Depends on the ethnicity of the person. If it was someone Slavic, I'd say My-uh. If it was someone Hispanic (although not likely, unless the person was named after a Goya painting), then Ma-ha.
I would be really surprised if it was pronounced Ma-juh/ Ma-ja.
Post by longtimenopost on Apr 25, 2015 12:40:26 GMT -5
Thanks ladies! I ask because there's been some disagreement. DH is Danish, and we'd like to use this spelling which in our case would be pronounced like Maya. I told my mom (mistake #1 lol) and she said everyone would use a hard j and call her Mah-juh.
For ref, middle name is Kirsten and last name is very typical Scandi name.
I'm all for ethnic names, but I would shy away from one that might be mispronounced often.
I hear you, but it is friggin hard to find a third girl name we both like that works in both languages! Sigh.
Is it perceived as "wrong" by Danes to spell it "Maya"? My parents, for example, went with the commonly-accepted-in-the-US spelling of Anna over Ana. Most of my relatives still spell my name Ana, but to my parents, it mattered more that I not deal with a lifetime of misspellings in school, etc. here.
And if your tolerance level is high, then just go for it and be ready to correct people. It's a lovely name.
Is it perceived as "wrong" by Danes to spell it "Maya"? My parents, for example, went with the commonly-accepted-in-the-US spelling of Anna over Ana. Most of my relatives still spell my name Ana, but to my parents, it mattered more that I not deal with a lifetime of misspellings in school, etc. here. And if your tolerance level is high, then just go for it and be ready to correct people. It's a lovely name.
I appreciate the perspective! I think if we spelled it Maya, they would be able to pronounce it. But Maja is like a top 20 name there so if we end up moving back, she'd be constantly correcting spelling!
I wouldn't worry about having to correct people - I think the majority of people would say it Maya, especially paired with the other names, and those that aren't familiar with it can be corrected. I have a Scandinavian name myself and have always had to tell most people how it is pronounced and it isn't a huge deal for me.
Thanks ladies! I ask because there's been some disagreement. DH is Danish, and we'd like to use this spelling which in our case would be pronounced like Maya. I told my mom (mistake #1 lol) and she said everyone would use a hard j and call her Mah-juh.
For ref, middle name is Kirsten and last name is very typical Scandi name.
Sorry, but your mom is right. People are dumb, especially when it comes to names. My name is literally pronounced exactly as it is spelled, and yet people mispronounce it ALL THE TIME. it is super annoying, especially because if you cane read, there is no reason to mispronounce my name. I saw the name and thought maybe it was Maya, but I wasn't sure. Which means many people will mispronounce it. If you like the name, I personally would go with the familiar spelling (Maya) and save your kid the annoyance of having to correct people the rest of her life.
share.memebox.com/x/uKhKaZmemebox referal code for 20% off! DD1 "J" born 3/2003 DD2 "G" born 4/2011 DS is here! "H" born 2/2014 m/c#3 1-13-13 @ 9 weeks m/c#2 11-11-12 @ 5w2d I am an extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, baby wearing, pro marriage equality, birth control lovin', Catholic mama.
Thanks ladies! I ask because there's been some disagreement. DH is Danish, and we'd like to use this spelling which in our case would be pronounced like Maya. I told my mom (mistake #1 lol) and she said everyone would use a hard j and call her Mah-juh.
For ref, middle name is Kirsten and last name is very typical Scandi name.
Sorry, but your mom is right. People are dumb, especially when it comes to names. My name is literally pronounced exactly as it is spelled, and yet people mispronounce it ALL THE TIME. it is super annoying, especially because if you cane read, there is no reason to mispronounce my name. I saw the name and thought maybe it was Maya, but I wasn't sure. Which means many people will mispronounce it. If you like the name, I personally would go with the familiar spelling (Maya) and save your kid the annoyance of having to correct people the rest of her life.
I am dumbfounded that people can mispronounce your name.
I wouldn't spell it Maja if she is going to grow up here. My husband and I both have ethnic names. He has been dealing with a Maja/Maya issue his whole life. His name only has 3 letters. I had a similar problem with my maiden name. We were actually going to change the spelling of his first name when we got our marriage certificate in NYC. But we learned that the two people getting married can change their last names to anything they want. However, to change your first name requires going to court and we weren't interested in that much effort.
Oh my. I can't believe people can't figure out how to say Maja. But maybe that's because my name is way more challenging to say, people screw it up all the time, and I don't GAF. I love names from other ethnicities and languages.
Oh my. I can't believe people can't figure out how to say Maja. But maybe that's because my name is way more challenging to say, people screw it up all the time, and I don't GAF. I love names from other ethnicities and languages.
Does your name also start with an m? I think I saw you on fb people you may know. If it does, my friends just named their baby your first name.
Oh my. I can't believe people can't figure out how to say Maja. But maybe that's because my name is way more challenging to say, people screw it up all the time, and I don't GAF. I love names from other ethnicities and languages.
Does your name also start with an m? I think I saw you on fb people you may know. If it does, my friends just named their baby your first name.
It does! They probably spelled it correctly...although that depends on what country they are from.
I am part Dutch but my parents changed the spelling to take the J out. I kind of wish they hadn't.
The Hungarian variant is actually pronounced differently.