Baby Name Question: Pronunciation

Shawlls · August 2016

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 · August 2016

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

Gingersnap · August 2016

May Elle.

blush64 · August 2016

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 · August 2016

May-el or male.

Gingersnap · August 2016

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

joyful08 · August 2016

I agree with the others I would say May-el

MommaBean · August 2016

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

cinderin · August 2016

another vote for may elle

Shawlls · August 2016

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 · August 2016

Looking at it I'd go with Mail.

Rachelbd · August 2016

I thought "My-ell"

kswiger06 · August 2016

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 · August 2016

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 · August 2016

Mah- Elle

SawyerRichardson · August 2016

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

hispenguin · August 2016

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 · August 2016

@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.

Want a personalized experience?

Baby Name Question: Pronunciation

Re: Baby Name Question: Pronunciation

Choose Another Board

Search Boards