Linnea vs Linnaea

I’ve been reading you all for a while and finally wanted to pose a question!

We’re expecting a baby (sex unknown, but I think it’s going to be girl) next month and have more or less settled on [name_f]Linnea[/name_f]/[name_f]Linnaea[/name_f] as a first name and firmly settled on [name_f]Angelica[/name_f] for the middle name. I am really torn, however, about how to spell that first name.

I believe [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] is considerably more common, but [name_f]Linnaea[/name_f] is consistent with the Latin name of the twinflower, which I really like. [name_f]Angelica[/name_f] is the name of a flower as well, and I love that the names match subtly in this way. [name_f]Linnaea[/name_f] is also closer to the original source, Linnaeus. Still, I don’t want to give the baby a lifetime of mispronunciations and misspellings. So my questions to you all are:

  • Would you consider the names interchangeable as far as pronunciation? (the desired pronunciation for me is [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]-ay-uh for both)
  • Is it worth the trouble of going with the less common spelling? Does the fact that the flower is spelled with the additional A really make a difference?
  • What’s your gut preference between these two?

I prefer [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] to be honest. [name_f]Linnaea[/name_f] honestly looks funky to me… My best friend from [name_m]Junior[/name_m] High spelled it Lineah which I love. So I prefer that way because I am familiar with it.

If I saw a [name_f]Linnaea[/name_f], I would know it was “[name_u]Lynn[/name_u]-ay-uh” but I would probably second guess myself for a minute. I don’t think it would be “trouble” for the less common spelling, I just don’t find it as pretty.

I love the ae in [name_f]Linnaea[/name_f], so I’d just go for it, seeing as it’s the original Latin spelling. I didn’t know it could be spelt in any other way, apart from [name_f]Linnea[/name_f], but I love it, and I don’t think it would change the pronunciation.

I would go with simple [name_f]Linnea[/name_f]. It’s way more common and people are used to that spelling. To me it also looks cleaner, less cluttered.

[name_f]Linnea[/name_f]'s already a pretty uncommon name so either way, I would expect a few mispronunciations / spellings (but what names don’t have those issues ahah?). Personally, I would go with the more conventional spelling of [name_f]Linnea[/name_f]. [name_m]Even[/name_m] without the extra a, it still relates to the flower. I think [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] would be a lot more widely accepted and easier for people to understand. [name_f]Linnaea[/name_f] will get a lot of raised eyebrows, maybe even some people “Isn’t it spelled [name_f]Linnea[/name_f]?”
However, it’s just one a. If you really think [name_f]Linnaea[/name_f] is prettier and has more meaning for you, well, it’s you child therefore, it’s your call.

Thanks, everyone! This is really helpful. I’m leaning towards omitting that additional ‘a’. It does feel a little less cluttered.