Pronunciation issue

Girl Names
1

I’m still not settled on names for my twins, due in late [name]August[/name].

Big sister is [name]Eva[/name] [name]Simone[/name].

I was considering [name]Sylvie[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] and [name]Natalia[/name] [name]Cecile[/name], but now I am thinking [name]Carolina[/name] [name]Estelle[/name] instead of [name]Sylvie[/name].

I am pronouncing [name]Carolina[/name] caro[name]LEEna[/name] ” not like the states. People keep saying this is going to be a problem, and one of my friends went so far as to say it’s pretentious! I just think it’s prettier. [name]Do[/name] you think pronunciation is going to be a problem?

Possibly we could use [name]Cecilia[/name] instead of [name]Carolina[/name], if [name]Carolina[/name] is so problematic. [name]Do[/name] you prefer [name]Cecilia[/name]?

I was thinking [name]Carolina[/name]'s nickname could be [name]Coco[/name]. That goes with [name]Sylvie[/name], I think. [name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Coco[/name].

But [name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name] has [name]Sylvie[/name] as the odd one out because [name]Sylvie[/name] is French and sprightly and ends with an -ee sound while the others are more Latin or Slavic and lush and end with an -a. So with full names, [name]Natalia[/name] goes better. My husband wants to call [name]Natalia[/name] “[name]Tali[/name]” which I am not sure I like.

To summarize:

[name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name]? (aka [name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Coco[/name])
[name]Eva[/name], [name]Natalia[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name]?
[name]Eva[/name], [name]Natalia[/name] and [name]Cecilia[/name]?

I hope you aren’t tired of me, I feel like I’m asking the same question over and over.

2

I do think most people will say [name]Carolina[/name] like the states. You’d probably need to change the spelling to get the pronunciation that you want. although I like [name]Carolina[/name], like the states. :slight_smile:
I’m not a fan of Slyvie or [name]Cecilia[/name]. Not anything against them, they are just too old fashioned for my taste. so I like:
[name]Eva[/name], [name]Natalia[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name]

3

I very much agree that in the US, you’re going to get [name]Caro[/name]-line-a much more often than you’ll get [name]Caro[/name]-leen-a. I love the [name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Coco[/name] combination, though. I’m also a big fan of both [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Cecilia[/name]. I think that [name]Coco[/name] works for [name]Cecilia[/name] just as much as it does for [name]Carolina[/name]. But, [name]Natalia[/name] is great, too! And, I also love nn [name]Tallie[/name]!

[name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name]? (aka [name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Coco[/name])
[name]Eva[/name], [name]Natalia[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name]?
[name]Eva[/name], [name]Natalia[/name] and [name]Cecilia[/name]?

My choices would be:
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Cecilia[/name]
[name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Natalia[/name]

If the common starting sounds in [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Cecilia[/name] are a problem for you, I’d go with [name]Eva[/name], Syvlie and [name]Talia[/name]!

Good luck!

4

I think [name]Caroline[/name] is sometimes [name]Carolyn[/name] and sometimes [name]Caro[/name]-line, so you would get either pronunciation as a guess when you spell it with an A, and have to correct most (I don’t know if everyone associates the name with the states). I think [name]Carolina[/name] Herrera makes out ok, and I think it’s a beautiful name, would not be dissuaded by the probable mispronunciation, particularly if you are giving her a nickname. If everyone calls her [name]Coco[/name], they might wonder what that’s short for, and she will say it is short for Car-o-lee-na, and they will think that’s magnificent.

[name]Cecilia[/name] is not my favorite name, but I feel compelled to point out, she will be Cece (see-see, not chechay like the beans, aka garbanzo or chick peas). I don’t know if you can manage to justify calling her [name]Coco[/name] when her name starts with Cece.

[name]Cecilia[/name] or Cece is ok with me, I just don’t love it, I do not personally prefer it over [name]Carolina[/name]. and would not imagine choosing it as a substitute because one of your friends said [name]Carol[/name]-[name]EEna[/name] was pretentious. I don’t know how conventionally we decide a name has one pronunciation or another - Evangeleen, Angeleena, [name]Clement[/name]-ine, [name]Madel[/name]-in or -ine? [name]Maria[/name] or [name]Mariah[/name]? [name]Carol[/name]-eena or [name]Carol[/name]-i-na… It’s only because there are states that everyone has heard of, the name is truly either way and it’s not pretentious just because some people never heard it used on a person!

[name]Sylvie[/name] is French, doesn’t really stand out from the other names to me. I have been liking the name, but I know a [name]Sylvia[/name], that makes a difference to me. It is cool. I don’t really think [name]Sylvie[/name] is too distinctively French from [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name], but you can name her [name]Sylvia[/name] and call her [name]Sylvie[/name]. I listen and the sound [name]Eva[/name] with [name]Sylvie[/name] goes and [name]Carolina[/name] maybe sounds different from the other two. It is a very fine line, I would be inclined to use this set. Mostly things that “don’t match” as siblings to me is sex distinction/ambiguity, names that are different in simplicity and elaboration, where you might feel like your sister got the much better deal.

[name]Natalia[/name] instead of [name]Sylvie[/name] - I like [name]Sylvie[/name] better, not that [name]Natalia[/name] is not sweet also, but this is not my kid. If it was between [name]Natalia[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name] - to go with [name]Carolina[/name] or [name]Cecilia[/name], I’d choose [name]Natalia[/name] over [name]Sylvie[/name], or [name]Sylvia[/name] and feel ok calling her [name]Sylvie[/name].

I like [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name] and something else, OR

I like [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name] and something else - not [name]Natalia[/name] or [name]Carolina[/name] or [name]Cecilia[/name].
[name]Natalie[/name], [name]Caroline[/name], or [name]Cecile[/name] is a first thought, but if none of those, then something else entirely.

5

[name]Hi[/name] there, [name]Pomme[/name]! :slight_smile: If you have to ask 1,000 more questions, there’s nothing wrong with that! Naming your babies is important business!

I do think that you’re going to have Care-oh-line-uh issues, not only because of the states, but because [name]Caroline[/name] is usually Care-oh-line in the US. That said, when paired with a name like [name]Natalia[/name], I think the intended pronunciation is more obvious.

If you’re not a Spanish-speaking person or someone from one of the Eastern Bloc countries, I can see why some of your friends may find the pronunciation pretentious. I don’t personally agree, but I’m guessing that’s their reasoning.

I’d personally be so concerned about pronunciation issues (I’d be picturing a life of, "No! Not Care-oh-line-uh! It’s Care-oh-leen-uh!), that I’d likely up using [name]Cecilia[/name] for my baby, but it wouldn’t be because I loved [name]Cecilia[/name] more than [name]Carolina[/name]. (Which isn’t a great reason to choose a name.)

[name]Cecilia[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name] are tied for me, and I think they’re both gorgeous. If you aren’t worried about inevitable pronunciation issues, I’d go with [name]Carolina[/name], but if you are, I’d go with [name]Cecilia[/name] or something else.

[name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name]: Something seems off for me with [name]Sylvie[/name] in the mix
[name]Eva[/name], [name]Natalia[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name]: Tied for 1st place for me…
[name]Eva[/name], [name]Natalia[/name] and [name]Cecilia[/name]: Tied for 1st place for me…

I know this is from previous posts, but with [name]Sylvie[/name] in the mix, I don’t see [name]Carolina[/name] or [name]Natalia[/name], because the Eastern Bloc names theme is gone (for me).

I see names like [name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name], and:

[name]Beatrix[/name]/[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Camille[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]
[name]Mirabel[/name]
[name]Viola[/name]
[name]Violette[/name]
[name]Winifred[/name]

Keep posting away, [name]Pomme[/name], until you find the perfect names! :slight_smile:

Have a great day!

6

Thanks everyone. My husband also likes [name]Chloe[/name] but I’m resisting that because it’s too popular now. I like it but not if every kid has it. But what do you think:

[name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Chloe[/name]?

I think [name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name] and [name]Coco[/name] is just as good and less popular. ([name]Coco[/name] being short for [name]Carolina[/name].)

Or I’ll just do [name]Eva[/name], [name]Natalia[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name]. I might just wait til I see them.

7

For what it’s worth, I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with any of the names you’re considering.

I personally think your [name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name], and [name]Coco[/name]/[name]Carolina[/name] combo is lovley, (I think [name]Coco[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name] is great!), and like you said, it’s less popular than [name]Chloe[/name].

I think [name]Eva[/name], [name]Sylvie[/name], and [name]Chloe[/name] was your original choice, with the popularity keeping you from [name]Chloe[/name]. My personal take is that [name]Chloe[/name] is a gorgeous name (with the woodsy feel you love), that works well with [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name]. It would be a shame to let a name’s popularity stop you from using a name (provided you love the name, of course) especially because your little [name]Chloe[/name] may grow up being the only [name]Chloe[/name] in her class.

[name]Just[/name] because a name is in the top 10 doesn’t mean that it’s common in your area/neighborhood, and likewise, giving your child a rarer name doesn’t guarantee that she’ll be the only child with that name in her class.

I think [name]Chloe[/name] is elegant yet whimsical, and if you like it, you should go for it! :slight_smile: If the popularity issue is too great, have you considered [name]Cleo[/name] as an alternative? (I can’t remember…)

Continued good luck, [name]Pomme[/name]! :slight_smile:

8

I’m so glad you’re still considered [name]Sylvie[/name]. [name]Sylvie[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] is so perfect with [name]Eva[/name] [name]Simone[/name], in my opinion. :slight_smile:

If I understand, if you use [name]Sylvie[/name], you’re considering [name]Caroline[/name]/a or [name]Chloe[/name]? Such great choices! I agree with [name]Jill[/name] about [name]Chloe[/name] - yes, it’s popular but it’s not trendy. It’s a great name and pairing it with [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name] only increases its classiness.

That said I’m a big fan of [name]Caroline[/name] too and [name]CoCo[/name] is adorable!

You cannot go wrong, [name]Pomme[/name]. These are fantastic names.

9

Thanks for the encouragement. I am so, so tired today. These babies are due in 6 weeks or so and I don’t know [name]HOW[/name] I am going to make it. I lay on the bed like a beached whale.

[name]Sylvie[/name] seems natural and practical, easy to say and right. There is a [name]Carolina[/name] in my little girl’s school, pronounced the way I want to pronounce it. Her mom is Brazilian. I don’t know if there are any Chloes! I guess I’ll wait til I see the babies… that’s what I did with [name]Eva[/name].

Meanwhile I’ll read over your encouraging comments–thanks so much.

10

Aw, bless you and good luck with your girls!

I agree that all your choices are spectacular and you really can’t go wrong.

I have no issue with “care-o-leen-ah” and I’m very picky normally. It just seems to me that it’s a perfectly legitimate pronunciation, although perhaps not the “default” one here in the U.S.

So [name]Eva[/name], [name]Natalia[/name], and [name]Coco[/name] works for me! I also love [name]Cecilia[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name] though, so I may not be much help. lol