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?
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.