Some names that I like can be pronounced in SO many different ways. Because I’m European, the way I say them is probably different from the way you say them. So what do you think of the way I pronounce these names, how are they pronounced where you live and what is your favourite pronunciation?
[name_f]Rosaline[/name_f] - [name_f]RO[/name_f]-sa-leen
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] - [name_m]AH[/name_m]-na-sta-see-ya
[name_f]Alicia[/name_f] - ah-[name_f]LYS[/name_f]-ee-ah
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] - I like it [name_u]JESS[/name_u]-ah-mine not [name_u]JESS[/name_u]-ah-myn
[name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] - jac-[name_u]LYN[/name_u] with the soft [name_m]French[/name_m] “J”
[name_f]Eva[/name_f] - strong and short E-va, like in [name_m]German[/name_m]
[name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f] - leh-o-pol-[name_u]DEEN[/name_u]
[name_f]Leontine[/name_f] - [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-uhn-teen
[name_f]Oceane[/name_f] - OW-see-nee like [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f] I know this is not how it’s pronounced but that’s how I like it
[name_f]Lena[/name_f] - [name_m]LE[/name_m]-na like in [name_m]German[/name_m]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] - [name_f]MAR[/name_f]-go like in [name_m]French[/name_m]
[name_f]Fabienne[/name_f] - fa-bee-EN this is all about the stressed syllable
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] - I change how I pronounce this all of the time. It’s either [name_f]ANNA[/name_f]-stay-zsa (like a soft ‘ja’) or [name_m]AH[/name_m]-na-stay-zee-ya. They’re both my favourite pronunciations.
[name_f]Alicia[/name_f] - I say it ah-lee-shuh but in my head, I read it as ah-liss-ee-uh because that’s how I began to pronounce it before I came across the usual pronunciation. I prefer the [name_f]Alyssia[/name_f] pronunciation but I use the [name_f]Alisha[/name_f] one.
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] - I pronounce it jess-[name_m]AH[/name_m]-meen and that’s the only way I like it said.
[name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] - [name_m]JACK[/name_m]-lynn, sometimes JACKEH-lynn. I prefer [name_m]JACK[/name_m]-lynn.
[name_f]Eva[/name_f] - I have only ever pronounced this EE-va, I didn’t even know the AY-va/EH-va pronunciations existed until Nameberry. I prefer EE-va.
[name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f] - I’m not familiar enough with this name really, but I guess [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-oh-pole-deen.
[name_f]Leontine[/name_f] - See [name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f], but I guess [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-on-teen.
[name_f]Oceane[/name_f] - I always thought it was oh-[name_m]SHEEN[/name_m], which I really love. Not [name_u]Ocean[/name_u], which is more oh-SHEN, but [name_m]SHEEN[/name_m]. I do really love OH-see-en too, but I prefer what I thought it was originally.
[name_f]Lena[/name_f] - [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-na is how I’ve always pronounced it, but I love both [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-na and [name_m]LAY[/name_m]-na.
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] - Always [name_f]MAR[/name_f]-go, I love this name.
[name_f]Fabienne[/name_f] - Like all names ending in -enne, I stress on the -EN ending. So I’d pronounce it fah-bee-EN.
EDIT: Oh, I missed out Rosaline. I pronounce that ROZ-uh-line/leen (I switch between the two).
[name_f]Rosaline[/name_f] - [name_f]Ro[/name_f]-zeh-leen or [name_f]Rose[/name_f]-zuh-line. I prefer [name_f]Ro[/name_f]-zeh-leen
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] - I’ve only heard it pronouced [name_f]Ann[/name_f]-uh-stay-zsah
[name_f]Alicia[/name_f] - ah-Lees-ee-uh, Uh-lish-uh, A-leesh-uh. I prefer A-lees-ee-uh.
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] - [name_u]Jess[/name_u]-uh-meen and only [name_u]Jess[/name_u]-uh-meen
[name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] - [name_m]Jack[/name_m]-lyn. I’ve only heard it as [name_m]Jack[/name_m]-lyn
[name_f]Eva[/name_f] - Ee-vuh. And only Ee-vuh
[name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f] -Not sure how I pronouce this one. Never heard it before. I guess I would have pronounced it [name_m]Leopold[/name_m]-een but not sure.
[name_f]Leontine[/name_f]- I’ve never this one before, I’d probably pronouce it [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-on-tine
[name_f]Oceane[/name_f] - [name_u]Ocean[/name_u]-uh
[name_f]Lena[/name_f] - I’ve always pronouced it [name_m]Len[/name_m]-uh or sometimes [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-nuh.
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]- [name_f]Margo[/name_f] and only [name_f]Margo[/name_f]. My Bro-in-law said [name_f]Margret[/name_f] the other day and I almost glared at him.
[name_f]Fabienne[/name_f] - Probably like [name_m]Fabian[/name_m], honestly.
I’m from redneck-ville USA but have lived in a dozen or more places/countries. Here’s how my hometown would likely say these, and how I would read them:
[name_f]Rosaline[/name_f] -
Hometown: [name_f]Rose[/name_f]-a-LEEN Me now: [name_f]Roz[/name_f]-a-lyn
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] - [name_m]AH[/name_m]-na-sta-see-ya
Hometown: would have a fit over this name, probably [name_f]Ana[/name_f]-STAY-see-uh
Me: [name_f]Ana[/name_f]-stays-ya
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] -
Hometown: [name_f]Jessa[/name_f]-meen Me: same
[name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] -
Hometown: [name_m]Jack[/name_m]-a-lyn (we have one in our family) Me: [name_m]Jacque[/name_m]-lyn (soft J/G in french manner)
[name_f]Eva[/name_f] -
Hometown: [name_f]Eve[/name_f]-a Me: Same
[name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f] -
Hometown: Having another fit over this name. Probably [name_m]Leo[/name_m]-pool-[name_u]DEEN[/name_u]
Me: probably similar, less stress over [name_u]DEEN[/name_u] at end
[name_f]Leontine[/name_f] -
Hometown: Another fit. Either [name_m]Leon[/name_m]-[name_f]TINE[/name_f] exactly as written or possibly [name_m]Leon[/name_m]-TEENY
Me - also having fit - never seen it before, no idea. [name_m]Leon[/name_m]-teen would be my guess.
[name_f]Oceane[/name_f] -
Hometown: still stressing over names they’ve never seen. Probably [name_u]Ocean[/name_u]-EE
Me: O-see-ann-uh
[name_f]Rosaline[/name_f]: ROH-zah-leen
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]: anne-ah-STAY-zhah (like the “zs” in [name_f]Zsa[/name_f] [name_f]Zsa[/name_f], or the “J” in [name_m]Jacques[/name_m])
[name_f]Alicia[/name_f]: I’ve been saying ah-[name_u]LEE[/name_u]-see-ah lately, but I always used to say ah-LEESH-ah.
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]: [name_u]JESS[/name_u]-ah-min.
[name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f]: In my head, I say ZHACK-leen (like the [name_m]French[/name_m] “J”!), and usually even say it out loud that way, but automatically correct myself when I come across it at work to [name_m]JACK[/name_m]-lin. Most Jacquelines I meet through work grin big and go, “Oooh, you make my name sound so posh!” or something along those lines, haha. I can’t help it if I’m learning [name_m]French[/name_m] and say things the [name_m]French[/name_m] way.
[name_f]Eva[/name_f]: EE-vah. Although I’d say the European “E” if I read it in a European context.
[name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f]: [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-oh-pole-deen.
[name_f]Leontine[/name_f]: [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-uhn-teen.
[name_f]Oceane[/name_f]: thanks to [name_m]French[/name_m], oh-say-ahn (or more the [name_m]French[/name_m] “E”, which I have no clue how to write out, lol).
[name_f]Lena[/name_f]: Depends on the context. Half the time [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-nah, half the time [name_m]LAY[/name_m]-nah.
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]: MAHR-go.
[name_f]Fabienne[/name_f]: fah-bee-YENNE.
This is how I think these names would be pronounced where I live.
[name_f]Rosaline[/name_f] - [name_f]ROZ[/name_f]-uh-lin, with the short o in “body”. That’s how I remember my English teacher pronounce it when I studied [name_m]Romeo[/name_m] and [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] in school.
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] - a-nuh-STAY-zhuh, like in the American animated film about the Russian princess.
[name_f]Alicia[/name_f] - Either uh-[name_u]LEE[/name_u]-shuh or uh-LIS-ee-uh
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] - This isn’t a common name here so I don’t think there is an established pronunciation. I would say [name_u]JESS[/name_u]-uh-min.
[name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] - Either [name_m]JAK[/name_m]-uh-lin, [name_m]JAK[/name_m]-lin or [name_m]JAK[/name_m]-uh-leen
[name_f]Eva[/name_f] - EE-vuh
[name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f] - This name is totally unknown here. I would pronounce it like Léopoldine in [name_m]French[/name_m].
[name_f]Leontine[/name_f] - Same as above.
[name_f]Oceane[/name_f] - Same as above.
[name_f]Lena[/name_f] - [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-nuh (though I do know a Polish [name_f]Lena[/name_f], who pronounces her name LEH-nah, like this)
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] - [name_f]MAR[/name_f]-go
[name_f]Fabienne[/name_f] - fab-ee-EN
I’m American (from [name_f]Florida[/name_f]) so take my pronunciation of these with a grain of salt. I have also never heard of a few of these names so I won’t pretend I know how they should sound.