I decided months ago to name my daughter [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]. I am an American living in central Switzerland where the pronunciation is more like (Au-ray-lee-yu). I thought I had found the most beautiful name in the world. [name_u]Light[/name_u], melodic, ancient, warm, feminine…sigh.
[name_f]Beautiful[/name_f] daughter is now three months old and I want to shoot myself everytime I hear an American (her grandparents, mostly) say Oh Really, Uh? I want to cry. I have cried.
What was the most beautiful name in the world now sounds like incredulous pterodactyls. [name_u]Will[/name_u] I have to hear this the rest of my life??
I cannot unhear it. I can still change her name…but to WHAT? I cannot find anything that comes close.
This is a tricky situation - I understand your feelings!
First of all, I would like to say what a beautiful name you picked for your daughter. So pretty!!
What I would do is keep repeating the correct pronunciation to the American people in your life, and get it in their head. Firmly tell them that what they are saying is incorrect. Then, surround yourself with people who do say [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] the way you love, and start loving it again.
I really hope that you find the sparkle in this name again! I send you the best wishes.
Since you live in Switzerland, I don’t think the American pronunciation should concern you too much! Maybe you can explain to her grandparents that their pronunciation bothers you and just isn’t your daughter’s name, I’m sure switching to the correct pronunciation would be doable! [name_u]Or[/name_u] at least something closer to it. I imagine that aw-ray-lee-ah would be easy for an American to say! [name_u]Or[/name_u] maybe her grandparents could have a cute nickname for her, like [name_u]Auri[/name_u], [name_u]Rori[/name_u], or [name_f]Lia[/name_f].
For romantic, melodic names, you may like [name_f]Oriana[/name_f], [name_f]Estella[/name_f], [name_f]Leonora[/name_f], [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], [name_f]Eliana[/name_f], [name_f]Serena[/name_f], [name_f]Evelina[/name_f], [name_f]Adelina[/name_f], [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], [name_f]Serafina[/name_f], [name_f]Luciana[/name_f] or [name_f]Valentina[/name_f], but I don’t think changing [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] is necessary!
Hmmmits a tricky one as others have said! I can see how that would make you feel annoyed and dismayed - [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] is so pretty! Have you tried educating them on it and those around you (in US)? Is she likely to return to the States before she’s herself old enough to correct people? Could Raley be a nn so they get the Au-ray-lia sound?
The obvious change would be to [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] but that’ll also have problems - in [name_m]Oz[/name_m], it’s Am-ee-lee-ah but I think in the States, it usually gets Amil-yah which would be really off putting for me (). (Same goes for [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] and [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] presumably?)
Otherwise on top of the other suggestions (I love [name_f]Estella[/name_f] & [name_f]Leonora[/name_f] best of those on the list), how about [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f], [name_f]Anoushka[/name_f], [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f], [name_f]Celia[/name_f], [name_f]Cecily[/name_f], [name_f]Arabella[/name_f], [name_f]Camellia[/name_f], Audelia, [name_f]Autumn[/name_f], [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] or [name_f]Sunday[/name_f] (last few to keep the sunny/golden meaning).
I personally wouldn’t change it unless (and these are big hurdles) it’s a name you love equally (if not more), the hassles of [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] are really substantial, and you won’t resent anyone for having changed it.
How dreadful for you the wrong pronouncation can ruin a name that’s for sure! But I still wouldn’t change her name unless now you really dislike it. I’d probably just introduce her by her full name and then say but you can call her, her nickname (whatever one you like the best) I think the nickname [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] is adorable, relates to the meaning and not many people would get that wrong. That way the people who can pronounce her name correctly can call her by her full name (as it is stunning) and anyone who may struggle can use her nickname.
If you do really dislike her name now these are some which to me seem similar.
I like the suggestion of a nn for the grandparents to use. [name_f]Ayla[/name_f] or [name_f]Layla[/name_f] come to mind as enforcing the “ay” sound you prefer in [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]. [name_u]Or[/name_u] [name_f]Aura[/name_f], to avoid the sound completely?
[name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] is a gorgeous name - and of the ones I’ve met, they’ve all pronounced it differently! But, they’ve corrected it when it was said wrong! Would grandparents be willing to learn/use the pronunciation you’re using?
I’d also consider, are you due to remain in Switzerland? Would you hear it right more than you hear it pronounced wrong?
I was thinking of the following that all begin with A:
[name_f]Adeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]
[name_f]Amelia[/name_f]
and
[name_f]Amalia[/name_f]
Some that don’t begin with A:
[name_f]Ophelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
and
[name_f]Cornelia[/name_f]
The closest you can get to [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] is [name_f]Amelia[/name_f].
By the way, I was not born [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] [name_f]Edith[/name_f].
I hope this helps!
[name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] is stunning! [name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] will be surrounded with people at school etc who will for sure pronounce it they way you planned it to be pronounced. Don’t worry, it’s going to be great! The first months are always hard in all kinds of ways. [name_f]My[/name_f] parents changed my name three times because the official person kept writing it wrong and then my grandparents didn’t like my name etc etc… in the end my parents went with the name they wanted to use in the first place. I have a difficult name, a lot of people pronounce it wrong at first… but it’s okey. (My grandfather gifted me a gold ring when I was born and my name is written wrong inside I still wear it and I haven’t fixed it). I love my name anyway.
I agree with others - try to make the grandparents to say the name in a way you like. I also agree that perhaps a nickname would solve the issue. [name_u]Or[/name_u] perhaps little [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] has a middle name they can use.
Heh, I remember I had this [name_u]French[/name_u] teacher who always pronounced everybody’s names in a super [name_u]French[/name_u] way and it was funny… Names become almost unrecognisable at times.
Maybe you’d like [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], Laurelia or [name_f]Meliora[/name_f]?
[name_f]My[/name_f] daughter’s name is constantly mispronounced and I feel your pain her name is so badly butchered and mistaken for other names it’s very frustrating. I have also cried thinking about how badly I’ve messed up with naming her [name_f]Lilia[/name_f]. I actually think the worse point of my name regret was between 3-6 months mark. I was obsessed about how badly I messed up her name considered changing it on multiple occasions wrote to the berries asked for reassurance then the moment passed and I’m on the whole I’m so darn happy with her name. I still get the odd niggling doubt about [name_f]Lilia[/name_f] normally after someone has butchered it but I’m so happy I stuck to my guns.
Regarding Aurelia’s name you have plenty of time to make the right decision for you and your child. Children don’t recognise their names until 6 months old. However what helped me was establishing a nickname for [name_f]Lilia[/name_f] that everyone could call her that doesn’t get butchered this was [name_f]Lily[/name_f]. Everyone calls her [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and it makes life easier but means I still get my name. You could go with [name_u]Rae[/name_u], [name_f]Aura[/name_f], [name_u]Auri[/name_u], [name_f]Lia[/name_f] or even [name_f]Goldie[/name_f]. Maybe say her name is [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] but we call her [name_f]Goldie[/name_f]. Everyone will call her [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] and then you won’t have to cringe every time it’s mispronounced. I would also always correct people when mispronouncing including the grandparents. Ultimately #itstartswithaname it’s not appropriate for people to never bother to learn how to say a name correctly!
Anyways names that feel similar could be [name_f]Oriana[/name_f], [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f], [name_f]Idalia[/name_f], [name_f]Lilia[/name_f], [name_f]Annika[/name_f], [name_f]Sunniva[/name_f] or [name_f]Annora[/name_f].
That is how you pronounce a city near where I am from, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. If that know Americans, they don’t want to call their granddaughter a city in Canada.
I absolutely love [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]. [name_f]Gorgeous[/name_f], gorgeous name! Since you love the name itself and are living in Switzerland, I think American pronunciation shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. Not that I wanna belittle your problem with it, but because I think you shouldn’t sacrifice a beautiful name you love because of it. Teach the grandparents the correct way to say her name and if they still can’t, just give [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] a nickname. [name_f]Aurie[/name_f], [name_f]Aura[/name_f], or [name_f]Lia[/name_f] are really cute. Another option is maybe to use her middle name? So not actually changing her name, but calling her both [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] and her mn.
I love Aurelia! I think if you keep talking about her with her name the correct way they might realise or if you tell them that they are saying her name wrong it might help. Goldie is a nickname for Aurelia (Aurelia means gold) that would avoid the pronunciation issues if that helps?
The only name I can think of is Ophelia or Emilia?
). (Same goes for [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] and [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] presumably?)
I still wear it and I haven’t fixed it). I love my name anyway. 
