So, here’s the dilemma; I’ve been looking into family names a little more and found out my Great Grandmothers real name was [name]Anna[/name] ([name]Ah[/name]-na) although she changed it to [name]Mary[/name] to fit in when she came to US. My Grandmother was also [name]Anna[/name] pronounced same way, and she changed it to [name]Ann[/name] to fit in. My sisters mn is [name]Ann[/name] after Grandmother.
So, my husband thinks if we named DD [name]Anna[/name] ( [name]Ah[/name]-na) her name would always be said as [name]Ann[/name]-a and have to correct people her who life. I also am not a huge fan of that pronunciation. What do you think?
As a side note are there other ways to honor [name]Anna[/name]? I do love [name]Annabel[/name]. [name]Annika[/name] and [name]Anya[/name] not so much. Thanks!
What about spelling it [name]Ana[/name]? I’ve always been told that [name]Anna[/name] was [name]ANN[/name]-ah and [name]Ana[/name] was [name]AH[/name]-nah. I think [name]Annabel[/name] is a nice way to honor her… have you thought about [name]Anais[/name] (ah-nah-EES) or [name]Anneliese[/name]? I think those would be nice ways to honor several Annas/Anns, too…
My first thought was the same as [name]Ash[/name]. Spell is [name]Ana[/name]. I think it is a beautiful name! Not nearly as common as [name]Ann[/name]-a (although I love that too).
Maybe it’s because I’m English and have a completely different accent but I had no idea there were different pronounciations of this name. [name]Even[/name] reading your post I’m still not clear on what the difference is.
Hmm, are you in the UK? I have a friend from [name]Scotland[/name] who also said she could never tell the difference, haha. When we talked about [name]Liliana[/name]/[name]Lilianna[/name] she would go bonkers.
Here in the US, [name]Anna[/name] would be more like this–http://www.forvo.com/word/anna (the second pronunciation)–and [name]Ana[/name] would be more like this–http://www.forvo.com/word/ana (with a bit more emphasis on the first syllable). Where I am, anyway. I think it will vary based on location and accents and such, but that’s the difference for me.
To the OP, I don’t think [name]Ana[/name] is without its problems, either, though–I went to college with an [name]Ana[/name] ([name]AH[/name]-nah), and no one ever said her name right! Everyone always called her [name]Anna[/name] and she’d kind of given up correcting people, but she would absolutely glow when someone got it right, haha. So if you like [name]AH[/name]-nah and prefer the more common [name]Anna[/name] spelling, I think you could go with that because you’ll probably have to correct people regardless.
I had a friend from [name]Russia[/name] in the eighth grade, named [name]Anna[/name]. ( ah-na) Nobody ever said it right. She was always correcting people. She changed her named to [name]Anya[/name]. I think [name]Anna[/name] is a pretty name, if you don’t mind correcting people.
So the consensus agrees with my husband. I have always had to say my name several times and liken it to things to get people to understand. It’s ok, but I’d rather avoid it.’
Thanks for explaining the US pronunciation, [name]Ash[/name]!
I don’t really like [name]Anneliese[/name] or [name]Anais[/name], any others?
[name]Anya[/name] would be the way the ensure that ah- start, but if it’s not your cup of tea, other thoughts:
I love [name]Analeigh[/name] and Annela, two lesser used variations.
You could go with a diff start like a [name]Marianna[/name] or [name]Vivianna[/name], doesn’t totally solve the a sound issue, but it’s an option to honor.
[name]Nina[/name] is also a variation of [name]Anna[/name]
That’s so weird that everyone thinks it’s a cow name where you are! [name]Even[/name] here most people think [name]Annabelle[/name]/[name]Annabel[/name] is a pretty name. A few years ago it was one of my sisters’ favorites, and I have heard of several people who are friends of friends who have used [name]Annabelle[/name] (surprisingly, they all use [name]Annabelle[/name] [name]Sophia[/name]! I’m not sure what it is with that combo… lol). If I asked for opinions I think the only person who would say it was a cow name would be my brother, lol.
I do like [name]Annora[/name] a lot although I slightly prefer the [name]Honora[/name] spelling. Along with the -anna ending, what about [name]Lilianna[/name], [name]Arianna[/name] (I know an [name]Arianna[/name] who goes by [name]Anna[/name], so it seems quite logical to me!), [name]Julianna[/name], [name]Jordanna[/name], [name]Giovanna[/name], or [name]Johanna[/name]?
I actually really love the idea of [name]Johanna[/name]–I think [name]Leopold[/name]/[name]Leo[/name] and [name]Johanna[/name]/[name]Anna[/name] would be perfect together. I’ve always said [name]Johanna[/name] like joe-HAH-nah or even yo-HAH-nah so I think the [name]AH[/name]-nah sound is very intuitive and easy to pull as a nn. The only other thought I had was [name]Angelina[/name]… or even [name]Angelica[/name] or [name]Evangeline[/name]? I had considered doing [name]Angelina[/name] nn [name]Annie[/name], so I think [name]Angelina[/name] nn [name]Ana[/name]/[name]Anna[/name] could work, too.
What about [name]Anastasia[/name]? I pronounce that as [name]Ah[/name]-na and I think a lot of others would as well since it is spelled [name]Ana[/name]. [name]Just[/name] like [name]Ash[/name] I base it off the number of n’s. So I would pronounce [name]Annora[/name] and [name]Anne[/name]-or-uh. [name]Annabel[/name] is climbing the popularity charts pretty fast so I don’t think everyone thinks of it as a cow name and the few that do well surely change their opinion when they see it on a beautiful little baby girl!
I know [name]Annabel[/name] is popular- I guess everyone I know is stuck in the Disney [name]Clarabelle[/name] rut of everything with [name]Belle[/name] is for a cow.
[name]Honora[/name] is pronounced the same as [name]Annora[/name]? Seems like with an H it might be mispronounced?
[name]Evangeline[/name] is my top name right now other than exploring the idea of honoring [name]Anna[/name].
[name]Annora[/name] and [name]Honora[/name] are said essentially the same to me. ah-[name]NOR[/name]-ah. I say [name]Honora[/name] a bit more with an “oh” sound at the beginning, but it’s probably only noticeable to me. I definitely think they could honor an [name]Anna[/name]! I like [name]Honora[/name] better personally but I think [name]Annora[/name] would honor an [name]Anna[/name] more.
I think [name]Evangeline[/name] nn [name]Annie[/name] could definitely work! I slightly prefer [name]Evie[/name] as a nn for it, but I absolutely love [name]Annie[/name], too, and I think [name]Evangeline[/name] nn [name]Annie[/name] would be so cute.
[name]Annora[/name]/[name]Honora[/name] could definitely work. Though they are said the same, I slightly prefer [name]Annora[/name]. [name]Honora[/name] may or may not get pronunciation issues. [name]Evangeline[/name] is adorable, and is really growing on me lately. [name]Annie[/name] would be a very cute nickname.
Now, when you say “[name]AH[/name]-nuh” are you actually saying “ON-uh” or are you pronouncing the “[name]AH[/name]” like the beginning sound of words like apple/atlas/alligator? I pronounce [name]Anna[/name] like ah-nuh, but [name]Ana[/name] is completely different- that would be the “on-nuh” pronunciation. I love [name]Anna[/name], but like you, would not want people to pronounce it [name]Ann[/name]-uh, which it seems like most people do that aren’t New Yorkers lol
I think I pronounce it [name]Anna[/name] ( as in my grandmothers) [name]Ah[/name]-na, not On-ah.
I love [name]Evangeline[/name], [name]Annabel[/name] and [name]Annora[/name] is growing on me. My husband even liked [name]Annora[/name]! He loves the idea of [name]Annie[/name] as a nn. I had thought [name]Evangeline[/name] nn Ee-vie like E as in [name]Ever[/name].
Thanks all! I am SO excited to have some choices!!
