Mirei or Mirae?

Girl Names
21

Ok, so I agree that it’s [name]Carlen[/name] that throws the mix off a bit.

But with a first name that is definitely [name]Paige[/name], and with the last name [name]Evans[/name], I’m not going to give any middles starting with E (otherwise I’d go [name]Eden[/name] or [name]Emery[/name] and be done) because it just gives a middle she can’t use alone (PEE). One of my middles is [name]Miranda[/name], my brother is [name]Mischa[/name], and my father is [name]Michael[/name], so while I like [name]Miranda[/name] I don’t want to use it, and as far as M names go, I really like [name]Mira[/name], [name]Milena[/name], Mikela, and [name]Mila[/name], but I think you can’t have 2 names that end with “ah” sound in the middle mix and [name]Jalila[/name]/Jalia were pretty much THE ONLY J names my husband was at all into… and unfortunately, I don’t feel like an L name for [name]Leigh[/name] is enough of a connection to my mum [name]Janis[/name]. :frowning:

so, if i go back to [name]Carlen[/name], we were looking less for a C name and more for a name that meant something like strong, or warrior because I’ve been on bedrest since 19 weeks and things were a little precarious there for a while. Outside of something with that meaning, I’d like something that ends in a sound other than “ah” or “ay”…

so here are some new thoughts from today for [name]Carlen[/name] (probably still to follow with [name]Paige[/name] _____ [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mirae[/name]) replacements, and feedback is always appreciated! [name]Do[/name] any of these fit better?

[name]Amzi[/name]
[name]Curran[/name]
Luelle
[name]Louise[/name] or Luize
[name]Nollan[/name] or [name]Nolyn[/name]
[name]Owen[/name] or Owynn
[name]Quinlan[/name] or [name]Quinlen[/name] or [name]Quinlin[/name]
[name]Riley[/name]
[name]Taji[/name]

I also like [name]Finley[/name] ok, but she is half black, half white and the whole idea of a “fair-haired” anything is weird…

thoughts? thanks!!

22

The problem I have with [name]Mirae[/name]/Mirei is that you lose part of the name (the -lle “ya” at the end which makes it, to my ears, sound elegant). If I were using it as a middle, I’d keep its original spelling and pronunciation. On the other hand, you mentioned [name]Inez[/name] in an early post. Have you considered the lovely French version [name]Ines[/name] (sounds like ee-NESS)?

ETA: Or how about [name]Miri[/name]? Captures the charm and spirit of [name]Mireille[/name] without the hassle of spelling drama.

23

We are so delighted to find this post! It shows that someone else is thinking about the exact same thing when choosing between these two names - [name]Mirae[/name] vs. Mirei. We are contemplating them for a first name. Our thoughts - Mirei is a characteristic Japanese spelling and easy to pronounce in that language (granted Japanese would probably write it in katakana or kanji - your average Japanese person might guess the characters would be ??, pronounced “mee-ray” or “mee-lay” with a soft “R/L” sound). It is a very “western” sounding name in Japanese and has a modern, foreign ring to it. We are concerned about the American pronunciation of Mirei being “my-ree” or “mee-rye”. The vowel combination looks pleasing though.

[name]Mirae[/name], on the other hand, has a vowel combination not usually found in English names, “ae”. I think this pronunciation may be challenging as it appears to have Latin influence. It’s hard to convey this impression but the spelling almost looks “antique” with a certain Greek mythological appearance to it (i.e. Horae, Aetae, Maera, Pasiphae, etc. - and to be honest I’m not really sure how to pronounce these names - I almost want to say “eye” for the “ae” combination). However, we are personally drawn to this spelling due to the highly symbolic combination of grandmother names’ roots. We are an American-Japanese couple and will have a mixed baby (perhaps [name]Asian[/name]-looking with certain western features). We especially want the name to be bilingual for use in both languages. The sound, at least, may lend itself well to this purpose (not to mention Chinese, Korean, and French).

Really appreciate all the great feedback on here so far and thrilled to join in the discussion!

24

According to Nameberry, the lle ending is silent. [name]Mireille[/name] is pronounced Meer-AY, so [name]Mirae[/name] mirrors the pronunciation. I prefer the authentic spelling, too, though!

25

[name]Amzi[/name]: [name]Amzi[/name] is definitely exotic, but for me, [name]Paige[/name] [name]Amzi[/name] sounds like Pij-amzi, which reminds me of pajamas. What about [name]Amani[/name]?

[name]Curran[/name]: This is definitely has a more feminine feel than [name]Carlen[/name]…

Luelle: I really like this! :slight_smile:

[name]Louise[/name] or Luize: [name]Love[/name] [name]Louise[/name], too! :slight_smile:

[name]Nollan[/name] or [name]Nolyn[/name]: [name]Nolan[/name] is a boys’ name, so that’s all I hear here…

[name]Owen[/name] or Owynn: Ditto…

[name]Quinlan[/name] or [name]Quinlen[/name] or [name]Quinlin[/name]: Ditto…

[name]Riley[/name]: It’s more feminine than the others, but for me, it’s just as manly/trendy as [name]Carlen[/name].

[name]Taji[/name]: I’m not familiar with this name, but am guessing it’s an extension of [name]Taj[/name]?

Of your choices, my favorites are [name]Paige[/name] Luelle [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mirae[/name] and [name]Paige[/name] [name]Louise[/name] [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mirae[/name].

I’m sure you’ve looked at the list already, but some other powerful names that would work:
[name]Averil[/name] (especially if she’ll be born this month)
[name]Darian[/name]
[name]Martine[/name]
[name]Valentine[/name]
[name]Victoria[/name]

I just realized that even with [name]Paige[/name] [name]Evans[/name], her main initials (like in school) will be P.E. That will either be associated with gym class (which is fine), or it’s possible that PE may in and of itself be a cause of pee jokes. (This was a concern of yours.) I thought I’d mention this!

26

My vote goes to Luelle! [name]Paige[/name] Luelle [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mirae[/name] go nicely together!

27

Really? Weird… they must be going for an Anglicized version. In [name]France[/name] it’s definitely got three syllables.

28

i like Luelle a lot too, but when I say it a thousand times I feel like Luelle [name]Jalila[/name] is too many L sounds in a row… :frowning:

Luelle made me like the [name]EL[/name] sound better than I did before, but I feel like Luelle [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mireille[/name]/[name]Mirae[/name] is a hard combo to say. Maybe [name]Mirelle[/name] instead of [name]Mirae[/name]? is that a little less ‘exotic’?

And i do kind of agree about keeping it [name]Mireille[/name] if it’s going to be meer-AY, even though I think [name]Mirae[/name] works if all the other names are simple.

jill, that is so interesting that you hear [name]Curran[/name] as more feminine than [name]Carlen[/name]! I for some reason can hardly think of [name]Carlen[/name] as a name for a boy at this point… [name]Carlin[/name] is more masculine, but [name]Carlen[/name] sounds as girly as [name]Bronwen[/name] to me now. But I also do really like the trend of certain boys names on girls - like I said in another post: [name]Rowan[/name], [name]Emery[/name], [name]Grier[/name], [name]Quinn[/name], etc. I have a female dog named Mylo, so… maybe it’s just a personal preference thing??

But, for all the challenges is may cause, [name]Paige[/name] as first name is pretty much set, just because of what it means to my husband and his family… I didn’t love it at first, but I do now.

So, what about:

[name]Paige[/name] [name]Mirelle[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] [name]Jalila[/name]
[name]Paige[/name] [name]Mirelle[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] Jalia
[name]Paige[/name] [name]Miran[/name] Jalia Luelle
[name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mirelle[/name]
[name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] Jalia [name]Mirelle[/name]
[name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mae[/name]
[name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] Jalia [name]Mae[/name]
[name]Paige[/name] Luelle Jalia [name]Mae[/name]
[name]Paige[/name] Luelle [name]Miran[/name] [name]Jalila[/name]

[name]Do[/name] any of those work better? Thank you! :slight_smile:

29

I don’t think [name]Mirelle[/name] is any less exotic than [name]Mireille[/name]/[name]Mirae[/name]. Exotic names like [name]Jalila[/name] and [name]Mireille[/name]/Mirea are gorgeous, but simply don’t “go” with masculine or unisex names. If this doesn’t bother you, though, that’s what’s matters, as this is your baby. :slight_smile:

For me, [name]Curran[/name] is more feminine than [name]Carlen[/name], but only slightly so, and it still doesn’t work with the exotic feminine names you’re including. :frowning: Names like [name]Rowan[/name] and [name]Emery[/name] have their appeal, too, but they’re out of place when paired with exotic, feminine names.

You’ve got the modern, surnamey [name]Paige[/name] (lovely name), a surname [name]Carlen[/name], and two feminine, flowery, exotic names in [name]Jalila[/name] and [name]Mirae[/name]. A lovely, feminine name like Luelle matches with [name]Jalila[/name] and [name]Mirae[/name] and balances things out, making [name]Paige[/name] the only surnamey name of the bunch. With a three-to-one ratio like that (3 exotic, feminine names and 1 modern/trendy name), even [name]Paige[/name] begins to feel rather exotic and feminine.

When you add a name like [name]Carlen[/name] to the mix, however, you’re back to a 50/50 ratio (half trendy/surname, and half exotic and feminine), and it’s just all over the place. I honestly think this is why more people aren’t commenting. :frowning:

The varied styles unfortunately remind me of someone wearing one tennis shoe, one high heel, a prom dress, and a baseball cap. It just doesn’t match, as the styles are so varied and conflicted. I hate to say this, but I’m only trying to help you out. :slight_smile:

There’s nothing wrong with having a preference for masculine surnames on girls, but a problem does arise when you pair such names with a bundle of exotically feminine ones.

On the other hand, combos like [name]Paige[/name] [name]Kennedy[/name] [name]Jansen[/name] [name]Lane[/name], [name]Paige[/name] [name]Mackenzie[/name] [name]Jansen[/name] [name]Lane[/name], [name]Paige[/name] [name]Rowan[/name] [name]Carlisle[/name] [name]Quinn[/name], [name]Paige[/name] [name]Marlow[/name] [name]Jamison[/name] [name]Quinn[/name], [name]Paige[/name] [name]Maren[/name] [name]Janessa[/name] [name]Lane[/name], etc., definitely work!

If you’re keeping [name]Paige[/name], I’d either change the rest of the names to match [name]Paige[/name]'s modern, trendier feel, or choose another Luelle-type name (feminine/exotic) to give the name a more distinct style and increase [name]Paige[/name]'s more exotic, feminine vibes.

[name]Paige[/name] [name]Mirelle[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] [name]Jalila[/name]: The flow on this one is off ([name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mirelle[/name] works), but you’ve got this pattern of every other name being either trendy/modern or exotic/feminine, and it doesn’t work. :frowning:

[name]Paige[/name] [name]Mirelle[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] Jalia: I’d go with [name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mirelle[/name]

[name]Paige[/name] [name]Miran[/name] Jalia Luelle: This one works :slight_smile: …

[name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mirelle[/name]: With two modern and two exotic names, the styles are too off…

[name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] Jalia [name]Mirelle[/name]: Ditto…
[name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] [name]Jalila[/name] [name]Mae[/name]: Ditto…
[name]Paige[/name] [name]Carlen[/name] Jalia [name]Mae[/name]: Ditto…

[name]Paige[/name] Luelle Jalia [name]Mae[/name]: I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Mae[/name], but for me, its country feel doesn’t work here. If it works for you, though, that’s honestly what’s important. I have to think about this one, because [name]Mae[/name] is so lovely. :slight_smile:

[name]Paige[/name] Luelle [name]Miran[/name] [name]Jalila[/name]: The flow is off here, but what you think is what matters…

I hope this was somewhat helpful! :slight_smile:

30

very helpful! Thanks jill! :slight_smile:

31

I really don’t like the idea of “Americanizing” [name_f]Mireille[/name_f]. [name_m]Trust[/name_m] people to either say it right or learn as you correct them. When it gets a new spelling it just becomes tacky imo.