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Baby names

Anais, Esme or Isobel

50 replies

JojoMags · 16/05/2013 22:07

Mn would be Margaret, which is a family name. Last name rhymes with 'tree'.

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SirChenjin · 16/05/2013 22:10

I love Esme, but not sure how it would sound with 'tree'?

Anais also lovely - just have visions of you repeating "no, Ann-i-ees, not Ann-ay", but maybe not.

Isobel - a bit meh

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DizzyPurple · 16/05/2013 22:13

Isobel is really popular although pretty.
Anais - pretty but I'm not sure how you'd pronounce it.
Esme - I like it but again more than one pronunciation so see how it works for you..

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sleepingbeautiful · 16/05/2013 22:17

Anais. I didn't know how to pronounce it when my friend used it for her now 4 year old, but I only needed to be told once. I think it's lovely.

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Snazzynewyear · 16/05/2013 22:18

Isobel. The pronunciation problems with Anais or even Esme (Es-mee or Es-may? there was a recent thread about it) would be annoying. Isobel Margaret is lovely.

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bootsycollins · 16/05/2013 22:19

Anais

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BluddyNora · 16/05/2013 22:22

I love Anais- would've used it but I had a boy

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AnaisB · 16/05/2013 22:23

If you call her anais no one will pronounce it right. Some people who know how to pronounce it correctly won't because apparently it makes them sound pretentious.

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JojoMags · 16/05/2013 22:23

Ok so now I'm feeling a bit silly Blush. I have always thought Anais was pn an-nay-is, or ah-nay-is and went to college with someone who pn it this way. But in response to SirChenjin have just googled it on several baby name sites and come up with 2 other pn that don't match either my own or SirChen's. Hmm, in the light of so much uncertainty maybe best ruled out. But out of interest, any other opinions on how you pn it?

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sleepingbeautiful · 16/05/2013 22:34

The friend with the 4yr old Anais says Ann-i-eece. They are French though, so maybe it's different in UK?!

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Ficidy · 16/05/2013 22:56

I'm a French teacher and agree with sleepingbeautiful.

Out of your 3 names, I prefer Esmé, spelt like that and pronounced Ez-may, also the French way.

All lovely names though!

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littleginger · 16/05/2013 23:06

Isobel Margaret go really nicely but think I prefer Esme out of the three. I would've been one of the idiots to pronounce Anais 'Ann-ay' Grin

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squoosh · 16/05/2013 23:40

I'd go for Esme (pr. ez-may)

Anais is a tricky one, I think it's pronounced anay-iss but I'm never 100% and people would get it wrong all the time.

Not keen on Isobel.

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JennyEnglishTwo · 16/05/2013 23:44

Isobel is the nicest even though it's very popular. I think I'd pick Esme. AnnEYEus is how i'd say it but I heard a woman pronounce it Anus once. Talking about the cacherel scent. I'm NOT kidding you. Anus Anus. I like margaret. I'd pick Margaret Esme!

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PhyllisDoris · 16/05/2013 23:45

Esme Tree and Anais Tree don't sound right, though I like both names. Isobel Tree sounds fine though.

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Cloverer · 16/05/2013 23:54

I met someone once with a little girl called "An-ay" Grin

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KansasCityOctopus · 16/05/2013 23:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

snickersnacker · 17/05/2013 06:53

Anaïs is beautiful but please remember that it is spelled with a diaeresis over the 'i', thus: ï. This is what gives the pn 'ann-i-eece'. Without it the French pn would be 'anay'.

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Layl77 · 17/05/2013 08:08

I love love Anais, so pretty but doesn't sound as pretty as it looks when pronounced properly an-ay-eece. Unless you take ages to say it, sounds like anayce. Or anus. Put me off ;(

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Meringue33 · 17/05/2013 08:20

Love Anais but would worry it would seem inapt for a little one due to Anais Nin.

Isobel lovely but too popular.

Esme is fab. I also love the character in For Esme with Love and Squalor.

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Decoy · 17/05/2013 08:23
  1. Isobel
  2. Anais
  3. Esme
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SirChenjin · 17/05/2013 10:19

My phonetic spelling wasn't very good - should have had a c in it rather than just the s, Ann-i-eece was what I was trying to say with Ann-i-ees!

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starfishmummy · 17/05/2013 10:34

I am reading on my phone and misread it as Anals........

Isobel

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monica77798 · 17/05/2013 10:56

Esme gets my vote. Isobel is a nice name, but a bit too common these days.

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CheesyPoofs · 17/05/2013 11:07

Either Esme or Anais

Please not yet another Isobel.

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LaRegina · 17/05/2013 11:14

Isobel has become a bit meh as it's way too popular. Esme is lovely and not over-used. Anais is a fine but all the problems with pn would irritate me.

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