Baby Name Question: Pronunciation

Shawlls

Hi All,

Quick question! We are bilingual (from Canada), but with a very English last name, so we like first names that are more French. Our daughter is Zoe (our families say "ZO-ey" in English or "Zo-É" in French). Our second daughter will be Maelle. 

How would you pronounce this? (This is not a test - just looking to see if people might pronounce it in a variety of ways and then wanting to prepare ourselves in case we need to "prime" people or explain how to pronounce it). 

Thanks!

AliJorgensen29

I said "May-el" out loud when pronouncing it. Sounds like a pretty name and hopefully I am pronouncing it correctly.

Gingersnap

May Elle. 

blush64

I wouldn't know how to pronounce it. Either Mah-Elle or My-Elle. If I had to choose it would be somewhere between the first and second.

Gretchypoo

May-el or male.

Gingersnap

You should post on the baby name board, they are seriously good at name stuff. 

joyful08

I agree with the others I would say May-el

MommaBean

I'd say May-ell. Are you going to tell us if we're right?? 

cinderin

another vote for may elle

Shawlls

Thanks everyone! So it's pronounced MY-elle or MA-elle, but we figured we'd get some May-Elle (not too different). 

Getting excited for girl nugget #2!

cantalopes24

Looking at it I'd go with Mail.

Rachelbd

I thought "My-ell"

kswiger06

Ok i wasn't going to jump on because it's over but I read it may-elle but I really like the name. my-elle that is so pretty!!

Shawlls

I went to high school with a girl called Maelle (Ricker) and always liked the name. She actually won a Gold medal for Canada in snowboard at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. 

2014poppy

Mah- Elle 

SawyerRichardson

I pronounced it My-elle, but only because it is on my girl named list also!

hispenguin

I would pronounce it May-Elle. I hope I'm not saying it wrong!

We had the same issue when naming my DD. Her name is Emilie, with an accent on the first E which I can't figure out on my keyboard. You would pronounce it properly as Ay-mi-lee, but DH and I talked and we were fine with everyone pronouncing it Emily since we're in an Anglophone city.

Shawlls

@hispenguin - Exactly! It's pronounced "MY-elle" (or MAH-elle to me since I speak French and "my" in French would sounds like "me" or "mi"). So long as people say My-elle or May-elle, I'm good. But if 50 people had responded saying "Mail" or "Me-elle" or "Miley", then I'd have to keep that in mind. Our kids will go to French school, so this should all be fine anyways.

Émilie is a pretty name! My daughter (20 months) says "Ebily", but then again she also calls herself Joey, and her name is Zoe.