I’m having a personal predicament, and I’m wondering if anyone else is going through the same trouble. I’m just trying to get my core list together, and I always go back and forth on the name [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] because I pronounce it ann-ah-STAH-see-yuh. It’s been my favourite name for a girl for years, but I fear it may not be practically useable for me.I know if I were to be used, a lot of people would instinctively pronounce it like the Russian princess, awn-ah-STAY-zhuh. Over the years, I’ve learned this name has a vast[name_f][/name_f] array of different pronunciations, all authentically used in different parts of the world, but it does affect me because it depends on where you live in the world for the assumed pronunciation to be… well, assumed. I wonder a lot if this is a good enough reason to (with a heavy heart) shelf this beautiful name from ever being used for a daughter one day. This is my dilemma, but I also wondered about how others deal with the fact that pronunciation (if does affect you) plays a huge factor when selecting the right name.
Ah-na-stasya is the Russian princess’s name. [name_f][/name_f] Unfortunately, the [name_f]Disney[/name_f] princess has taken over. [name_f][/name_f] It’s a gorgeous name, and you and your child will have to correct the pronunciation frequently. [name_f][/name_f] However, most people will pronounce a name correctly after hearing it – I’m a teacher of high school students and I am always asking every student how to pronounce their names.
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Honestly, unless it really bugs you, it’s not a big deal.
Not uncommon today exactly - usually spelled Isla, but thank heaven we know how to pronounce that - so by association, NOW everyone pronounces my spelling correctly-
60 yrs too late, but finally !
And to answer your question, YES it mattered to me ! So my advice is this, if it matters to you -
put it away for awhile - revisit it later- and find out how everyone pronounces it then , it’s a beautiful name, I’d wait it out a bit and see - I’d hate for you to just give up on a name you love and is so classical
I had a friend named Stephania - yes Russian, her aunt -
She hated it, I loved it - we called her Stephanie because apparently, people mispronounced it so horribly, she gave up - its truly a shame when gorgeous names get ruined like that
Also had a co worker named Micheline - the French pronunciation - Me- shah-leen - named that because her parents were in Paris at the time, and they heard it and loved it - but …
First, I love the name Anastasia (and just a few mins ago recommended it on here, to someone expecting a baby girl!) but to potentially add to your dismay, I would pronounce it Ann-uh-STAY-zhuh - so an Anna starting name, not Awn (for some reason the starting sound seems to be used in US but didn’t take root in Australia as with a few other sounds like Soan for Sonya, would only ever be Sonn here). Edit: I wouldn’t be overly surprised though if the person said, “no it’s an-uh-STA-sya”. But the zhuh ending more expected.
Anyway, I wouldn’t let pronunciation stop me unless I wanted it pronounced in a way that was by far the minority pronunciation in the area in which the child being raised, and I was giving them a burden of a name - as in, high chance of having to educate/correct every time said to a new person and what I was asking was very particular and unfamiliar. But even then, others might go ahead with their fave name even if this were the case. I probably wouldn’t if I imagined this would be a pain and a bit of a handbrake to easy conversation (this being if it were almost certainly going to be mispronounced each meeting and likely not picked up easily). My daughter gets “Willow?”, for Willa, for about a third of her first interactions. It’s still worth it for me, and not enough for her to worry! People then pick it up! I think Anastasia would fit into this category, especially where she’d likely have a nickname to go by most of the time. Keep on list!
[name_f]My[/name_f] [name_m]Name[/name_m] is pronounced differently and it never affected me. I know a lot of people with this kind of [name_m]Name[/name_m] and they mostly never had a problem. [name_m]The[/name_m] [name_m]Name[/name_m] does not chamge just because it is pronounced differently
All factors play a part I suppose, for me. I remember watching/ reading something years ago where those with ethnic names [name_f][/name_f]- or names that were hard to pronounce or spelled differently [name_f][/name_f]- were affected, identity-wise. It always stayed with me because I suppose I was glad I never really experienced that, and that I kept it in mind for if and when I’d name children. I have a name that often gets muddled with another name so I felt it the slightest amount. [name_f]My[/name_f] feathers were sometimes a bit ruffled when I was called the other name because it feels diminishing. I specifically remember a [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] experiencing the same conundrum. [name_f]She[/name_f] complained when people pronounced it “SOPHIE-uh” rather than “so-phee-uh”
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[name_m]Long[/name_m] story short I think you’re right. And it’s true, as I have Slavic heritage I think Ana-sta-SEE-a
I empathize. There are so many names I absolutely love in their international/original languages [name_f][/name_f]- [name_f]Camille[/name_f], [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], and [name_f]Eulalie[/name_f] in [name_f]French[/name_f], [name_f]Clodagh[/name_f] in [name_m]Irish[/name_m], [name_m]Rasmus[/name_m] in [name_m]Dutch[/name_m] [name_f][/name_f]- but they sound different in [name_f]English[/name_f]. I also live in a region with a different accent than my own, and there are some names I like pronounced in one accent but not the other.
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I’ll admit, I would go with the ann-uh-STAY-zhuh pronunciation if I had to read [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] aloud with no other info. But I have heard your preferred pronunciation so often that it wouldn’t be a surprise and I think if I heard it said (as in “Hi, I’m Anastasia”), I’d know what name she meant immediately. Another option could be using an alternate spelling like [name_f]Anastasiya[/name_f], where the long e sound is more telegraphed.
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I personally think [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] is still perfectly usable and beautiful, but I do understand why you have doubts.
I also love the name [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] but the multiple pronunciations thing does give me some pause. It might be a bit annoying for the child, especially if she strongly dislikes one particular pronunciation.
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However… my name is pronounced differently in other languages (like Spanish, Italian, Polish etc) compared to [name_f]English[/name_f] and when I meet people from other countries they often pronounce my name their way. It doesn’t bother me since I think both pronunciations are beautiful.
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(I also agree with a PP that the “stay-zhuh” pronunciation is not Russian. That’s an Anglicised pronunciation used in the movie. [name_m]The[/name_m] Russian is more like ah-nah-stah-SEE-ah.)
You’ve had a lot of great advice already so sorry to sound repetitive! I think this problem really depends on the child, and also on you. [name_f]My[/name_f] name was often mispronounced when I was younger but having to correct people never bothered me. On the other hand, I know someone who went by a completely different name at school to avoid having to correct people. [name_f]So[/name_f] while I think most people wouldn’t mind, this might really bother some.
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That means that your child might end up just going by ann-ah-STAY-zhuh[name_f][/name_f] rather than her actual name to avoid this issue, or just using a nickname like [name_f]Annie[/name_f]. [name_f]So[/name_f] if you dislike the other pronunciation and it would bother you, that’s something to consider.
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Also, I just wanted to add that I knew kids at school with very common names that were often mispronounced [name_f][/name_f]- think [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] for [name_m]Eli[/name_m] or [name_m]Ever[/name_m] for [name_f]Eva[/name_f]. [name_f]So[/name_f] it’s impossible to know when something like this will happen. Sorry for just throwing random thoughts at you but hopefully it helps a bit!
oh goodie, an opportunity for me to ponder the distinction between difference in pronunciation and difference in accent
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the tl;dr version would be that imo, this is a difference of pronunciation, and thus is easily corrected. my instinctual pronunciation if I saw [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] written down would be ann-uh-STAY-zhuh (so, basically the alternative you don’t want). however, if I were then corrected to a different pronunciation, such as the one you’re suggesting, I would absolutely make the correction.
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full transparency though: I’d be more likely to assume that [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] 5-syllable pn would use a nickname. the 5-syllable pn does come across as a bit… pretentious to me, if I’m being completely honest
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imo, clarifying pronunciation is easy, at least in a theoretical sense. there are people/children who will hate having to correct pronunciation; there are people who don’t mind it. you can’t predict which type of person your child will be, unfortunately, though personally, this wouldn’t stop me from using a name I loved. especially since you also can’t predict whether the general public’s instinctual pronunciation of a name will change. [name_f][/name_f]for example, I know two girls with names spelled R@ya. one is mid-20s like me, and pronounces her name RYE-uh, yet all through school she had to correct people pronouncing her name RAY-uh. [name_f]Disney[/name_f] released a movie with a princess named [name_f]Raya[/name_f] (rye-uh). the other girl is in preschool, born after the movie’s release, and pronounces her name RAY-uh. surprise, surprise, she also has to correct the pronunciation of her name.
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I would use a name with an easily corrected pronunciation—such as [name_f]Raya[/name_f] or [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]. I’m more hesitant about names which I pronounce with a different accent. for example, I love a lot of [name_f]French[/name_f] names, but only if they are pronounced in a [name_f]French[/name_f] accent. I love[name_f][/name_f] [name_f]Adèle[/name_f], but I’m neutral about [name_f]Adele[/name_f]. I wouldn’t use a name which I don’t like in an American accent.
I guess when it comes to this, I’d ask myself a few things:
what is the ‘go to’ or ‘most familiar’ spelling where I am? if I were to ask someone, ‘how would you pronounce this?’, what are they most likely to say?
do I hate the other pronunciations or could I live with hearing them?
is it an easy correction to make? are people aware of the other pronunciations?
I think most names that are used internationally tend to have multiple pronunciations and I’d want to weigh up how different the pronunciations are, what people are most likely to assume, and whether or not it would just get too frustrating or diminish the name to have it said differently sometimes?
[name_f]My[/name_f] general rule is, if it won’t be pronounced the way you intend it to be pronounced where you live, then don’t do it, unless the name is very, very significant to you (e.g. an honour name). It’d [name_f][/name_f] just be too annoying having to correct the pronunciation every single time you introduce yourself! Speaking from experience, unfortunately.
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] is gorgeous! [name_f][/name_f] She’s on my own list. [name_f][/name_f] I would not be too bothered by pronunciation corrections—as long as it’s a valid pronunciation, this world is becoming more and more international by the year, and [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] is 100% worth the pronunciation corrections for me! [name_f][/name_f] If it’s a name that means as much to me as [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] means to both of us—I would 100% be willing to put up with a gentle “it’s ______”.
There’s an [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] (ann-uh-STAY-zhuh) in one of my classes, and at the beginning of the year the teacher would say ann-ah-STAH-see-yuh (your pronunciation) because she had a previous student who pronounced it that way! [name_m]Just[/name_m] saying that people will get used to whatever pronunciation you use – including your pronunciation of [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]!
[name_m]Not[/name_m] going to lie, that’s a big factor for me. If I know there’s a possibility of people around me pronouncing my child’s name the “wrong” way. That name is less likely to be used. Particularly if the pronunciation is different from how I pronounce it, but it isn’t so different that I can correct it without looking crazy. There’s several names like that for me lol, the only one I can think of off the top of my head is [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], I have a niece named [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] and it drives me crazy that my husband and my MIL pronounce it Ell-loo-eez like a form of [name_f]Louise[/name_f] when I pronounce it Ell-oh-eez. It’s not strictly different enough for me to correct without looking petty, but it would persuade me out of using it for my child (if it hadn’t already been used in the family, of course) [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] I do think is a bit different because it has several established pronunciations, and could probably be corrected once and wouldn’t need to be corrected again. Up to you though, because of it really bothers you then if probably not use it.
and I’d want to weigh up how different the pronunciations are, what people are most likely to assume, and whether or not it would just get too frustrating or diminish the name to have it said differently sometimes?