I have questions about three specific names, but everyone is more than welcome to add to the list of names we don’t know how to say. I can’t be the only one who has run across names that have puzzled them… #1 - Pashleigh
In an old and infamous baby name suggestion thread, a poster listed several yuppy baby names, including Pashleigh. How do you say that? The first syllable can’t really rhyme with “bash” can it? Because if it’s really pash-lee that’s going on my list o names I can’t believe people think are attractive first names.
#2- Islene
I found this in a baby name book, and yet to have ever meet someone with the name. Is it Is-lene or as if “I” was plural so more like Eyes-lene (or maybe Ice-lene)?
#3 - Kyler
I named a character this (well, Charles Kyler, but everyone calls him Kyler), and later discovered that it’s a real surname. I intend for it to rhyme with Tyler, so Ky-ler. But one of the surname pages I wandered across swears that there’s an “a” sound in it, and people say “Kay-ler” to sound much closer to Taylor instead. Ever met a Kyler before? My Kyler wasn’t raised by his birth family, so if the name really is supposed to be pronounced with an a for some reason, his sister can remark on it when they finally meet.
So, those are my name mysteries. Any insights? Any mystery names you’d like others to take a crack at?
The last two I’m 95% sure are an alternate spelling for Ilene (i.e I-lean), and Tyler with a K (i.e. Kye-luhr).
I’m less sure about the first one. But, seeing as I do know an Ashleigh, which is an alternate of Ashley, I’ll assume it’s pronounced like Ashley with a P, what you write as pash-lee.
Or, if you prefer IPA:
[ˈpæʃ liː] 2. [ˈkaɪ lɚ] 3. [aɪˈliːn]
One more thing: Are you sure the surname page wasn’t using “ay” to mean I? You know, like in other languages like Spanish. Note how the IPA uses an a, too.
I can’t find that page right now, but here’s a different one, claiming that as a first name it’s pronounced Kayler too. As a last name it’s of British origin, and the link says as a first it’s is Scandinavian
I know a baby Islene. Her parents pronounce it EES-leen. However, her grandmother’s name is Joan, pronounced like JoAnne, her mother’s name is Debb, pronounced like Debbie, and her brother’s name is Mykill, pronounced MICK-ill, not Michael, so my source may not be the most accurate.
There’s a Kyler in my kid’s class, but it rhymes with Tyler, not Taylor. His mom says she made the name up because she wanted a Tyler and his dad wanted a Kyle, Jr.
FWIW, when I see Pashleigh, I rhyme it with Ashley.
So…they muddied the water by suggesting through their “clarification” that it’s not pronounced how it’s spelled, even though most people would naturally pronounce the y in Ky as a long i. :rolleyes:
The Small One recently received an invitation to a birthday partys for twins named - well, hell, I can’t even figure out how to properly show you:
Aine, except there’s a rightward-leaning accent over the A
Mairéad
Look, I know Celtic names are all cool and stuff, but I don’t speak Celtic and neither do 99.8% of all Canadians, so how do these parents expect anyone, ever, to get these right? Why would you, in an English-speaking country, give your children names that are practically DESIGNED to be totally unphonetic to an Anglophone?
Anyway, I have to RSVP to the party and take my kid there so I’d appreciate knowing how to say these names when we sing “Happy Birthday.”
Seriously? You’d say them Ay-on-ya and Mayr-ee-ad? I’d say ON-ya and Mar-AID.
They’re Irish for Anne and Margaret. They’re not ‘cool’ over here (Ireland). They’re really normal - slightly old-fashioned in that they were more common for kids born in the 70s, but still.
I’d actually pronounce Islene as Is-lee-nee because it looks like Ismene, Antigone’s sister.
My husband and I both really like Greek girls’ names, but they all have such problematic associations. Medea? Ismene? Cassandra? Cressida? All lovely. Can’t be used.
