[name_f]My[/name_f] husband and I were set on the name [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] (from the Hebrew word “ness” which means miracle). However, it is an uncommon name and when I was doing some research I saw that people could associate it with characters that I don’t like. We are now having doubts and are considering the name [name_f]Liya[/name_f] which means « I am with God » in Hebrew. We live in the USA and we want it to be pronounced « leeyah ». Which do you prefer and why?
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I’ve never heard the name [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] before, so I wouldn’t think of any association to a character or person. Perhaps you could consider [name_f]Nessy[/name_f] or [name_f]Nessie[/name_f]? I really don’t think Ness on it’s own is a bad name. It reminds me of [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] vs [name_f]Tess[/name_f] - Some people prefer one over the other, but they’re both great names.
I think [name_f]Liya[/name_f] is very pretty. [name_f]My[/name_f] first thought on pronunciation is lie-yah, but I would have no problem remembering that it’s like [name_f]Leah[/name_f], after being corrected. I think some names are tough to catch on to the right pronunciation, but this one feels like a quick learn.
It’s often difficult to find a name that has NO negative associations. So I think you two should revisit [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] 
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I prefer [name_f]Liya[/name_f] just by sound! It is a soft L name that rises beautifully at the end, while [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] honestly reminds me less favorable connections like “[name_f]Nessie[/name_f]” in [name_f]Scotland[/name_f].
Liya is easy to pronounce and just lovely! [name_f]My[/name_f] first guess was like “[name_f]Leah[/name_f],” but it’s easy enough to explain and the history will be fascinating to share. Congratulations 
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I prefer [name_f]Nessa[/name_f]. The only character I associate with [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] is Nessarose from Wicked. Also, I would personally use the [name_f]Leah[/name_f] spelling if you go with [name_f]Liya[/name_f] just for simplicity’s sake.
@futuremama Thanks for your input. Where I live most people would not pronounce the name [name_f]Leah[/name_f] “Leeyah” but “lay-ah”. Also [name_f]Leah[/name_f] was a character in the Bible and has a totally different meaning (it means weary). Yes so Nessarose is one and then the monster of the lock ness is another as some people mentioned on this thread.
@aventurine Nessarose from wicked and the lock ness monster. I never thought of it before people mentioned it. Maybe because I didn’t grow up here.
@Elle1 thank you for your input. We would definitely not go with [name_f]Nessie[/name_f] because one of the associations on we don’t like is with the [name_m]Lock[/name_m] Ness monster. Ness is pretty and we probably will call her that for short but Ness is a male name in Hebrew which is why we wanted to add the -a at the end to make it softer and more feminine. Some people also associated it with Nessarose from wicked which I didn’t know about since I wasn’t familiar with the book.
Would you consider “[name_f]Leeya[/name_f]?” I am not Hebrew, but I just Googled [name_f]Liya[/name_f] and apparently this is a variant. I like this spelling 
I know it can be so overwhelming to pick out a name, but really you have great taste! [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] is still really adorable and strong. [name_f]Every[/name_f] name has its possible downsides.
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Fwiw, I don’t associate [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] with the lock ness monster, even after it was pointed out. [name_f]Nessie[/name_f] on the other hand, I did immediately connect with it 
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I know a young girl named Annessa and she goes exclusively by [name_f]Nessa[/name_f]. She seems to get a positive response. It might have a small number of people who associate it with [name_f]Scotland[/name_f]’s [name_f]Nessie[/name_f], but not enough to matter. [name_f]Liya[/name_f] works too, though.
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Same. I honestly can’t think of any other characters – it’s a pretty rare name.
That said, I have to admit that I prefer [name_f]Liya[/name_f]. It just has a sweet, elegant sound and feel that I am loving. But I encourage you to go with the name you love most. You can’t go wrong here, imo. 
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I read Wicked back in the day (and saw the show a few times) and [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] didn’t make me think of the character. [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] also didn’t make me think of the loch ness monster. With any name some people will make their own associations - but then you can change them to being that of an adorable little girl. 
If you are interested in other unique Hebrew names, two that I find pretty:
[name_f]Tirzah[/name_f] (means delight)
Meira (feminine of [name_m]Meir[/name_m], means light)
As others have said, [name_f]Liya[/name_f] is cute though I think it will always be misspelled / mispronounced.
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This is [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] to me (love her!!)
I think it’s a nice name, but I actually think I prefer just Ness. Short, sweet, and interesting.
[name_f]Liya[/name_f] is also very pretty, and I would pronounce it as you say. It seems a little bit younger and fresher to me than [name_f]Nessa[/name_f], but also sounds a bit less distinctive, considering the similarity to [name_f]Leah[/name_f], [name_f]Lia[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Leela[/name_f], etc.
Overall, I think my vote goes to [name_f]Nessa[/name_f]. It’s interesting and distinctive, but feels grounded and traditional. (And if you haven’t seen [name_m]Gavin[/name_m] and [name_u]Stacey[/name_u], I really recommend it!)
@katinka
Never seen that show or movie. Ness sounds cute but it is a boy’s name in Hebrew so It would really sound strange to name a girl like that in our community. Much like calling a girl [name_m]David[/name_m].
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I can see that being odd. Both [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] and [name_f]Liya[/name_f] are really pretty. Have you considered [name_f]Liora[/name_f]?
I know a [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] who goes by Ness and I have never once thought of either of those associations! [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] is a great name and much better than [name_f]Liya[/name_f] imo.
I think [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] is very pretty! I did think of Nessarose, but the [name_m]Loch[/name_m] Ness Monster barely occurred to me. I think your daughter could make the name her own!
Although [name_f]Liya[/name_f] is pretty, it’s not to my personal taste (I love [name_f]Leah[/name_f], and obviously they’re not the same thing) and [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] seems like the one you loved! [name_f]Nessa[/name_f] is also a bit more intuitive to spell and pronounce.
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I prefer the soft sounds and sweet meaning of [name_f]Nessa[/name_f]! [name_f]Liya[/name_f] is nice too though
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