No One Pronounces the name correctly!

Acantha, Allegra, Angelica, Artemisia, Aubretia, Aviva, Benedicta, Calista, Calixta, Camellia, Cassandra, Cassia, Clarisse, Corisande, Danica, Demelza, Edith, Frederika, Gabriela, Gwendolen, Ianthe (eye-anth-ee), Ivelisse, Jamila, Jasmina, Judith, Kezia, Leandra, Liliana, Lucasta, Lysandra, Mariska, Medora, Melisande, Rosalia, Roxana, Saskia, Scarlet/Scarlett, Silvana, Sylvia, Theodosia, Tullia, Veronique, Violet, Violetta, Z?lie, Zephyrine, Zora

If you want to use Anika, I think you should, and I wouldn't advise changing the spelling, because while it may make sure people pronounce the name the right way the first time, it usually doesn't look good. It shouldn't be too hard to just tell them the correct pronounciation.

Just so people know, Nikita is actually a male name, as in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita Khrushchev

In this day and age Nikita is mostly (if not exclusively) used as a girl's name. So don't let that deter you from the name Kitt3n - I think it's gorgeous and it is very rarely used as a boys name!

What about if you spelled it Arnika

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In this day and age Nikita is mostly (if not exclusively) used as a girl's name. So don't let that deter you from the name Kitt3n - I think it's gorgeous and it is very rarely used as a boys name!

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I agree! I've never heard of it for a boy. I have a friend named Nikita and would never contemplate it as a boys name. I think its very girly!!

I personally have NEVER heard Nikita as a boys name... couldnt imagine it being used for a boys name...

I wanted to call our DD Nikita but DP thinks it sounds like "Makita" (spl) you know the tools...

Still i am trying to persuade him to use it for our next (if we have a girl)

I like it but maybe spell in more traditionally like Anneke or Annika?
I hope you work something out its a beautiful name!

I love the name Matisse - and I love Ahnika too :)

The only other one I thought you might like is Sancia - (pron SAN-see-uh) I loved this name, but DH hated it :(

Love Matisse

We had the same problem with my DD name so we changed the spelling from Arya to Ariya and (although I'm nit picking) people still say arh -ee - a instead of Arh - ee - yah. On reflection I would have maybe put an "h" on the end.

Anyway enough of my rambling

I see lots of people have given you great suggestions already, the tricky part is then you are spelling the name all the time, or people just assume and spell it incorrectly. My son routinely introduces himself as Xander X-A-N-D-E-R :-)

Some other names we looked at were

Linea' (pronounced lyn-na-ah) with one of those apostrophes
Arwyn
Xaria

I pronounced it A-ni-ka too sorry, and then thought of Starwars. I like the idea of slipping a "h" or "r" in there, it may help with getting the right pronunciation. There are so many different ways to spell even the most common name these days that it is just a way of life having to spell your name.
Good luck with your decision:)

LOL - yeah everyone is saying it in completely different ways. Thinking more about it, even if we change the spelling, it will still be awkward. Knowing me, one day just onw more person will say it the wrong way and I will snap - and that person probably won't deserve it!

So we are looking for different ones now. I hate having a choice, I just like to make my mind up and that's it. To much choice and undecidedness makes me stress!

I love Matisse too, but DH says its a car (and a crappy one at that) so that's a no go.

Our surname is one of those eastern european names that end in "ski" - so some others we came up with were

Mariska
Anastazja (polish way of spelling - do you think that looks nice or funny?)
Ilinka

saram - I love how your son introduces himself!

oh and yes - more like Mr Skywalker is how it was to be pronounced.

Please keep the feedback/ideas coming, DD was named from the word go and I hate that tis is all up in the air now!

Ooh this is fun...

Here are some suggestions...

Anielka - Gracious/Beaautiful - Polish
Anya - Gracious - Russian
Milena - People's Love - Russian
Nadia - Hope - Slavic
Saskia - Protector of Mankind - Slavic
Elke - Noble/Kind - Dutch
Schuyler - Scholar - Dutch (pro. Shy-ler)

I like Mariska from your list and also Ilinka.

I like Anastazja. Spelling it would be tricky though. (Says the one who has Jazmyne rather than Jasmine)

Arianna
Katyla
Illarna
Millie
Arielle
Jazlyn
Alinna
Willow
Star
Shari
Shellay

Some more...

Natalia
Claudia
Aniela (love this one!)
Anoushka/Anouska (love love love this one!!!)

I know a lovely Mother who has two daughter's with names from India ... which i think are very, very pretty ... they ... ASHMITA ... and ... ANEESHA (pronounced as read) :D

I truely like your choice of ANIKA :dance: ... I think you should stick with what you love and don't let other people's pronunciation put you off :D

Not everyone says my two year old daughter's name CENDRINE correctly ... and i'm so glad i stuck with what i loved for a name ... put it this way with names it's either the pronunciation or the spelling or the nicknames that comes out of a name ... there is usually something SO PLEASE DON'T LET IT WORRY YOU ... choose what is in your heart and don't let others ' cloud your choice ;)

What's happening on the name front Kitt3n??

I still think you should go with what you love. Anika is so so so pretty!!

Oh I really dont know! Anika just fits.....

But i know another anika (aneeka is how she says it) and I dont really like her.... !

Do you have a list of names you can have handy when she is born?