DH and I strongly considering the name [name]Lena[/name] but like it pronounced Leh-nuh. My question is whether I’m setting DD up for a lifetime of mispronunciation misery. It seems the most common American pronunciation of the name is [name]Lee[/name]-nah (ala [name]Lena[/name] Horne), followed closely by [name]Lay[/name]-na (as a diminutive of [name]Helena[/name]).
Is it worth it to risk mispronunciations to get the name you love, or is it wiser to stick with a name that has less pronunciation ambiguity?
I actually know a couple who just named their baby this, pronounced leh-nuh, and I think it’s gorgeous! You will probably have to correct people when it comes to pronunciation but it’s easy to spell and I personally believe its a more intuitive pronunciation then either lee-nah or lay-nah. In other words I don’t think it would be hard for people to catch on.
Maybe if you’re really worried about pronunciation you could change the spelling to ‘[name]Lenna[/name]’ (as in [name]Lennon[/name] and [name]Lennox[/name]? it might guide people to the correct pronunciation…)
My first instinct would be to say ‘[name]Lee[/name]-na’, so I imagine that you would have to correct a lot of people on pronunciation the first time. Only you can decide whether that is something that bothers you enough to pass up the name or not.
I like the previous poster’s idea of spelling it [name]Lenna[/name].
Thats the thing about [name]Lena[/name], it really can be pronounced three different way. [name]Lee[/name]-nuh, [name]Lay[/name]-nuh, and Leh-nuh are all correct in my eyes. However, everyone will have a different opinion on how the name should be pronounced, so yes your daughter is in for a headache Sorry, I know thats not what you wanted to hear. The name is beautiful though, so if you dont mind correcting people it is worth it.
I’ve always pronounced [name]Lena[/name] “leh-nah” in spite of singer [name]Lena[/name] Horne. I think [name]Lina[/name] would be the best spelling to get 'leena". “Leh-nah” is the European way to pronounce it. The name is very popular in Poland, [name]Austria[/name] (No# 1), Switzerland and Germany. [name]Lena[/name] is a beautiful name on its own or a nn for [name]Helena[/name] or [name]Magdalena[/name] so I would choose it anyway. You may have to correct people but that’s a small price to pay for giving your daughter a stunning name for the rest of her life! And please don’t change the spelling as it’s part of its charm! All the best!
Actually my instinct would be [name]Lena[/name], but the one [name]Lena[/name] I met did pronounced it [name]Lee[/name]-na. I agree with pp that if you really like the leh-na pronounciation but don’t want your daughter to constantly correct people, spell it [name]Lenna[/name]. I think that clears it up and it’s not like a ridiculous kre8tive spelling.
If you really want [name]Lena[/name] and the leh-na pronounciation, I would say just go for it. my name is liana and I constantly get leanne, iliana, just bc that what people are used to. honestly, it’ s not a big deal. If I only see them once in my life, it’s not worht the correction and I pretty much answer to anything that sounds remotely similar. If I do care to correct them, it usually one takes one time for them to get it straight bc it really, like [name]Lena[/name], is not a difficult pronunciation.
Thanks, everyone, for all the great advice. I agree that [name]Lenna[/name] would clear up pronunciation issues, but I’m just not a fan of the spelling (plus we wanted a name with 4 letters). And, weirdly enough, when you google [name]Lenna[/name], it turns out it has some x-rated connotations :shock: , so that’s another strike against it. I’m due in 3 weeks, so I’m hoping we can figure it out by then!
Sorry, I know thats not what you wanted to hear. The name is beautiful though, so if you dont mind correcting people it is worth it.