Name help!

[mamakimi.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to figure out the correct spelling for a name I really love. My pregnant brain is failing at Google right now so bear with me!

I love the name Kirsten. Pronounced with a Ker (rhymes with her) at the beginning. I THOUGHT that was the correct spelling until I ran into a girl at GAP with the same spelling but pronounced with "ear" sound after the K.

Am I making any sense here? Being pregnant has totally made my brain leak out my ears. lol

Which is right? Are there other spellings? I don't want to spell my child's name wrong (if I have a girl). lol

Comments

[being-lola-star.livejournal.com]

That's the spelling I've always seen but I've also seen it pronounced both ways.

[wolf-shadow.livejournal.com]

I've seen:

Kirsten and Kersten for Ker-Sten pronunciation.
and
Kirsten and Kiersten for the Keer-sten way

Kirsten is a "normal" spelling, though, so stick with what you love! Some people will pronounce names differently depending on where they are from as well, so don't worry too much.

[daydream11.livejournal.com]

I've heard it both ways! It's up to you. :)

[lalazizara.livejournal.com]

I knew a Kursten in middle school. She pronounced it the same you want to

[ghost-light.livejournal.com]

Perfectly said

[harinakshi.livejournal.com]

My cousin is a Kirsten with the same pronunciation as you. I'd guess most people would think the name is Kristen, so you're bound to have misspellings with people, but pronouncing it either way is right.

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

My SIL's sister has that name and she spells it Kirsten and prounouces it 'Keer-sten', but it think that's the traditional pronounciation. I've definitely heard Kersten for the same spelling. I say spell it how you want and say it how you want.

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

IIRC the Scandinavian pronunciation rhymes with fear, while the Scottish pronunciation rhymes with fur.

[ringsandcoffee.livejournal.com]

I knew a Kirsten when I was a kid, pronounced the way you do. With the actress Kirstie Alley, I don't think too many people will see Kirsten and say keer-sten.

[stacyinthecity.livejournal.com]

Kirsten is a proper and valid spelling of that. Some people also pronounce it "Key-er-stin" (or something sort of like that), but it can also be just "kerr-stin."

If I wanted to have a kid named "kerr-stin" I'd spell it Kirsten. I had a friend named that as a kid and it is a lovely name.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

My first thought was to pronounce it like Kear, not Kher. I have heard it pronounced like -her, but my first instead was -ear.

There are lots of pronunciations and spellings to go with them all, but I'm sure there's some overlap.

[lipsty.livejournal.com]

I'm Kirsty prn. Ker-stee. I have a lot of issues with Americans who cannot pronounce my name. I usually get called Kristy by them, but if not it's Kier-stee. It sounds so weird to me!

[smallandneedy.livejournal.com]

I think both are legit. In Norway, we have two pronunciations for it too, written the same way.

[kitchen-poet.livejournal.com]

Totally agree with this comment!
I automatically think Kirsten = Ker-sten because of the American Girl books they had when I was a kid, but I've heard it pronounced Keer-sten too.

I'd bet that people automatically thinking it was Kris-ten spelled differently would be a more common problem!

[piperwest12.livejournal.com]

Same, I prefer the "ear" sound better

[babynology.livejournal.com]

I like the name Kirsten. Its pronunciation is Keer-Stin. The name sound better and fresh to me.

[so-there.livejournal.com]

pretty sure one spelling can have two correct pronunciations. my niece is Adrianna. we pronounce the -anna part as anne-uh. everyone else wants to pronounce it adri-on-uh. both are correct but the former is my niece's name.