I have two beautiful girls currently, [name_f]Noemi[/name_f] [name_f]Xochitl[/name_f] (6.5 years old) and [name_f]Kiana[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] (3 years old). I’m pregnant with our third, due [name_u]August[/name_u] 4. We will not know if we are having a boy or girl until sometime in [name_u]March[/name_u]. So ever since I was pregnant the first time, my husband and I decided to name a boy Zenón, after his grandfather who passed away 12+ years ago. Since no one else in his family has used the name yet, we will probably still use it if this baby is a boy.
I have a couple concerns about this name being used in the US.
Since accent marks are not used on US birth certificates, I’m wondering if pronunciation will be an issue all of his life. Zenón makes it a little easier to figure out than [name_m]Zenon[/name_m].
I had thought about changing the spelling to Cenon to help with the pronunciation, but I think it is better to use the spelling his grandfather used.
Also, there is a movie that was out when I was young ([name_m]Zenon[/name_m]: Girl of the 21st Century) that I actually just watched today with my oldest. The main character is a girl named [name_m]Zenon[/name_m], pronounced the way I don’t want the name pronounced.
What do you all think? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you have any advice for me? How would you guess the pronunciation of this name?
Thank you so much for your response! We live in [name_u]New[/name_u] [name_f]England[/name_f] (CT), though our area does have a pretty big Hispanic population.
I already have pronunciation issues with [name_f]Noemi[/name_f] (everyone wants to say [name_f]Naomi[/name_f]) though important people in her life say it correctly. Usually kids say her name perfectly fine, because they are repeating what we say, and not reading anything.
I could try using the accent mark when writing the name, but I don’t know if the teachers would be bothered to add it in when spelling out his name. All official documents, school records, etc would just say [name_m]Zenon[/name_m].
The movie first came out in 1999 (I was 7) and there were two sequels made after. It’s not a very popular movie, but it is on Disney Plus right now, so that’s how I watched it with my daughter. Probably only people around my age would have seen the movie (or if they happen to find it on Disney Plus).
I would pronounce it zee-non without hearing it first. Im guessing this isnt the pronunciation you want… Im in the the southeastern US. I think its a pretty name! Unfortunately I don’t know it the accent will make any difference…
That movie was one of my childhood staples so unfortunately I read this and said it just like the movie. I think the accents help those who are used to them those who aren’t it’s pretty much reading the name as if they aren’t there because the accents don’t really tell me what to do so I really don’t know if part-time,
Full-time use will compare much to not using them at all if that makes sense.
I agree that for people of a certain age, that movie will always come to mind/be their frame of reference. And yes, seeing it without the accent, I definitely would pronounce [name_m]Zenon[/name_m] as it is said in the movie. I was 3 when it came out but used to watch it all the time as a kid.
If it bothers you having to correct your oldest daughter’s name already, you can judge how annoying that would be to do twice over and go from there. I can tell you from experience working with a bunch of paperwork and accented names that people don’t bother maintaining accent marks when writing out said names, which sucks.
I would use it as a beautiful and meaningful middle name and go with a more straightforward first name
I am a bit older than that— in fact, it was most popular when my generation were in the target age demographic— and I still don’t think of the movie automatically even though I have very much heard of it. I think you’re ok there, OP! It was popular, but not enough to make it a “one person name.”
What a great name! I really would encourage you to stick with it in this spelling, especially as a family name and a name you’ve wanted to use for 7+ years.
I’ll confess that without the accent, I would instinctively read [name_m]Zenon[/name_m] as “ZEN-on”, but “seh-NON” feels simple enough for people to grasp pretty quickly, like [name_f]Noemi[/name_f]’s name.
I have never heard of the film, it sounds like I’ve been missing out! But I certainly would assume boy if I saw or heard the name, if that’s what you’re wondering about.
I actually haven’t had to correct as many people lately, it was mostly when she was a baby. When we do meet new people, like a new teacher, they will usually ask how to say her name. Occasionally I’ll let the [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] slide if it’s not someone who will be interacting with her anyways, because it is technically just the Spanish version of [name_f]Naomi[/name_f]. But my daughter sometimes corrects people herself! At the doctor’s office, their doctor wrote down the pronunciation of both my girls’ first names because the nurses used to get the pronunciation wrong a lot. They all know them by now over there, but I can see them doing that with [name_m]Zenon[/name_m].
What other names would you suggest to go with [name_f]Noemi[/name_f] and [name_f]Kiana[/name_f] with [name_m]Zenon[/name_m] as a middle? Last name is similar in sounds and syllables to Espinoza. I’m White and my husband is Mexican.
The movie stresses the [name_f]Zee[/name_f] part of the name. In Spanish, the Z sounds more like an S, and the last syllable is stressed (which is what the accent mark is for, but it’s not used in the US).
I just looked up the name on Behind the Name and found out the [name_m]Zenon[/name_m] spelling is a Polish name. I had no idea! [name_f]My[/name_f] maternal grandfather was half Polish. It is also pronounced with the stress on the second syllable.
Thank you! That’s good to know! I know kids he’s around wouldn’t have heard of the movie, but maybe other parents would. I feel like every time I say his name will be followed by an explanation that it’s his great-grandfather’s name.
Thanks for responding. I would hope no one would think it’s a girl’s name. It does not look or sound like a girl’s name at all. I know the character in the movie was a girl, but I guess they were trying to find a futuristic sounding name. (The movie takes place in 2049, which is only 29 years from now, but it came out in 1999).
In Polish the stress is on the first syllable too unfortunately, ZEN-on. It’s such a cool name with any pronunciation, and I love it with your girls! [name_u]Lucky[/name_u] you having such a great family name to use
Not sure if any of these are to your taste, but I think they’re pronounceable to a non-Spanish speaking audience and also go well with your girls’ names…
Oh I guess I didn’t pay enough attention! I looked at it last night. I also listened to the Polish pronunciation, and it sounded a lot different than in the movie. The movie is more like ZEE-nawn.
[name_f]My[/name_f] husband is [name_m]Victor[/name_m]! Definitely won’t use that as a first name, but it IS a good name! I love [name_m]Javier[/name_m], [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] and [name_m]Ricardo[/name_m]!
