I think both names are perfectly usable. I don’t think of any of the things you mentioned when I read or heard [name_f]Astra[/name_f]/Astraea/Astrid/Aster/etc.
It reminds me of the Spanish word for star [name_f]Estrella[/name_f], it’s said in that pronunciation too, the connection with the goddess makes me love it personally I don’t see it given how it’s related to the stars for me, but I’m not sure what [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers will say
I can see what you’re talking about, but personally none of those things come to mind for me. Astraea is totally usable in my view (though I personally prefer Astra or Astrid).
from being aussie myself, i find [name_f]Astraea[/name_f] being more similar to [name_f]Austria[/name_f] than Australia - if that helps! haha but i do see what you are saying!!
as for the ashtray part, i seem to pronounce it more like ah-stray-ah with more emphasis on the stray part
Omg you can’t imagine the relief I feel hearing an Aussie say it doesn’t sound too much like Straya! I’m from [name_u]New[/name_u] Zealand and am concerned about it being too close for comfort. Lol.
I too emphasise the second syllable, so it’s good to know that nullifies some of the ashtray similarity.
I’ve never heard someone say the name in a think aussie accent so I’m not sure but I don’t think this will be a big problem
I hadn’t made this connections before but now I see them.
I’ve never heard about it. I don’t think it’s a bad connection and I think the connection is a bit indirect.
Of couse, the risk is aways there.
I don’t really like the spelling of [name_f]Astraea[/name_f]. The aea-part is confusing to me. I personally do love [name_f]Astraia[/name_f], with that spelling. [name_f]Astra[/name_f] is beautiful, both as a nickname and as a stand-alone.
I’ve liked [name_f]Astraea[/name_f] for ages and that never occurred to me before. But now that you’ve said it, I can here it. But I don’t think it’s a big issue or a problem.
If it was Astrée you were considering, then I’d say it sounds too much like a** tray or ash tray. But I don’t think it’s a big issue with [name_f]Astraea[/name_f] since the emphasis is on the “ay-a” part.
We don’t have [name_u]Holden[/name_u] cars in the UK but there is a Vauxhall [name_f]Astra[/name_f] (I don’t know if it’s shoddy or not ). I would associate [name_f]Astra[/name_f] with the car, but not [name_f]Astraea[/name_f].
I suppose there is always a risk, but I pronounce the A at the start of [name_f]Astraea[/name_f] as a schwa sound rather than actually like “a**”. So [name_f]Astraea[/name_f] seems less immediately teasable to me than [name_u]Aspen[/name_u] or [name_m]Aston[/name_m].
I love the sound of [name_f]Astraea[/name_f] and [name_f]Astra[/name_f] and think they look beautiful, but I also worry about teasing. I didn’t hear “Australia” until you mentioned it because I more hear “[name_f]Austria[/name_f]” so I don’t think that is worrisome! Either way, the name sounding like a country I don’t think is too bad. I also didn’t think “ash tray” or about the [name_u]Holden[/name_u] car for either of these names; however, I work in a school and kids can be mean. I had an [name_f]Aster[/name_f], pretty close to [name_f]Astra[/name_f], who started going by her mn because she was tired of kids calling her “A$$y” and other variants which has made me quite wary of As- names. This is in [name_u]California[/name_u], though, and saying [name_f]Astraea[/name_f] in other accents doesn’t immediately lead to that nickname. I feel like she could get away with it in other parts of the world, but it could be cause for teasing in some parts of the states.
I’m so sad to hear about poor wee [name_f]Aster[/name_f] Kids can be absolutely vile to one another. I suppose with American accents the a in a$$ is a short a, which lends [name_f]Astraea[/name_f] more easily to a$$-related teasing. I’m thankfully not in the US, but still worry about it. Thanks for sharing!
Astraea and [name_f]Astra[/name_f] are exquisite names! I don’t associate them with any of the things you brought up, though I see how you could hear some of those similarities. When I think of [name_f]Astraea[/name_f], I think of the lovely connection it has to mythology and the stars. She’s a lovely namesake! They’re both criminally underused names, and I think some people can take any name and find a way to twist it into an insult, so I don’t see it as more prone to teasing than others. That’s not to say that teasing doesn’t occur, but to say that there is no name that is not nickname-able. I hope it stays on your list!
I’m a Aussie and there’s definitely a pronouciation of Australia that is very similar sounding. It’s normally used my Aussies taking the piss out of their broad accent too. I would steer clear of it on those grounds but [name_f]Astra[/name_f] is fine.
Lol [name_m]Can[/name_m]’t say I care much for this name… for the reasons/ concerns you’ve listed and because it just sounds slightly medical to me. I think its the ea ending like trachea. Though I do like [name_f]Astrid[/name_f] and it has some concerns too.
personally I don’t see it given how it’s related to the stars for me, but I’m not sure what [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers will say
). I would associate [name_f]Astra[/name_f] with the car, but not [name_f]Astraea[/name_f].
Kids can be absolutely vile to one another. I suppose with American accents the a in a$$ is a short a, which lends [name_f]Astraea[/name_f] more easily to a$$-related teasing. I’m thankfully not in the US, but still worry about it. Thanks for sharing!