for introducing it to me!
While this idea is great in principle, if myself and other people with ethnic sounding names walked out of every meeting, job interview, and other such things because of people pronouncing an unusual name wrongly, or asking where it is from, then i am pretty sure we would all be unemployed. its human nature to wonder. and if you are expecting to be working with someone you have to ensure you can say their name. so i dont think these conversations are wrong.
what would be worse for the OP is if the interview was conducted by someone who actually was basque and took offense to her taking a name because it sounds cool like some approrpaition.
I have a pretty unusual name and while some people ask questions or have a hard time remembering it (which can be irritating), on the whole I like having a unique name. I know not everyone feels the same way, and some names are more difficult than others. My purpose in making this post was mostly just to spark a conversation about a name that I think deserves conversation
Oh! And I also love girl names that end in ‘o’! [name_u]Calypso[/name_u] and Leto are some of my favorites 