Leonie

chi1127 · December 13, 2015, 1:43pm

I’m not expecting, just thinking about possible names for when the time comes. I keep coming back to [name_f]Leonie[/name_f]. She goes on and off my list every so many months it seems. I keep dismissing [name_f]Leonie[/name_f], because the [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-oh-nee pronunciation just sounds too awkward with our surname, but Leh-oh-nee[name_m]Lay[/name_m]-oh-nee sounds just fine. [name_m]How[/name_m] would you pronounce [name_f]Leonie[/name_f], and where do you live?

tori101 · December 13, 2015, 3:05pm

I think [name_f]Leonie[/name_f] is really pretty. I pronounce the name as [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-oh-nee. I live around [name_u]London[/name_u], UK.

mamacar · December 13, 2015, 8:33pm

This is a [name_m]French[/name_m] name. The [name_m]French[/name_m] pronunciation is [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-oh-nee which I agree is so much nicer than [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-oh-nee!

katinka · December 14, 2015, 1:12am

I would pronounce it “lee-oh-nee”, but if corrected I would have no problem remembering to say “lay-oh-nee”. With an acute accent on the first “e” I’d immediately say “lay-oh-nee”. I’m in the UK.

bellerose · December 14, 2015, 1:43am

I pronounce it Leh-oh-nee, though I live in Greece. I think its a gorgeous name.

little_billie · December 14, 2015, 3:03am

I live in [name_f]Austria[/name_f], here (and in other [name_m]German[/name_m]-speaking countries) it is pronounced [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-oh-nee.

thenameprincess · December 14, 2015, 6:08am

I’m in the southern US and I pronounce it [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-oh-nee but between the two that sound good with your surname, I like [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-oh-nee.

chi1127 · December 14, 2015, 9:40am

Thanks for all the input. I suspected it would be easier for Europeans to pronounce it [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-oh-nee. If we do use [name_f]Leonie[/name_f], I think I’m just going to have to expect it will often be pronounced [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-oh-nee. I’m sort of hoping that the Spanish influence of this area (Southwest US) might help some. Anybody from the Southwest US?

leighmiller · December 14, 2015, 7:40pm

I’m in the western US and would definitely say [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-oh-nee. I grew up on the east coast though where [name_u]Leone[/name_u] (same pronunciation, at least in the US) was a very common Italian American last name and that’s all I can think of now when I hear this name.

vicheyasr · December 14, 2015, 10:11pm

In my head I automatically think [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-oh-nee because that’s how I’m conditioned (I’m American and have only known a [name_f]Leona[/name_f] in real life), I much prefer [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-oh-nee and would rather pronounce it that way though.

shalexis · December 15, 2015, 10:54am

I’m also from the western U. S. and I would say [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-oh-nee… I actually really like that pronunciation, it’s currently one of my favorites :). I think you would have to correct people if you were going for the [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-oh-nee pronunciation, but I don’t think anyone would have a hard time with it other than that.