I’m planning on legally changing my name sometime soon. [name_f]My[/name_f] absolute favorite names would be Talia/Thalia but I’m torn between the two!
I’m most likely going for the TA-lee-uh pronunciation, but I don’t mind other pronunciations like THA-lee-uh. Any pronunciation is better than my ugly given name, so I’m not that bothered by people pronouncing it differently.
I also prefer the way [name_f]Thalia[/name_f] looks when written out. [name_f]Talia[/name_f] kind of looks like it’s missing something to me, although they’re both beautiful.
However, after browsing SSA statistics, it looks like [name_f]Talia[/name_f] is much more common than [name_f]Thalia[/name_f]. It’s also more phonetic. I also don’t want people to think it’s weird that I’ve put a silent h in the name for purely aesthetic reasons.
I’m not very interested in alternative spellings like [name_f]Tahlia[/name_f], [name_f]Taliyah[/name_f], etc. So, should I choose the more common, phonetic spelling? [name_u]Or[/name_u] should I go with the one I prefer aesthetically?
[name_f]Talia[/name_f] and [name_f]Thalia[/name_f] are both lovely names, no matter how you spell them! And congrats on finding a name you like for yourself!
In this case since it’s your name, I say go with the one YOU like the most.
I also prefer the look of [name_f]Thalia[/name_f], and I don’t think anyone would assume it was a made-up spelling or you adding an “h” for no reason! I feel like it’s known as a legitimate spelling. As long as you don’t mind saying “Thalia with an H” when spelling it out, I don’t think it’s too much of a hustle!
[name_f]Thalia[/name_f] is a muse in Greek mythology and is a very lovely name in my opinion. [name_f]Talia[/name_f] is beautiful too, but I’d say go with [name_f]Thalia[/name_f], since you seem to prefer that spelling. I always think tah-lee-ah when I see [name_f]Thalia[/name_f], so I’d assume other people do to. If they don’t, you may have to correct them, but you’re far from alone. People are constantly mispronouncing my name.
I prefer the simplicity and conciseness of [name_f]Talia[/name_f], but if you don’t mind getting Tha-lee-uh, I’d say go with the one you find most pleasing - it’s well established too