[name_m]Hi[/name_m] all! We are having our daughter in [name_u]June[/name_u] and we like the name [name_f]Daya[/name_f] (pronounced [name_u]Day[/name_u]-a). Our other daughter is [name_f]Ava[/name_f]. [name_f]Daya[/name_f] and [name_f]Ava[/name_f] both have bird connections which I like. The thing is, when I do research on the name, it looks like it’s supposed to be pronounced Die-a (like [name_f]Maya[/name_f]), some sources do say its [name_u]Day[/name_u]-a, but I’m afraid people will automatically think it’s pronounced like [name_f]Maya[/name_f]. So then I looked up Dea, but that is pronounced as [name_f]Dee[/name_f]-a or [name_f]Dee[/name_f].
Which spelling is best to get [name_u]Day[/name_u]-a? Would spelling it Daea make it easier for people to pronounce when they first see it?
I would have read [name_f]Daya[/name_f] as [name_u]Day[/name_u]-a. Mostly I think because [name_u]Day[/name_u] is an everyday (sorry bad unintentional pun) sort of word. Also it’s not difficult to correct people and say “it’s like [name_u]Day[/name_u] with an extra a at the end”. You’ll really only have to tell them that once.
Out of curiosity. Is you little [name_f]Ava[/name_f] AY-va or [name_m]AH[/name_m]-vah? (I ask because AY-va and [name_u]DAY[/name_u]-a are a little rhymey for me - and I was thus wondering about your pronunciation.)
Daea, Déa and Déah are all good ways to spell it, without confusion. You could spell it Daiya, which is still said [name_u]DAY[/name_u]-ah, but people seem to get confused about the pronunciation. It is also the leading brand of vegan cheese- probably not the best association for a name.
I know a girl named [name_f]Daya[/name_f] (pronounced DIE-a). There are a few people that have called her [name_u]DAY[/name_u]-ah instead of DIE-a. They were swiftly corrected…
[name_f]Daya[/name_f] is a Hebrew name, and according to forvo.com it is pronounced more like Die-a (Pronunciations for Daya in Hebrew). Where are you getting the [name_u]Day[/name_u]-a pronunciation?
Where I live, [name_f]Maya[/name_f] is always assumed to be [name_f]MAY[/name_f]-A. If you want the ‘eye’/‘my’ sound its [name_f]Myah[/name_f] or [name_f]Mya[/name_f].
So I see [name_f]Daya[/name_f] as [name_u]DAY[/name_u]-A. You could also use Daia, [name_f]Dayah[/name_f] or Daiah.
I would use [name_f]Daya[/name_f] or as sweetpeacelove suggested, Deia, which I really like. Daiya is a brand of vegan cheese, so I would avoid that. Daia, to me is die-uh, because of the name [name_f]Maia[/name_f], which is usually pronounced like [name_f]My[/name_f]-uh/[name_f]Mya[/name_f].
So, [name_f]Daya[/name_f] or Deia for the intended pronunciation, but I do think Deia is my favourite version If I saw [name_f]Daya[/name_f] or Deia I would definitely think it was [name_u]Day[/name_u]-a. Never would I think [name_f]Daya[/name_f] was die-uh/a.
Uh… Dea (or Déa). [name_f]Daya[/name_f] looks weird to me (sorry!), but also please noted that I’m not a native English speaker. I pronounce [name_f]Daya[/name_f] with Die-.
[name_f]Daya[/name_f] ‘dye-ah’ is a Hebrew name and is also used in south [name_f]Asia[/name_f]. There is an actress named [name_f]Daya[/name_f] Vaidya so that’s the pronunciation I’m accustomed to.
If I were going for ‘day-ah’ I’d spell it Deya. There is a vegan food company called Daiya ‘day-ah’. There is also the name [name_f]Dayaa[/name_f], which means mercy/compassion in Sanskrit
Hmm, I didn’t know about the vegan food association and never noticed that [name_f]Ava[/name_f] (Ay-va) and [name_f]Daya[/name_f] are too rhyme-y, thanks for pointing that out. Thank you all for your advice and opinions. Not sure if we’ll stick with the name or find something else less matchy with [name_f]Ava[/name_f].
I would almost say Daeya would be more intuitive, since [name_f]Daya[/name_f] could rhyme with [name_f]Maya[/name_f]. This has probably already been said.
If I saw [name_f]Daya[/name_f] or Deia I would definitely think it was [name_u]Day[/name_u]-a. Never would I think [name_f]Daya[/name_f] was die-uh/a.