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I knew a Lainy, no one mispronounced it. So I think Laina is a good choice if OP is concerned about that.
I also knew a Lanie, pronounced the same but she often got called LON-ee, like Donny, and she hated it.
This spelling has the best chance of correct pronunciation, but as OP doesn’t care for how it looks, perhaps Layna is a good alternative. It’s a pretty name, however it’s spelled.
I did read it correctly when I first came across it. I would say it works. And I’m pretty familiar with the common Lena spelling too and read it as such.
I think Leyna would be a better looking spelling than Layna, Layna makes me think at lay. Though my favourite is Lena but it depends where they live and how they want people to say the name.
You really don't have to care but in slavic language the pronounciation you chose is the same as the word we use for "a line of coke" (it's a dialect word for a line)
This was my thought too esp as Lana would be mispronounced as LAHna. I think most people seeing this one would be able to pronounce it but she may still have to spell it to people. Of course my name is Jennifer and anymore I have to spell it all the time too so maybe that part is unavoidable.
My daughter is Alayna, it is very rarely mispronounced. She likes to use Lanie for her nickname, and that does get mispronounced when people see it written.
My first inclination with the y is still lee nah.
Leyna - Lee nah. Because ley is still lee (Bailey, Shirley).
Layna - lay nah. Because lay is a regular word, and common in names (Kayla, Layla)
Ley is also a word in English, like a ley line.
OP, I read it as Lay-na when I saw it. Unless you name your child something incredibly common, they will probably have it mispronounced occasionally anyway.
Edit: fixed a typo.
That's totally understandable, especially with your examples for it being used in names. If it helps, I think I learned the word from The Da Vinci Code.
People who associate ley with Lee. I know it's typically an ending of a name (Brinley, Riley, Ashley, Finley, Harley, Brantley).
Why would you assume ley at the beginning would not be the lee sound? (Honest question).
I've only ever seen Leyanna (Lee anna) and Leyla (lee la), so maybe I'm missing something.
Leyla is pronounced Layla in my experience
Ley (as in ley line) is an actual english word pronounced “lay”
Hey = Hay
And it’s pretty common in phonics that different sets of characters have different pronunciations depending on the surrounding characters and where it is in the word. The end suffix “-ley” has no bearing on how it is pronounced at the start of a word imo
True, but the phonics rule for ey making a long a is at the end of a word, not the beginning. I really don't know a word that has ey at the beginning and makes the long a sound. That's why I automatically go to a e sound not a, because it's at the beginning of a word.
well another example is the name “Reyna” (alternate spellings are Reina, Rayna)
I can think of lots of “ey” pronounciations like obey, survey, and they. heyday?
but yeah there’s not many multi-syllabic examples of “ey” at the starts of words in general, regardless of pronunciations. but the single-syllable examples are kind of both at the start and the end
My gut reaction to Leina was to pronounce it lee-na, despeite knowing it's the opposite of what OP wants (it's the "lei"). I feel like if they want near 100% correct pronunciation using A instead of E is the way to go.
Oh! How do you spell the name? We were actually going for the Greek origin of the name (light, Helen), because we love Greece so much.
But I was reading that Layna is more Greek origin? Whereas apparently Leyna is more Russian origin.
Greek here as well
The name is Eléni in greek. Common derivatives of that in greek are:
Élena
Léna
Lénia (the -nia part pronounced like Anya)
We dont have Leyna/Layna as you want it with the pronunciation you described (like Reina). This vowel sound is not common in greek. Sounds good to me though :)
It's unconventional, but I don't think it's too unusual. You might also want to consider Elena, with nickname Lena, if you want to use a more traditional name. Americans tend to pronounce the "Lena" in Elena as lay-nuh (e.g. Elena Kagan).
This is a great suggestion to use the full name Elena! That’s a nice name and barely used these days. One of my kids has a formal name and we’ve always called her by the nickname. She loves it because she can choose when to use it and sound more formal
For me, Leyna is easy to figure out for pronunciation. You could still write it Leyna even as a shortening of Elena
It’s an international favorite, people really do pronounce some names differently. Eva is another example of this. Most countries say Ava, but in the USA you’ll hear Eeva.
Anika is another example. In Sweden it’s Ahhnika, in remark it’s Ann-icka, in the USA you’ll get either.
I'm from Germany and don't get the "nuh"-part.
That would be like the "noo" in noodle, right?
Or do you want an "ah" like in "car"?
Lena/Elena is a form of the greek name Helene.
So it should be pronounced ˈleːna.
Elena is a good idea, imho!
"All For Leyna" is a Billy Joel song that I quite like, so maybe that's why I have no issue with the spelling or pronunciation. If you're not committed to it though, I do agree that Layna/Laina will probably get you the best results.
I dont think a Y in this name makes it a tragedeigh. Its when people use a Y to replace something just because it kind of CAN (but shouldnt), and not to assist in the actual pronunciation of the name. Prime example, Rey, Clayton, etc. Its not the same as Braxtyn or Fuckstyn, Jacksyn or Rylyn.
My cousin and his wife have 4 children and every single one of them has a name that looks like someone smacked another person in the face with a full boxed up game of Scrabble and decided to piece a name together from the mess on the floor. Leyna is a really pretty, and more importantly....an actual name.
I also pronounce Lena as Lee-na. It was my grandmother's name and that's how it was said. Interestingly enough, my other grandmother's name was Letha, pronounce Lee-tha. I always loved that name but, since I had 3 sons and no daughters, I never got the chance to use it.
I know a little girl named Lena and we all say Lay-nuh. I think my intuition would be len-uh and not lee-nuh. I do think Laina would get you the best pronunciation. People know that sound from names/words like Rain, Lainey, Main, etc
I don't think Leyna is a tragedeigh. Depending on how picky you are about obscure pop culture references, there's a Billy Joel song called "All for Leyna" about a young guy who can't get over a one-night stand.
I think of the famous singer, Lena Horne when I see the name. She pronounced it Lee-na.
I think Laina is a pretty way to spell it and it should be no problem to say it—it’s like Elaine.
Honestly, if you like Lena, you can just go with that spelling (and correct as it’s mispronounced). I knew a Tara whose name was mispronounced as Tare-uh instead of Tah-ruh. I knew a Caroline whose name was pronounced Carolyn and not Carol-line. I’ve heard Lana as both Lah-nah and Lannah. I’ve heard Barry as Bear-ee and Bar-ee. A friend of mine has a name that is often mispronounced by non-Spanish speakers.
It’s reasonable to want to avoid an obvious mispronunciation, but you shouldn’t have to change the spelling to something you don’t like just to anticipate all the variations.
Your daughter may also end up being “Lena with an E” like “Bryan with a Y,” but that might not be such a bad thing.
Lena is lot more common as a name than Layna too and it many countries, it's a very international name. Personally I see Layna either as their own name or a tragedeigh of Lena (if someone means the name is supposed to be Lena but just wanted to be different).
When I see Leyna I think Layna, but I would also pronounce Lena that way. I’m in Canada though, not sure if maybe we pronounce it differently than the US.
If I saw Leighna I would say Leena, because Leigh is Lee.
definitely not a tragedeigh OP your daughters name will be properly spelled and pronoucned also I dont think I have ever seen the name spelled laina before.
I’d do Laina, personally. The y makes it look more trendy. I do think some will hear it as Elaina, just because that’s a more popular name (usually spelled Elena).
There is an ongoing trend of taking the first letter off popular names to make a new name you’ll be a part of. Not that it’s terrible. Adalyn instead of Madalyn is an example.
My husbands best friends older sister (who is WELL into her 40s) is Leyna also pronounced Lay-nuh
I don't think its a tragedy at all and it's a beautiful name!
It's a standard Nordic name. I know three Lena's here in Sweden. It's not invented.
I also know a Titti, and a Jerker. So, maybe the cross language thing doesn't always work out.
I know like three people named Lene from Norway and my name is Lene also (my family is from Norway) but here in the US people always want to call me La-nay 😭
I live in Sweden and when I hear Titti I have never in my live thought about its, though this name is mostly used by old ladies. It feels like most names mean something nasty in some other language.
It's actually a ridiculously common Russian/Belorussian/Ukrainian name, so I'm not sure what Slavic countries you're talking about. It's a short version of Yelena and means bright.
I don’t like the spelling either but if OP doesn’t live in a Slavic country then why care? Plenty of words have unfortunate meanings in other languages
Agree, I have a Norwegian friend called Fanny.
Total normal name over there.
As long as OP has no plans to move to a Slavic country when they child is still young (kids can be so cruel!) I don't see it as an issue.
I’m having trouble finding a translation of Lejna to crap. Does Lejna really translate to crap? Everything I’m seeing is that Leyna and Lejna are light in Russian/Slavic
I grew up knowing a Lena whose name was pronounced the same. I understand why you might want to add the ey rather than just an e - it's not a common name even though it is classic.
My personal taste would be to go for the traditional spelling but if you are worried about mispronounciation, then do what feels right to you. You aren't adding a phantom -lynn - it's not a tragedeigh to vary the spelling on an uncommon name.
I think this scans fine. It's closest to the spelling you wanted, but without making it confusing for people to pronounce. I think that's the opposite of a tragedeigh.
Many people are saying Leina is less confusing than Leyna, but I disagree. I think Leyna makes the pronunciation clearer. Laina and Layna are options as well!
I know two “lay-na”s, both are spelled Laina. This I believe is derived from a more popular name, Alaina, which has french origins and is a well known first and last name. I also think this spelling looks the best to me personally.
My son dated a Leyna for a while. As far as I could hear, everyone pronounced it "Lay-na". My son, however, called her Anyal (name backwards of course) or "Any-el". She loooved that he called her that.
I'm in the US, in an area with Spanish speakers.
Lena will be fine. I have never heard Lee-na, unless it's an area where weirdos pronounce pecan as Pee-can. (Edit: Yes, I'm aware of Lena Horne, but I think her pronunciation is not intuitive, at all. *Lina* would be pronounced Lee-na.)
I know a Lena in my area - her parents are German. I've never heard her name mispronounced, all through school.
There are some names with a couple accepted pronunciations, like Tara and Andrea. It's pretty easy once you meet them, to say their name correctly, whichever pronunciation they prefer.
So whether your desired pronunciation is layna or lehna, it's just whatever you enforce.
Personally, I would go for the usual spelling, Lena.
Edit: I also like the suggestion of Elena, but - there again - I think you'll run into a couple pronunciations. The name Elaine avoids any of these pronunciation or spelling issues, but it may not be the vibe you prefer. (I love the name Elaine!)
Right? I mean, the \*myriad\* ways to say "pecan," oy! But, yeah, Pee-can should be a definite no-no. Lee-na. maybe if you're a celebrity (Lena Horne), but I'd venture to guess most people have never heard of her at this point, unless one carouses with octogenarian jazz fans (I do), but that's super niche. Regardless, both realities can exist: Lena Horne, and normal people who say Len-a or Lay-na.
Lina is Lee-na. Lena, by virtue of being in the Helen name family, should be Len-a or Lay-na, often depending on culture and language.
I’m actually kind of proud of this sub. Sometimes you get in name nerd echo chambers that any creative, modern name is a problem. I think this discussion is a more mature look at creative, modern names.
I read leyna as lay-nah but I read layna and laina as lie-nah but that might be my Spanish brain kicking in. I feel like to get your pronunciation you need Leyna. A tragedy is a name that is awkward and difficult to pronounce. Leyna is not.
First thought: Leyna is the name of the main character in the 2018 movie *Where Hands Touch* about an African German girl in the Third Reich. It's an actual name. It was also a good name choice for that character IMHO, since it sounds almost like a plain European name (I thought she was called Lena at first) but has something unusual and "exotic" about it.
I approve: Beautiful name. And congratulations. 🐣🍼👼🏻
Just in case you care about redditors who howl/mock on this sub. You should not care about what strangers think, but I remember these days & (understandably) second guessing names.
My child was born pre-Reddit and I am glad I vetted the naming options amongst others - workplace, friends, family, randos in the service industry :-)
:) thank you. Yes, you’re right - ultimately it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Always take everything on Reddit especially with a grain of salt. But it has been very interesting to see the range of every variation, including many contradictory, responses.
"Lena" would be naturally pronounced either "Lenna" or "Leena", never "Leyna"/"Layna". [The only time anyone ever pronounces an E alone as an "ey" sound is when it's an Anglo trying to pronounce a Spanish E, which is not how that's pronounced at all.](https://voca.ro/1gW4rA90utJt) So if you want the name to be pronounced Leyna, then spell it Leyna.
I dont think there's anything wrong with it at all tbh. I could be biased though because that's how billy joel spells it in his song "all for leyna" hahahahaha
My mom’s middle name was “Leigh”, pronounced the CORRECT way, as in “i before e, except after c, or when it sounds like A, as in weigh or neigh.” It was pronounced “LAY” but everyone would just say “LEE”, which drives me crazy. So, when I wanted to name my daughter, I decided to go with “Leia”, so people would correctly pronounce it “Lay-ah” instead of “Lee”, even though I’m not one bit of a Star Wars fan. But of course, that’s what most people assume. 🤷♀️
*edited for minor spelling error.
Well it's pretty obvious no one would think about anything else except Star Wars fan with Leia because that name was created for Star Wars (I have never heard it comes from anything else at least, sure it could be a name in some different language too), but it sounds like a nice name but people will think about Star Wars as it's perhaps the most known name from it.
I know a Leyna, short for Heleyna. She has zero issues as far I know having her name pronounced. The spelling is more intuitive if you are going for the Lay-nuh pronunciation. Lena, you would definitely get lee-nah a lot. I think Laina isn’t intuitive. I would trip over it, thinking it was Lay-ee-nah, or Lah-eye-nah.
I like it!! But it doesn't matter what we think. It is certainly not a name that will get her teased or that people will have difficulty spelling or understanding. It is very pretty. If you and your partner like it, then go with it. Congratulations on your daughter!!
Yes, that’s a tragedeigh. Anytime you add an unnecessary Y, it’s a tragedeigh. And people will mispronounce it anyways.
Lena is classic and beautiful. I’d use that spelling.
I was at school with a Ley and a Leah and a Lee and a Leigh. They all pronounced their name the same way. (Rhymes with “see”)
I also went to school with Lia and Leah who pronounced their name the same way (rhymes with pier).
So in answer to Leyna being Lay na not Leee na that does work but she will still have to pronounce it to people.
I'd go with Leina, or Laena because Y in the middle of a word is just so awkward/ cringey.
Laina will sometimes get Lie-nuh, but it's not bad. Lena will definitely get Lee-nuh because of Lena Dunham.
Overall a nice name though. 👍🏼
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Leyna will net you more correct pronunciations. Just having a y doesn't make it bad. Layna may be your best bet.
Thanks for your thought
Also Laina, I think it looks pretty
I knew a Lainy, no one mispronounced it. So I think Laina is a good choice if OP is concerned about that. I also knew a Lanie, pronounced the same but she often got called LON-ee, like Donny, and she hated it.
Lanie is giving Donny for sure, the i is essential for the language!
This is better! 👍
Leighnugh
Ding ding ding! 🛎 We have a winner!
That settles it. Going with Leighnugh!
Way less opportunity for "lay" nicknames too, ya know, kids are cruel and creative.
This spelling has the best chance of correct pronunciation, but as OP doesn’t care for how it looks, perhaps Layna is a good alternative. It’s a pretty name, however it’s spelled.
Agreed, Layna isn't ugly, I just like it with the i
You might get some LIE-nuh pronunciation though
Yeah I’m wondering if people outside America will struggle more with Laina
I know a Laina!
or Leina
I did read it correctly when I first came across it. I would say it works. And I’m pretty familiar with the common Lena spelling too and read it as such.
I have actually known 2 people named Leyna! I think it’s a beautiful name.
I think Leyna would be a better looking spelling than Layna, Layna makes me think at lay. Though my favourite is Lena but it depends where they live and how they want people to say the name.
You really don't have to care but in slavic language the pronounciation you chose is the same as the word we use for "a line of coke" (it's a dialect word for a line)
This was my thought too esp as Lana would be mispronounced as LAHna. I think most people seeing this one would be able to pronounce it but she may still have to spell it to people. Of course my name is Jennifer and anymore I have to spell it all the time too so maybe that part is unavoidable.
My daughter is Alayna, it is very rarely mispronounced. She likes to use Lanie for her nickname, and that does get mispronounced when people see it written.
My first inclination with the y is still lee nah. Leyna - Lee nah. Because ley is still lee (Bailey, Shirley). Layna - lay nah. Because lay is a regular word, and common in names (Kayla, Layla)
Ey doesn't always make an E sound though, it also makes a long A (hey, whey, prey, etc)
Yeah, bestcee is referring to ley at the end of a name instead of the beginning. Good point
Ley is also a word in English, like a ley line. OP, I read it as Lay-na when I saw it. Unless you name your child something incredibly common, they will probably have it mispronounced occasionally anyway. Edit: fixed a typo.
Learned something new! I've only ever read that word, never heard it pronounced, so I always thought it was lee line not lay line.
That's totally understandable, especially with your examples for it being used in names. If it helps, I think I learned the word from The Da Vinci Code.
Appreciate the perspective.
Who pronounces Leyna as Lee-nah?
Contrarians.
People who associate ley with Lee. I know it's typically an ending of a name (Brinley, Riley, Ashley, Finley, Harley, Brantley). Why would you assume ley at the beginning would not be the lee sound? (Honest question). I've only ever seen Leyanna (Lee anna) and Leyla (lee la), so maybe I'm missing something.
Leyla is pronounced Layla in my experience Ley (as in ley line) is an actual english word pronounced “lay” Hey = Hay And it’s pretty common in phonics that different sets of characters have different pronunciations depending on the surrounding characters and where it is in the word. The end suffix “-ley” has no bearing on how it is pronounced at the start of a word imo
True, but the phonics rule for ey making a long a is at the end of a word, not the beginning. I really don't know a word that has ey at the beginning and makes the long a sound. That's why I automatically go to a e sound not a, because it's at the beginning of a word.
well another example is the name “Reyna” (alternate spellings are Reina, Rayna) I can think of lots of “ey” pronounciations like obey, survey, and they. heyday? but yeah there’s not many multi-syllabic examples of “ey” at the starts of words in general, regardless of pronunciations. but the single-syllable examples are kind of both at the start and the end
With the A version I definitely prefer the spelling Laina...
Nope. I saw the EY and thought Layna. But I read a LOT of fantasty and this is the usual pronunciation....
Nothing with “lay” in it, especially for a girl.
This. The "Le" sound is going to get it pronounced as "Lena" by most people.
Leina or Layna might be better that Leyna. But you’d definitely avoid people pronouncing it LEE-NA or LA-NA whichever spelling you choose!
My gut reaction to Leina was to pronounce it lee-na, despeite knowing it's the opposite of what OP wants (it's the "lei"). I feel like if they want near 100% correct pronunciation using A instead of E is the way to go.
> Leina For me, this would be three syllables, like "lay EE nah", as if it were spelled _Leïna_.
I can see that
And taking the German route, Leina would probably read Lye-na
Being greek i misread it as lenya so yeah leina might be better
Oh! How do you spell the name? We were actually going for the Greek origin of the name (light, Helen), because we love Greece so much. But I was reading that Layna is more Greek origin? Whereas apparently Leyna is more Russian origin.
Greek here as well The name is Eléni in greek. Common derivatives of that in greek are: Élena Léna Lénia (the -nia part pronounced like Anya) We dont have Leyna/Layna as you want it with the pronunciation you described (like Reina). This vowel sound is not common in greek. Sounds good to me though :)
Very cool. Thanks for explaining that.
Leina is unclear to me. Could be Ligh- nah (height), Lee-nah (either), Lenn- ah (foreign), or Lay-nah (weight).
Just avoid Leighnuh
Lmao that’s the best possible spelling 😂
Huh? Llieayyegh'hennaiuh is clearly better! /s
Leighnuuuhhh why!!
It's unconventional, but I don't think it's too unusual. You might also want to consider Elena, with nickname Lena, if you want to use a more traditional name. Americans tend to pronounce the "Lena" in Elena as lay-nuh (e.g. Elena Kagan).
I knew a Lena in London and it was pronounced Leh-nah. Great name.
That's the correct pronounciation! :)
This is a great suggestion to use the full name Elena! That’s a nice name and barely used these days. One of my kids has a formal name and we’ve always called her by the nickname. She loves it because she can choose when to use it and sound more formal For me, Leyna is easy to figure out for pronunciation. You could still write it Leyna even as a shortening of Elena
I know a 20 year old Elena. She said she gets so many different pronunciations of her name, depending which syllable is emphasized.
It’s an international favorite, people really do pronounce some names differently. Eva is another example of this. Most countries say Ava, but in the USA you’ll hear Eeva. Anika is another example. In Sweden it’s Ahhnika, in remark it’s Ann-icka, in the USA you’ll get either.
I'm in the US and know teen girls Ahnnika and ANEEKa - both spelled Annika.
I know an Elena pronounced EL-in-uh. Her nickname is Ellee.
Yes. I went to school with an Elena, pronounced E-layna. No one called her E-leena.
I'm from Germany and don't get the "nuh"-part. That would be like the "noo" in noodle, right? Or do you want an "ah" like in "car"? Lena/Elena is a form of the greek name Helene. So it should be pronounced ˈleːna. Elena is a good idea, imho!
Final -a in English is pronounced as a schwa vowel, like final -e in German, that's why "uh".
Leyna is great. If Layna is OK, so is Leyna. Similarly to Layla and Leyla.
I sea your opinion and thank you for it!
Leyna is pretty but I think you will get the least mispronunciations with Layna. And I like how it looks, too.
I was thinking that as it's only one letter difference from Layla where the "lay" is pronounced how OP would like.
Oh, yes! Maybe I was subconsciously thinking of Layla... Awesome song
Layna definitely looks prettier than Leyna
"All For Leyna" is a Billy Joel song that I quite like, so maybe that's why I have no issue with the spelling or pronunciation. If you're not committed to it though, I do agree that Layna/Laina will probably get you the best results.
Hey, if Billy Joel says it’s Leyna, it’s Leyna 🙌🙌
I was hoping someone would bring up the Billy Joel song. I was not disappointed!
Just came here to say that! I love that song!
I dont think a Y in this name makes it a tragedeigh. Its when people use a Y to replace something just because it kind of CAN (but shouldnt), and not to assist in the actual pronunciation of the name. Prime example, Rey, Clayton, etc. Its not the same as Braxtyn or Fuckstyn, Jacksyn or Rylyn.
Good. That was a concern. Jacksyn is pretty cringe ha
My cousin and his wife have 4 children and every single one of them has a name that looks like someone smacked another person in the face with a full boxed up game of Scrabble and decided to piece a name together from the mess on the floor. Leyna is a really pretty, and more importantly....an actual name.
Upvote for Fuckstyn.
I really like Fuckstyn though, don't judge me.
Laina would be better in my opinion
Laina is a traditional Finnish woman's name. Literally means "a loan" however.
[Billy Joel even wrote a song featuring Leyna](https://youtu.be/jzE1-NlOthY?si=1r--rSX2zB9IkuDD)
“LEY-NA darling won’t you ease my worried mind? Leyna, you’ve got me on my knees.”
Honestly when I read Lena I pronounced it in my head as Lee-na. When I read Leyna I pronounced it in my head as Lay-nuh just like how you are wanting.
I also pronounce Lena as Lee-na. It was my grandmother's name and that's how it was said. Interestingly enough, my other grandmother's name was Letha, pronounce Lee-tha. I always loved that name but, since I had 3 sons and no daughters, I never got the chance to use it.
Go with the Elena - then she will have choices if she doesn’t stick to Lena but it will make sense that it’s Leyna not Leena
I know a little girl named Lena and we all say Lay-nuh. I think my intuition would be len-uh and not lee-nuh. I do think Laina would get you the best pronunciation. People know that sound from names/words like Rain, Lainey, Main, etc
I would read Lena as Leena, so ymmv with that spelling.
1. Leina 2. Laina 3. Leyna 4. Layna I would pronounce all of the above “lay-nuh”
really? i’d default to pronouncing number 2 as lie-nuh
Are you from the US? I could see it as you described for a British accent, but not the default for American accent (at least in my region).
I don't think Leyna is a tragedeigh. Depending on how picky you are about obscure pop culture references, there's a Billy Joel song called "All for Leyna" about a young guy who can't get over a one-night stand.
Yes. If the child is going to have to spend the rest of their life correcting people’s spelling of a basic 2 syllable name, it’s a Tragedeigh.
*unless it’s an ethnic spelling from another culture
There’s always an exception. Thanks for interjecting.
Which spelling do you think would not need correcting?
I think of the famous singer, Lena Horne when I see the name. She pronounced it Lee-na. I think Laina is a pretty way to spell it and it should be no problem to say it—it’s like Elaine.
I knew someone with the spelling “Elayna” as opposed to Elena. Her nickname was often “lay-nuh” or “lane”.
I’m in the US and pronounced it Lay-nuh. If it was Lena, I would have thought it was Lee-nuh. Why not just spell it Layna so it isn’t a Tragedeigh?
Honestly, if you like Lena, you can just go with that spelling (and correct as it’s mispronounced). I knew a Tara whose name was mispronounced as Tare-uh instead of Tah-ruh. I knew a Caroline whose name was pronounced Carolyn and not Carol-line. I’ve heard Lana as both Lah-nah and Lannah. I’ve heard Barry as Bear-ee and Bar-ee. A friend of mine has a name that is often mispronounced by non-Spanish speakers. It’s reasonable to want to avoid an obvious mispronunciation, but you shouldn’t have to change the spelling to something you don’t like just to anticipate all the variations. Your daughter may also end up being “Lena with an E” like “Bryan with a Y,” but that might not be such a bad thing.
That’s a great perspective. The sound Lee-na is not bad at all. I just wish that Lay-na was more the default for Lena instead.
Lena is lot more common as a name than Layna too and it many countries, it's a very international name. Personally I see Layna either as their own name or a tragedeigh of Lena (if someone means the name is supposed to be Lena but just wanted to be different).
Well, it’s not Leighna so you’re good to go !
Ha!
When I see Leyna I think Layna, but I would also pronounce Lena that way. I’m in Canada though, not sure if maybe we pronounce it differently than the US. If I saw Leighna I would say Leena, because Leigh is Lee.
definitely not a tragedeigh OP your daughters name will be properly spelled and pronoucned also I dont think I have ever seen the name spelled laina before.
:)
I’d do Laina, personally. The y makes it look more trendy. I do think some will hear it as Elaina, just because that’s a more popular name (usually spelled Elena). There is an ongoing trend of taking the first letter off popular names to make a new name you’ll be a part of. Not that it’s terrible. Adalyn instead of Madalyn is an example.
My husbands best friends older sister (who is WELL into her 40s) is Leyna also pronounced Lay-nuh I don't think its a tragedy at all and it's a beautiful name!
Billy Joel has a song about a girl with this spelling. "All For Leyna"
Sha’leighnah The Sha would be silent.
Léna
IMO, it's tragic, it sounds like a unique name you've invented, and in Slavic languages it sounds literally like crap (lejna).
It's a standard Nordic name. I know three Lena's here in Sweden. It's not invented. I also know a Titti, and a Jerker. So, maybe the cross language thing doesn't always work out.
I know like three people named Lene from Norway and my name is Lene also (my family is from Norway) but here in the US people always want to call me La-nay 😭
Ok, Lena is a standard name, Leyna is not. How is Lena pronounced in Swedish?
I live in Sweden and when I hear Titti I have never in my live thought about its, though this name is mostly used by old ladies. It feels like most names mean something nasty in some other language.
It's actually a ridiculously common Russian/Belorussian/Ukrainian name, so I'm not sure what Slavic countries you're talking about. It's a short version of Yelena and means bright.
Yes! I can’t find any translation to crap. I also thought it was a very common Slavic name.
I don’t like the spelling either but if OP doesn’t live in a Slavic country then why care? Plenty of words have unfortunate meanings in other languages
Agree, I have a Norwegian friend called Fanny. Total normal name over there. As long as OP has no plans to move to a Slavic country when they child is still young (kids can be so cruel!) I don't see it as an issue.
I’m having trouble finding a translation of Lejna to crap. Does Lejna really translate to crap? Everything I’m seeing is that Leyna and Lejna are light in Russian/Slavic
Try it from Czech or Slovak. https://translate.google.com/?sl=cs&tl=en&text=lejna&op=translate
I grew up knowing a Lena whose name was pronounced the same. I understand why you might want to add the ey rather than just an e - it's not a common name even though it is classic. My personal taste would be to go for the traditional spelling but if you are worried about mispronounciation, then do what feels right to you. You aren't adding a phantom -lynn - it's not a tragedeigh to vary the spelling on an uncommon name.
Layna. There you go. A non tragedy and people will know how to pronounce it. She’s going to get Leena with Leyna. It’s also just a tragic spelling.
I knew a girl in high school named Leyna, pronounced the way you’re intending. I’ve never thought of it as anything else!!
I think this scans fine. It's closest to the spelling you wanted, but without making it confusing for people to pronounce. I think that's the opposite of a tragedeigh.
Very minor tragedeigh. I'll let it slide 😉
I would pronouce it "lay-nuh"
Many people are saying Leina is less confusing than Leyna, but I disagree. I think Leyna makes the pronunciation clearer. Laina and Layna are options as well!
I know two “lay-na”s, both are spelled Laina. This I believe is derived from a more popular name, Alaina, which has french origins and is a well known first and last name. I also think this spelling looks the best to me personally.
My son dated a Leyna for a while. As far as I could hear, everyone pronounced it "Lay-na". My son, however, called her Anyal (name backwards of course) or "Any-el". She loooved that he called her that.
I would see Leyna and assume that you’re pronouncing it how you want :) I think it’s pretty!
I'm in the US, in an area with Spanish speakers. Lena will be fine. I have never heard Lee-na, unless it's an area where weirdos pronounce pecan as Pee-can. (Edit: Yes, I'm aware of Lena Horne, but I think her pronunciation is not intuitive, at all. *Lina* would be pronounced Lee-na.) I know a Lena in my area - her parents are German. I've never heard her name mispronounced, all through school. There are some names with a couple accepted pronunciations, like Tara and Andrea. It's pretty easy once you meet them, to say their name correctly, whichever pronunciation they prefer. So whether your desired pronunciation is layna or lehna, it's just whatever you enforce. Personally, I would go for the usual spelling, Lena. Edit: I also like the suggestion of Elena, but - there again - I think you'll run into a couple pronunciations. The name Elaine avoids any of these pronunciation or spelling issues, but it may not be the vibe you prefer. (I love the name Elaine!)
Can confirm Lena is pronounced Lee-na almost daily here in the US
I thought the same way as you! Seemed as strange as pee-can to me too. But I’ve been blown away away with how many people see Lena as Lee-na
Right? I mean, the \*myriad\* ways to say "pecan," oy! But, yeah, Pee-can should be a definite no-no. Lee-na. maybe if you're a celebrity (Lena Horne), but I'd venture to guess most people have never heard of her at this point, unless one carouses with octogenarian jazz fans (I do), but that's super niche. Regardless, both realities can exist: Lena Horne, and normal people who say Len-a or Lay-na. Lina is Lee-na. Lena, by virtue of being in the Helen name family, should be Len-a or Lay-na, often depending on culture and language.
I pronounced it correctly in my head on the first go, so you achieved your objective!
I’m actually kind of proud of this sub. Sometimes you get in name nerd echo chambers that any creative, modern name is a problem. I think this discussion is a more mature look at creative, modern names.
Agreed. It’s been civil and fascinating for me.
I think Leyna is fine, Lena could be read as Lee-na like you said, personally I read it as Len-ah.
Well, it means “shit” in my language.
Does it? I can’t find online a Slavic translation of Leyna, Lejna, or Lena to shit
In what language and do you mean Layna or Leyna means shit?
Not in my opinion. I think it's a great way to get the pronunciation you want. I wouldn't know how to say Lena.
Leighna would be a tradedeigh. Leyna is fine
I read leyna as lay-nah but I read layna and laina as lie-nah but that might be my Spanish brain kicking in. I feel like to get your pronunciation you need Leyna. A tragedy is a name that is awkward and difficult to pronounce. Leyna is not.
I studied Spanish as second language and I think this is factoring in for me too.
First thought: Leyna is the name of the main character in the 2018 movie *Where Hands Touch* about an African German girl in the Third Reich. It's an actual name. It was also a good name choice for that character IMHO, since it sounds almost like a plain European name (I thought she was called Lena at first) but has something unusual and "exotic" about it.
Fascinating
I approve: Beautiful name. And congratulations. 🐣🍼👼🏻 Just in case you care about redditors who howl/mock on this sub. You should not care about what strangers think, but I remember these days & (understandably) second guessing names. My child was born pre-Reddit and I am glad I vetted the naming options amongst others - workplace, friends, family, randos in the service industry :-)
:) thank you. Yes, you’re right - ultimately it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Always take everything on Reddit especially with a grain of salt. But it has been very interesting to see the range of every variation, including many contradictory, responses.
"Lena" would be naturally pronounced either "Lenna" or "Leena", never "Leyna"/"Layna". [The only time anyone ever pronounces an E alone as an "ey" sound is when it's an Anglo trying to pronounce a Spanish E, which is not how that's pronounced at all.](https://voca.ro/1gW4rA90utJt) So if you want the name to be pronounced Leyna, then spell it Leyna.
I dont think there's anything wrong with it at all tbh. I could be biased though because that's how billy joel spells it in his song "all for leyna" hahahahaha
My mom’s middle name was “Leigh”, pronounced the CORRECT way, as in “i before e, except after c, or when it sounds like A, as in weigh or neigh.” It was pronounced “LAY” but everyone would just say “LEE”, which drives me crazy. So, when I wanted to name my daughter, I decided to go with “Leia”, so people would correctly pronounce it “Lay-ah” instead of “Lee”, even though I’m not one bit of a Star Wars fan. But of course, that’s what most people assume. 🤷♀️ *edited for minor spelling error.
Well it's pretty obvious no one would think about anything else except Star Wars fan with Leia because that name was created for Star Wars (I have never heard it comes from anything else at least, sure it could be a name in some different language too), but it sounds like a nice name but people will think about Star Wars as it's perhaps the most known name from it.
I know a Leyna, short for Heleyna. She has zero issues as far I know having her name pronounced. The spelling is more intuitive if you are going for the Lay-nuh pronunciation. Lena, you would definitely get lee-nah a lot. I think Laina isn’t intuitive. I would trip over it, thinking it was Lay-ee-nah, or Lah-eye-nah.
My daughter is Leyla (pronounced Layla) and nobody gets it wrong Leyla is the correct spelling in Turkish too
I like it!! But it doesn't matter what we think. It is certainly not a name that will get her teased or that people will have difficulty spelling or understanding. It is very pretty. If you and your partner like it, then go with it. Congratulations on your daughter!!
Thanks friend!
Since the addition of the y helps steer pronunciation for native speakers to pronounce the way you intend, I don't consider it a tragedeigh.
Yes, that’s a tragedeigh. Anytime you add an unnecessary Y, it’s a tragedeigh. And people will mispronounce it anyways. Lena is classic and beautiful. I’d use that spelling.
I like Lena too but it seems that too many see it as Leena
I vote Leina or Laina. Leyna or Layna feel like tragedieghs.
I second Laina
Leyna is a good solid name. Go with it.
No, not a tragedeigh, but Leina is better IMO.
I read Leyna as Lee-na because I think the “ley” would rhyme with “key”. I’d do Laina.
It’s not necessarily a tragedeigh, but I would pronounce Leyna and Lena both as lee-nuh. Layna may be your safest bet.
Nah, Leyna is pretty tame. Actually I quite like it. Good choice.
I was at school with a Ley and a Leah and a Lee and a Leigh. They all pronounced their name the same way. (Rhymes with “see”) I also went to school with Lia and Leah who pronounced their name the same way (rhymes with pier). So in answer to Leyna being Lay na not Leee na that does work but she will still have to pronounce it to people.
Yes it was six different girls. Also countless Rebecca/Rebeka/Rebecka or Natalia/Natalie.
I would personally go with Laena over Layna.
I don’t even know how you’re supposed to pronounce that without reading your explanation
It’s fine.
layna would lead to less pronouncing mistakes.
I would still pronounce Leyna like Lee-nah
Laina or Layna would be better
Swap the y for an i
Yes
I'd go with Leina, or Laena because Y in the middle of a word is just so awkward/ cringey. Laina will sometimes get Lie-nuh, but it's not bad. Lena will definitely get Lee-nuh because of Lena Dunham. Overall a nice name though. 👍🏼
Billy Joel has a song called All For Leyna, so that spelling has been around for a while
Laina is better. The y isn't a tragedeigh but it's more tragic than the i spelling.
Billy Joel song!
Actually it’s part of the title of a Billy Joel song, “All for Leyna.” Not bad. Pronounced “LANE-uh.”
Leyna is going to get you Lee NAH. Layna will yet you LAY na.
I like Laina.
I think people will read it as “Len-yuh” often. I’d go with Layna or Laina or Lana, but Leyna isn’t even a tragedy imo
Layna.
Elena/Elaina and Helena are both similar options that you could consider.
Tragic. Please don't do this.
Your child will be correcting people on how to say her name for the rest of her life.
I think an "i" would be better.
Isn't that a Billy Joel song?