baby girl

The popular girls' names that are most commonly mispronounced

How many are you saying incorrectly?...

Online Digital News Director
January 3, 2018

We all know how to pronounce popular girls' name like Jessica, Sophie and Emma – but there are some monikers it's a little harder to get right. Recent years have seen less common names enjoy a boost in popularity, which can sometimes prove problematic when it comes to the correct pronunciation. Names including Mia, Kyra, Eva and Siobhan are among those most commonly mispronounced – but how many are you getting right? Take a look at our list of the ten girls' names most people trip up on…

STORY: UK's most unpopular baby names have been revealed!

Kyra – Of Greek origin, meaning sun or lord. This is a tricky one; some people pronounce it KYE-rah, while others say KEER-ah. It can also be spelled Kira. Your best bet it to ask!

Siobhan – Of Irish origin, meaning God is gracious. The name Siobhan is officially pronounced shi-VON, although it can also be said shi-VAWN.

Popular girls' names including Mia and Kyra are often mispronounced

Isla – Of Scottish origin, derived from 'Islay', which is the name of an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is also the name of two Scottish rivers. Remember, the S is totally silent. Isla is pronounced EYE-lah.

Mia – Of Latin origin, meaning wished-for child. Mia can be pronounced as MEE-yuh or MY-uh, which can also be spelt Maya.

Layla – Of Arabic origin, meaning night. The name Layla is most commonly pronounced LAY-luh but it can also be said as LY-luh.

STORY: How celebrities are influencing the rise of gender-neutral baby names

Gaia – Of Greek origin, meaning earth. In Greek mythology, Gaia was the mother goddess who presided over the earth. Gaia – the name chosen by actress Emma Thompson for her daughter – should be pronounced GUY-uh, and not GAY-uh.

Kaia – Of Hawaiian origin, meaning sea. Pronounced KY-a or KAY-a. Cindy Crawford's model daughter goes by the first of the two options.

Madeleine – Origin from the French variation of Magdalen. Can also be spelt Madeline. Pronunciations can vary between mad-eh-LEN, mad-eh-LYNE and mad-eh-LEEN.

Leigh – A variant of Leah (Hebrew) and Lee (Old English). Should be pronounced Lee – in the same way, Ashleigh should be pronounced Ash-LEE.

Eva – Derived from the Hebrew name meaning life. Eva is most commonly pronounced EE-vuh, although it can also be said EY-yuh.

GALLERY: GALLERY: Celebrity babies born in 2017

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Parenting

See more