[name_f]Wellesley[/name_f] (wells-lee) - what are your first thoughts of it for a girl? Would you pronounce it correctly?
When I first saw the name, I read it as well-es-lee. I’m also not sure about it for a girl coz it reminds me of the name [name_m]Wesley[/name_m], which as far as I know is predominantly a boy’s name.
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It seems hard to say. It looks a lot like [name_m]Wesley[/name_m].
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It sounds too masculine to me and it’s a bit awkward to say. I prefer [name_m]Westley[/name_m] and [name_m]Wesley[/name_m].
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I would maybe spell it Wellsley for correct pronunciation. I probably would have said Well-leslie.
Like others have said, it does remind me of [name_m]Wesley[/name_m].
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[name_f]Wellesley[/name_f] is lovely! I’ve also met a little girl named [name_m]Wellington[/name_m] recently, which you may also like??
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I actually really like the sound of [name_f]Wellesley[/name_f] but like others, I wanted to say WELL-es-lee at first. I’m not sure if I prefer the look of Wellsley though. I think it’s sweet! It does remind me of [name_m]Wesley[/name_m] but I don’t think it sounds too masculine.
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Because of [name_f]Wellesley[/name_f] College, I got the pronunciation—and I can see it as a girl’s name for that reason too, since the name is associated with women.
Besides, if [name_u]Connelly[/name_u] and [name_u]Collins[/name_u] and [name_u]Blakely[/name_u] can be girls’ names, why not [name_f]Wellesley[/name_f]? It’s really not my style for a girl, but I don’t think it’s at all farfetched.
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There’s actually a neighborhood near me named [name_f]Wellesley[/name_f], so that’s what I first thought of. I feel like the pronunciation is pretty intuitive, but I might not be the best judge since I’m familiar with it.
I have to say that I’m not a fan. It’s a clunky name. I would prefer [name_m]Wesley[/name_m] or [name_m]Wells[/name_m] if you like that sound, but I think I prefer both of those names on boys.
I just think of the college, I like [name_m]Wesley[/name_m] better
I think it has a cute sound, but I did pronounce it as Well-es-lee, and I immediately though of the college. Go for it if you love it, because again, I think it’s cute. However, it might be a little hard as she grows up (maybe a little too cutesy), and she’ll have to prepare for a lifetime of spelling and pronunciation errors.
I like it a lot. It feels preppy to me. At first glance I would have pronounced it Well-es-lee but now that I know I would pronounce as per your intention. I don’t think pronunciation should be a dealbreaker as people will say it as introduced, so then they know. I think you should feel confident in using it.
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Great point! And I love that you said it sounds preppy, as that’s exactly my style! Thanks
It take me a few tries to get it right, but it’s okay!
I actually kind of like it - it makes me think of the liberal arts college and of [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] Plath (she was from [name_f]Wellesley[/name_f], Massachusetts). It feels kind of literary to me. I’d only use it in the middle spot, though.
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[name_f]Wellesley[/name_f] has a nice sound. As a name, I would drop the second “e” to help with pronunciation.
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I grew up with a kid named [name_m]Ad[/name_m]@m Wel!esley, and I’ve always heard it as Well-ess-[name_u]Lee[/name_u]. So that’s the only way I’ve ever said it. Unfortunately, it feels uber masculine because of him, so I would vote no for a girl, sorry. I’m not a fan of unisex names for girls in general, but this one in particular I find hard to see on a girl.
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I like [name_f]Wellesley[/name_f] a lot, and would naturally pronounce it “[name_m]Wells[/name_m]-[name_u]Lee[/name_u]”. I had it on one of my longer lists, but my hesitation in ever using it is the college connection. If that doesn’t bother you, I think it’s a distinctive name. Definitely gives me a preppy vibe too.
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[name_f]Wellesley[/name_f] makes me think of the college, so I knew how to pronounce it, but if I didn’t have that association I might not. I’m guessing she would get a lot of [name_m]Wesley[/name_m]/Well-es-lee/etc. in terms of pronunciations. But if you’re prepared to correct people, that doesn’t have to be a big deal. I have a name that people tend to mispronounce (or confuse with a similar, more common name, a la [name_f]Wellesley[/name_f]/[name_m]Wesley[/name_m]) and it doesn’t bother me much. It’s just something to think about; I know people who have similar situations who are more bothered by it.
[name_f]Wellesley[/name_f] definitely strikes me as very preppy, which it sounds like is a positive for you! It’s not my personal style, but I do think it could be wearable for a girl. I would balance it with a classic, feminine middle. Some other names that remind me of [name_f]Wellesley[/name_f] in sound or style:
[name_u]Merritt[/name_u]
[name_f]Kinsley[/name_f]
[name_u]Sinclair[/name_u]
[name_f]Delancey[/name_f]
[name_u]Emerson[/name_u]
[name_u]Ellery[/name_u]
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Hmm I don’t like it at all to be honest. I think it would often be pronounced Well-Es-Ley, and it sounds like a rather dull street name to me.