[name]Lemon[/name], your poem is so clever and beautifully written! I think it will be effective in clearing up both spelling & pronunciation for those “slower” relatives! [name]Susan[/name], your poem was so clever, too, and gave me a much-needed laugh at the end of this long day!
I just love your poem [name]Lemon[/name].
I would send it out with all my thank yous for the baby gifts you have received, and with any letters you may be writing to friends.
I would put the poem on my facebook to introduce your baby to your friends especially the ones that you don’t see often so they get the point before they meet your daughter.
(You could say it is not [name]Soraya[/name] it is [name]Sariah[/name].)
[name]Raquel[/name], I’m so glad it was a false positive! Phew! I’m glad you’re okay. 
I hear what you’re saying above, and echo everyone’s sentiments about giving [name]Sariah[/name] time. I really loved MamaGrace’s idea of telling people it’s like [name]Mariah[/name] with an S. I think it would be shame for you to change the correctly spelled name just because people are unfamiliar with it.
Oh!!! I almost forgot! I wrote the name “[name]Sariah[/name]” down for two people today to see how’d they pronounce it, and both pronounced it correctly.
I think you chose a great name!
Take care!
P.S. [name]Susan[/name], thanks for the laugh!
Thanks for the compliments, everwaiteing and rollo!
Firstly I’d like to say that I think the poem idea is genius! Also, that [name]Sariah[/name] is fast becoming one of my very favourite names, I really can’t see how anyone can pronounce it other than sa-rye-uh, but I am obviosuly wrong. I guess I’m just trying to say good luck and I really hope everything works out for you and [name]Sariah[/name] as her name is beyond beautiful!
I pronounced it correctly, I wouldn’t worry about that.
The only (far fetched) reason I have for them being unable to spell the name is that it is close to [name]Sarah[/name] so their brains get stuck on that instead of memorizing how to spell it.
I might come up with a nn if I were you.
If I was to suggest a nn it would be [name]Sari[/name]. I know a little [name]Sari[/name] and it is a sweet name.
I have a friend named Serayah, pron. the same way as [name]Sariah[/name], and with this spelling, she rarely has issues. The occasional “Sir-[name]RAY[/name]-uh” but once corrected, people always remember it.
BTW, to the people who said changing the spelling of [name]Sariah[/name] would make it look “misspelled”, it already IS a misspelling of the Arabic name. The original name is Surayyah or Surayya.
Change the spelling now, while she’s young, it’ll make it easier for both of you.
You can’t “misspell” an Arabic name in English, because it is a different alphabet.
I would say if [name]Sariah[/name] is the most commonly accepted form, keep it.
Ooh, yuck, please don’t change the spelling to Serayah. That just simply does not look pretty and I really can’t imagine you have less pronunciation issues. I believe [name]Sariah[/name] is the commonly accepted version of the name, at least in [name]America[/name].
In writing out the name at doctor’s offices, etc., it might help to write the name in such a way that the * i * is very clear and obvious. When feasible, you might put the long vowel symbol (line) above the letter i. When [name]Sariah[/name] starts school, you could inform the teachers in advance about the pronunciation. As the name becomes more frequently used - and people become more familiar with it – the spelling and pronunciation issues may disappear. It really is a stunning name!
I have a 25 yr old cousin named [name]Sariah[/name], and she loves her name. Though people do mispronounce it from time to time it’s not a real problem for her and normally after she corrects them they tell her how beautiful her name is. I wouldn’t change a thing, people will catch on in time 
I wouldn’t change the spelling, people will get used to it after awhile.
Thank you everyone, for all of your input. [name]Lauren[/name], I really like the poem. I almost ordered the Valentines pics of the kids last week, but the kids have been sick so I didn’t do much on the computer. I’m so glad I didn’t because now I can include the poem. Thank you. [name]Susan[/name], omg. I haven’t laughed outloud like that in a while! Thanks! That was great. 
I have come to the decision, that [name]Sariah[/name]'s name will stay as is. I looked over every single way of spelling her name and I just don’t like any other way.
As far as the Serayah and [name]Suraya[/name] - that is the Arabic way, and we are not Arabic. I went to grade school with a girl named [name]Suraya[/name], and there is a subtle difference in pn with [name]Suraya[/name] and [name]Sariah[/name]. With [name]Suraya[/name], it’s pn’d Sir-eye-uh, I am pn’ing [name]Sariah[/name] as Sah-rye-uh. And [name]Sariah[/name] is Hebrew from [name]Sarai[/name], and is a variant of [name]Sarah[/name] (see the story of [name]Abraham[/name] and [name]Sarah[/name]). It was not taken from [name]Suraya[/name].
I guess I should have expected to go through this. I went through it with [name]Alanna[/name] around the same time after she was born… ‘did we pick the right name?’ ‘should we have named her [name]Leila[/name] instead?’ ‘should i have spelled it differently?’, etc. Now I absolutely love [name]Alanna[/name]'s name, so I expect the same to happen with [name]Sariah[/name]'s name.
Some of our friend’s tease us and say we’re trying to be like the celebrities, but in reality the girls’ names suit our family. It seems as if the boys (my husband, and sons) have more common and traditional (and biblical) names ([name]Patrick[/name], [name]Justin[/name], and [name]Jacob[/name]). Whereas us girls have more unusual, exotic names… [name]Raquel[/name], [name]Alanna[/name], and [name]Sariah[/name]. I never put that much thought into it until I saw all of our names on the cards I made for [name]Valentine[/name]'s [name]Day[/name].
Again, thank you for everyone’s help!
[name]Raquel[/name],
I’m so excited you came to a resolution and decided to keep [name]Sariah[/name]'s name as is! And, I’m super excited that you are getting to include my poem in your [name]Valentine[/name]'s [name]Day[/name] cards! Yay!
Boo about the kiddos being sick, though…
[name]Lauren[/name]
Yay about putting in the poem and yay that you are keeping [name]Sariah[/name] and hope the kiddies are better soon.
I’m so glad that you’re keeping [name]Sariah[/name], [name]Raquel[/name]! I think you chose a great name!
Take care!
(And I hope the kids feel better…)
I have a name that is constantly misspelled and mispronouced, but I still like my name. It does not bother me or hold me back. And when I correct people, they usually tell me how pretty my actual name is. [name]Don[/name]'t feel like it’s a curse for your baby girl. You chose a beautiful name. If anything, she will just become a more patient person from this type of name confusion.
It is an absolutely lovely name. [name]Don[/name]'t change it! People will catch on, and you could have the easiest name like my friend [name]Margo[/name] [name]Gray[/name], and people will spell it [name]Margot[/name] [name]Grey[/name]. My friend Taira goes through the same problems with spelling an Pron., but she loves her name and wouldn’t change the spelling. There are way too many Sarahs, stick to your guns!