Alaea vs Alaeia

blingbean · March 2012

I'm back yet again trying to find an Indian/Bengali name that's easy to say in English.

The word "aleya" (pronounced A-LAY-A, much like "Princess Leia") means "will-o'-the-wisp" in Bengali and is sometimes used as a name. I like the meaning and think it's pretty, but I dislike the spelling. I'm particularly concerned with it being misprounced as a-LEE-a (Aleah, Aaliyah, etc). Spelling it Alaya would cause it to be prounounced a-LIE-a (like Maya).

Thus I've come up with Alaea and Alaeia. I'm leaning towards Alaea just because it's one less letter, so simpler, but this morning I started second guessing myself and thinking that "Alaeia" looks pretty.

I'm curious about what other folks think and would really appreciate some feedback!

HannahO28 · March 2012

yeah...Alaea and Alaeia skirt into "WTF?" waters. The mind just doesn't go to any pronunciation at all and it's confusing and frustrating.

I think you should go with Aleya. I would have said it right. And it seems the most 'correct'.

blingbean · March 2012

Thanks for the feedback guys! Alaya is just off the table because there are a number of Indian names that end in "aya" that are pronounced as in "Maya," and I don't feel like having to argue the reasoning with the Indian relatives. They will just say spell it "Aleya" instead of "Alaya" and correct people a few times if they say it wrong, and I'm inclined to agree (if it's a matter of correcting people, I feel like I might as well spell it the "correct" way).

I'm more curious to get feedback on Alaea vs Alaeia. Perhaps the feedback so far regarding too many vowels means Alaea is better than Alaeia?

ames71 · March 2012

I wouldn't change the spelling at all. I would have pronounced Aleya correctly, and I assume that most people would as well. I think you would have more issues with the strange spellings you've come up with, to be honest.

HannahO28 · March 2012

blingbean:
Thanks for the feedback guys! Alaya is just off the table because there are a number of Indian names that end in "aya" that are pronounced as in "Maya," and I don't feel like having to argue the reasoning with the Indian relatives. They will just say spell it "Aleya" instead of "Alaya" and correct people a few times if they say it wrong, and I'm inclined to agree (if it's a matter of correcting people, I feel like I might as well spell it the "correct" way).
I'm more curious to get feedback on Alaea vs Alaeia. Perhaps the feedback so far regarding too many vowels means Alaea is better than Alaeia?

if it helps, I would say those names differently (after struggling to figure them each out for a good 5-10 seconds)

Alaea=uh-lay-uh

Alaeia=uh-lay-ee-uh

SarahPLiz · March 2012

I think Aleya is the most straight foward way to spell it. Your other spellings have way too many vowels and are really ambiguous on pronunciation, which is what it sounds like you were trying to avoid in the first place.

blingbean · March 2012

Thank you HannahaO28 (and everyone else)!

I think your comparison of pronunciations between Alaea and Alaeia is spot on, and Alaea is more accurate.

I think the other concern I have with Aleya is it's so close to Alexa that it looks like misspelled Alexa or misspelled Aliya.

Alaea is apparently also a Hawaiian word/name meaning "red ochre."

blingbean · March 2012

Just honest curiosity: how else could "Alaea" be pronounced? I took the "aea" from Greek/Latin names like Linnaea (lin-AY-a) and Althaea (al-TAY-a).

But I suppose it seems like I'm justifying my "weird" spellings too much :P.

BlindysWife · March 2012

Oh my word. If you're concerned about people pronouncing this name wrong, for the love of Pete, don't spell it Alaea OR Alaeia. I promise you, these will be mispronounced far more often!

For the record, I would have said Aleya correctly.

gracefulruby33 · March 2012

ames17:
I wouldn't change the spelling at all. I would have pronounced Aleya correctly, and I assume that most people would as well. I think you would have more issues with the strange spellings you've come up with, to be honest.

This. I would pronounce Alaya "A-lie-uh" and the other spellings are too confusing.

Saltina11 · March 2012

Neither. Both are confusing as to how to pronounce.

kelnyc · March 2012

I think both spellings are not going to get the a-lay-ah you're looking for. So, I'd spell it like Princess Leia (Aleia) or Aleya and know that no matter what you choose, you will probably have to correct people.

festivusforme · March 2012

I pronounce Alaea - Ah-lay-ah

I pronounce Alaeia - Ah-lee-ah

The spelling Alaeia looks polynesian to me.

blingbean · March 2012

Oh god. I think my eyes have glazed over reading all the permutations of the name and my tongues is permanently tied in a knot.

Methinks this baby girl needs a new name :P.

I do appreciate all the feedback though--I wouldn't have come with all this myself!

SarahPLiz · March 2012

My friend's little girl is Priya. I know its popular, but it does translate well and I think it is pretty. I know its Indian but I don't know about Bengali. I have another Indian friend named Nisha. I think that one is pretty too.

SarahPLiz · March 2012

My friend's little girl is Priya. I know its popular, but it does translate well and I think it is pretty. I know its Indian but I don't know about Bengali. I have another Indian friend named Nisha. I think that one is pretty too.

brooklynesque · March 2012

kelnyc:
I think both spellings are not going to get the a-lay-ah you're looking for. So, I'd spell it like Princess Leia (Aleia) or Aleya and know that no matter what you choose, you will probably have to correct people.

This.

FWIW I think it's is a nice name -- in its original spelling, if you don't lard it up with a bunch of random vowels.

FrecklesInside · March 2012

HannahO28:

yeah...Alaea and Alaeia skirt into "WTF?" waters. The mind just doesn't go to any pronunciation at all and it's confusing and frustrating.

I think you should go with Aleya. I would have said it right. And it seems the most 'correct'.

I'm with this. You want to use the name for it's signifiance so you should spell it as is - Aleya. I don't think I'd have an issue pronouncing this and I definitely would with Alaea and Alaeia which are really difficult to look at and figure out what's going on.

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