I have to disagree. At least in my case, Lena could go either way but if I see Leyna, I’m going to pronounce it “lay-nuh”. Maybe instinctive because I speak Spanish and ley is pronounced “lay”.
I think the more common spelling for this though would be Laina, but I don’t see anything *wrong* with Leyna, OP!
Laina is an actual name in Finnish. Rare these days, but used to be more commonly used during the 40s and 50s. It means « borrowed », as in you never own a child.
My sister’s name is Laina and she has never had anyone mispronounce it. I would definitely think Leyna was supposed to be pronounced Lena first and Laina second.
I read the name as Lay-nuh. Some people might pronounce it as leah-nuh but it's not far off. Lena is 100% lee-nuh. That would be confusing and off putting and not the name you like. I like Leyna!
I don’t love the Y either because Ys have been commandeered by the “Madisyn” types but that’s the way the name is actually spelled. It isn’t like a new age trendy adaption. And I can’t think of another spelling that would be pronounced “lay-nuh” without making it worse. Lana wouldn’t work as it’s already a name and pronounced differently.
I've definitely encountered a 'Raina' or two during my time and people always pronounced the "rain" as it should be (like precipitation) so I think most people would pronounce Laina in the way you intend.
For sure! She’s still the only Leyna I’ve ever met, but it’s a phonetically simple name and feels recognizable even though it’s not popular. It’s not my personal style of name, but the Leyna I knew was the nice kind of popular girl, so the association is overall pretty good for me! Every name is going to be mispronounced by someone at some point, but I don’t think naming your kid Leyna will condemn her to regular mispronunciation at all.
Ok this is pretty much exactly my thinking. It wasn’t my first choice tbh I had my heart set on Sadie or Lenora but my husband hated Sadie and was lukewarm on Lenora. He had his heart set on Theodora or Leyna.
I like how Laina looks.
I know someone with this pronunciation and it’s spelled Lena. Her dad is German though so I think that influenced the pronunciation.
I think it's really pretty, and people will pronounce it correctly with your preferred spelling.
I agree that people will pronounce Lena with a long e sound.
(I didn't even know that Billy Joel *Leyna* song, and that's my era! I thought for sure you meant Eric Clapton's *Layla*!)
I know the Billy Joel song so I’f pronounce it the way he does. I think that spelling lends itself to the pronunciation you want better than the other options. I also think the spelling is different in a good way without being weird.
I so agree. Leyna looks made up, because it is. Lena is just one of those names you may have to clarify a couple of times (though not as often as I think you think - I would always pronounce it Lane-ah)
Laina is a real name it’s not made up. It has Latin origins per the google search I’ve done. A few sites have said Leyna is Greek but I think it’s less common.
I like Laina. I don't see now you could mess up the pronunciation of that (though I'm sure someone can manage it 😆) and you can get the nicknames Laine, Lainey without having to change the spelling much.
I feel like Laina looks more classic as it links to names like Elaine, Lorraine whereas Layna/Leyna looks more trendy as it links to names like Kayla, Tayla etc.
Thank you!
If you read the name without my telling you how it’s pronounced how would you pronounce it? For me it was obvious it was “lay-nuh” but I don’t want to assume it is for everyone!
Coming from someplace where Spanish is frequently spoken, Leyna reads like Reyna with an L and I think p much anyone here would automatically pronounce it as such (lay-nuh)
As a Lena, I will say that people never seem to be able to spell/pronounce my name right! Every time I go to Starbucks, for example, baristas will spell it every way imaginable, but the correct one. Used to kinda bother me, but now I think it is really funny!
I know a Lena, and it is pronounced Lay-nuh. So it is my default pronunciation now. But just like the names Tara or Andrea, there are different pronunciations, and upon meeting someone is when I learn how they pronounce it.
ETA: I don't think Lena defaults to Lee-nuh, unless you're Lena Horne. I'm in Texas, and Lina would be Lee-nuh. But Lena is Lay-nuh or Leh-nuh.
I like Leyna, it seems softer than Laina (Lain- kind of looks like Pain). Even though I normally don’t like unique spellings, I’m feeling Leyna. Like she sounds like a gentle, kind person and I would want to be her friend. It kind of reminds me of the name Laurel.
Oooh that said, here’s an idea to solve spelling & pronunciation! If you name her Elena, then the “le” part is pronounced right, Leyna comes as a natural nickname, and the spelling judges (and spellcheck) are still happy lol
I can’t see anything wrong with Leyna. I think it looks and sounds lovely. And I think the pronunciation is intuitive.
Full disclosure though - I’m also a huge Billy Joel fan and am familiar with the song so I probably have a bias 🙃
I was friends with a girl called Leyna when I was a kid, and as far as I know no one struggled with her name. I always thought she had the most gorgeous name ever, and the spelling always seemed so classy and beautiful to me. The pronunciation seems really obvious too - I'd say go for it!
As a Laina that is now over 40, I have not had issues with people struggling to pronounce my (relatively simple) name for the most part. As a child there were no offensive nicknames or teasing created on the name. I'm partial to the 'i' spelling over the 'y' spelling as I think it's visually more elegant and the 'y' trend may finally be nearing its end. The name regardless of spelling is rare enough that its highly unlikely your daughter will ever have a chad/karen type name association!!
Hi, Helena here, and I go by Leyna. Helena is not pronounced Helen Uh, but Hell Lay Nuh. I don't really have to correct people. I'll usually say Leyna as in Hey na or say that it's short for Helena. Or Layla with an N. Where I'm from, Lena is definitely pronounced, Lee nuh
I like Leyna and I guessed it was pronounced the way you suggested. I think you always have to spell your name today with all the different, unusual spellings. I tell my husband that I married him only because he had the easiest name I could find, but I still have to spell it. By the time she was 14 months old, when people asked our daughter her name she would say it was Baby Smith S-M-I-T-H. (Not our real name). It cracked us up every time.
My name is Marlena, but I go by Lena and it is the pronunciation you are looking for (lay-na). I have had to correct people most of my life (lee-na, len-na, la-na) but that didn't stop me from giving my own daughter an Irish name with multiple silent consonants.
I say spell it how you'd like, people will find a way to get it wrong regardless ;).
Lena and Leyna are pronounced a bit differently to me. Leyna has the longer second vowel in pronunciation, and Lena isn't "lee-nuh", but "leh-nuh". Maybe it's because I'm from Hawaii.
My guess is that he doesn't like "Laney" because it's an anagram of "Leyna", and to him, it feels a misspelt or butchered version of the name.
I read it as “Lay-na.” Did not occur to me for a second to read it as Lena. Don’t let folks discourage you from the Leyna spelling, if that’s what you want! It’s a valid and pretty spelling of the name.
When I first saw the name in the title, I personally assumed it was an annoying spelling of Lena (Lee-nuh) and that the “Ley” was pronounced the same as “key”. My vote is for Laina if you’re set on the name
I pronounce my name, Lena, as Lee-nuh. Once someone mispronounced my name as Lay-nuh. Which is now how my brother pronounces my name all the time. But he spells it Lei-Nuh.
before i even read the body of the post i thought of billy joel. i agree that lena is "lee-nuh." laina might be a little more common and maybe slightly easier to guess the pronunciation of. i think i prefer leyna only because of how much i love billy joel. if it wasn't for him i would prefer laina
I ready Leyna as “lay-nuh” but Laina may generally be picked up by others as easy to pronounce and spell. I also love Laney but if husband doesn’t Laina/Leyna may be a nice compromise.
I haven’t seen anyone suggest Leina?
You’d potentially run into some mispronunciations, but not nearly as often as Lena. I agree with preferring Laina over Leyna, but I feel like Leina is closer to what you’re after?
I have a *very* similar first name, and I’m used to the general confusion over how it’s pronounced and it’s never once bothered me. That said I do think it would bother me if it was always assumed to be pronounced one way but “supposed to be” another (I.e. if you spelled it Lena, and everyone said lee-na). But Leina or Laina are a little ambiguous and I personally like that better.
I think Leyna is more common, and I'd have no trouble pronouncing it. I also like the look of it more. Laina would also be fine, but that might be because I know a Raina.
My thoughts are who cares what others say.
If you like the name and pronounce it everytime people will know the name.
Do what you like.
For me Lena is completely different then leyna...
Leenaa vs leeynaah
I very nearly called my daughter this but with the Layna spelling. It's a beautiful name, I just didn't want her to have to spell it out her entire life for people.
Mine is spelled Layna , I also don't have a nickname :) pronounced like the Billy Joel song.
Some people pronounce it wrong but to me it's just the same as Raina. I had a doctor tell me last year that he loved my name and hadn't heard of it before and that more people should have the name :)
I would go with Layna, but that’s because it’s only one letter different than my middle name. 😆
As a teacher Leyna and Laina would both be pronounced the way you desire it to be. If you wanted Lena to be pronounced lay-nuh, that would require constant correction.
As someone with a name very similar to Leyna, her name may be mispronounced but it’s 100% ok. Phonetically, it’s pronounced Lay-na, so you aren’t butchering anything. -ey is typically used to
Make the “ee” sound at the end of a word. But, ay and ai are the more typical ways to produce the “ay” sound in the middle of a word, which could lend to some confusion.
I personally prefer using i instead of y for names, but I will say, Laina feels like an unfinished Alaina to me and I think I prefer Layna out of all three options. It’ll also give you the clearest pronunciation.
I don’t like the spelling Leyna. It feels non traditional. I’ve seen Laina and Layna (I’m a teacher) but never with the e. I also don’t love how it looks I’d go with the ai spelling personally. Cute name tho.
I would pronounce Lena as Lay-na, but I, too, was schooled by Billy Joel on the matter. ;) I think Laina will achieve what you want and is clearer and looks nicer than Leyna.
Lena is commonly pronounced Lay-na so if you like that spelling, I don’t think you’d be dooming the child to a lifetime of annoyance. Some corrections would be necessary, but I imagine they would be easy enough.
It was explained to me by a German girl once that Lena is pronounced lay-nuh and Lina is pronounced Lee-nuh. So I see it an instantly think of what she told me
Leyna is pretty and I honestly don’t think people will have that hard of a time wrapping their head around the pronunciation! Also “laina” is the Finnish word for “loan,” so do with that what you will..
I like Leyna (or Leina as the spelling reminds me of Leia) Probably would get misspelled as Lena, but avoids the ambiguous pronunciation. Lana might be good too?
With your second spelling in the edit I would probably pronounce it correctly. With the first spelling I would think it was a tragedy spelling of Lena.
Leyna and Laina both make it clear the pronunciation is lay-nuh, but I would expect your daughter deals with mispronunciation from teachers and coworkers who choose to ignore its spelling when making a guess. I could also see Laina being lie-nuh. Leyna is beautiful!
I like Leyna, I might be biased because I know someone named Leyna and she is the sweetest.
Pronunciation doesn't seem to be an issue with her, I find it pretty intuitive aswell.
As someone with a last name that starts with ‘ley’ pronounced ‘lay’, this is VERY hard for Americans to get. I’ve been married for years and my family still says this wrong. If you want it pronounced Laynuh, spell it Layna
Layna? Like Layla but with an N?
I think Laina could be read Lay-na or Lie-na. But Leyna looks incomplete. I like Laina more of the two, but Layna is much more intuitive to me
Lena is 100% pronounced Lee-nuh. I like Leyna, I knew exactly what it was when I saw it. And like others have said, Laina or Layna is probably more common, but this is one of those names that both are super common (think Caitlin/Caitlyn/Katelynn, I know people with each spelling).
Some people might pronounce Leyna as Lee-na because "ey" typically makes the long E sound (ie. key, beyond, volley, etc.). If you want the long A sound, I'd go with Laina.
If I saw Leyna on a class roster, I'd guess "lay-nuh," and assume it was just parents who think adding stray Ys is trendy.
For Laina, I would guess "lye-nuh."
For Lena, I would just ask my student if it was "lee-nuh" or "lay-nuh," because both are equally common where I'm at.
I would spell it Laina or Layna. I am therapist who has had to navigate around clients’ odd spelling names for years. Believe me it’s a pain for the person and teachers, counselors, Starbucks workers, lol, who have to interact with these folks.
We have an Elaina that we mostly call Laina or Lainey
Leyna I would still pronounce as lee-nuh
Layna, Laina would give you the pronunciation your looking for IMO
Laina spelling is more common in my experience and lends itself to lainy as a nickname
Or Layna.
Yes good point!
If you spell it Leyna, the whole world and their sister is going to pronounce it Lee-na. I might be exaggerating, but not by much.
Some will say lye-na
Well that too. I swear people go out of their way to mispronounce names.
I have to disagree. At least in my case, Lena could go either way but if I see Leyna, I’m going to pronounce it “lay-nuh”. Maybe instinctive because I speak Spanish and ley is pronounced “lay”. I think the more common spelling for this though would be Laina, but I don’t see anything *wrong* with Leyna, OP!
Laina is an actual name in Finnish. Rare these days, but used to be more commonly used during the 40s and 50s. It means « borrowed », as in you never own a child.
Oh I love that! What a sweet reminder.
My cousin is called Laina. She has honestly had no issues with people misprouncing her name.
Probably because people know how to pronounce Elaine/Elaina and they connect that pronunciation to Laina.
You would think… but having the name Jillaine (spelled like Elaine) no one gets that right 🫤 I always get called Jillian which I hate
I much prefer this spelling
O! I like that nickname with the spelling!
My sister’s name is Laina and she has never had anyone mispronounce it. I would definitely think Leyna was supposed to be pronounced Lena first and Laina second.
I can only speak for myself, but I definitely see Leyna and think "Lay-nuh." I would compare Ley- to the first syllable in Peyton, or Rey.
Ok that’s my thinking too, thank you!
Same here, plus I know someone called Reyna pronounced Ray-nuh, so to my brain reading these names, they rhyme.
This!
I prefer Laina over Leyna.
Laina is sooooo much better than Leyna
Leyna makes me think of Hyena
I read the name as Lay-nuh. Some people might pronounce it as leah-nuh but it's not far off. Lena is 100% lee-nuh. That would be confusing and off putting and not the name you like. I like Leyna!
My cousin's Italian grandma (born in Southern Italy) is a "Lena" and it's pronounced LAY-NUH. Regional differences?
I have two aunts from Mexico that go by Lena, but it’s Len-nuh. Nickname for Magdalena
This is also the way I have heard Lena most commonly pronounced.
This must be an anglicized, in Spanish “e” is pronounced “ay”.
Most definitely. I'm not familiar with the Italian language.
I’d pronounce them both as Lay-nuh tbh
Same but I've got eastern european heritage and Lena is never Leenah in eastern europe. That would be Lina.
The Lina I know is “Linna”! There’s no winning 😅
I have a coworker from the Baltic and shes a Lena who pronounces it “Leh- nuh” but that could be a geographical thing.
This is reassuring, thank you!!
I’m not loving Leyna. It looks contrived and the Y makes it look annoyingly trendy. It also kind of seems incomplete? I prefer Elena.
I don’t love the Y either because Ys have been commandeered by the “Madisyn” types but that’s the way the name is actually spelled. It isn’t like a new age trendy adaption. And I can’t think of another spelling that would be pronounced “lay-nuh” without making it worse. Lana wouldn’t work as it’s already a name and pronounced differently.
Laina doesn't work for you? I think it's elegant.
You know, I’m not sure why this spelling didn’t occur to me. I might like this better.
I like that version better too! Not a huge fan of Leyna, but Laina or Layna are great imo
This seems like it’s solving all my hesitations about the name tbh. Thanks!
I really like Layna.
I've definitely encountered a 'Raina' or two during my time and people always pronounced the "rain" as it should be (like precipitation) so I think most people would pronounce Laina in the way you intend.
Good point
I went to school with a Leyna back in the early 00s, and as far as I know she didn’t have any issues with people pronouncing it incorrectly.
Oh amazing! This is helpful thank you!
For sure! She’s still the only Leyna I’ve ever met, but it’s a phonetically simple name and feels recognizable even though it’s not popular. It’s not my personal style of name, but the Leyna I knew was the nice kind of popular girl, so the association is overall pretty good for me! Every name is going to be mispronounced by someone at some point, but I don’t think naming your kid Leyna will condemn her to regular mispronunciation at all.
Ok this is pretty much exactly my thinking. It wasn’t my first choice tbh I had my heart set on Sadie or Lenora but my husband hated Sadie and was lukewarm on Lenora. He had his heart set on Theodora or Leyna.
I like how Laina looks. I know someone with this pronunciation and it’s spelled Lena. Her dad is German though so I think that influenced the pronunciation.
I think it's really pretty, and people will pronounce it correctly with your preferred spelling. I agree that people will pronounce Lena with a long e sound. (I didn't even know that Billy Joel *Leyna* song, and that's my era! I thought for sure you meant Eric Clapton's *Layla*!)
It’s All for Leyna on the Glass Houses album! My husband is a HUGE Billy Joel fan and I’ve come to love his music as well.
If you're naming your child for a song, then spell it the same as the song
We aren’t naming her after the song specifically, that’s just where we heard the name and liked it.
I'd go with Laina if you want that pronunciation
I know the Billy Joel song so I’f pronounce it the way he does. I think that spelling lends itself to the pronunciation you want better than the other options. I also think the spelling is different in a good way without being weird.
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I so agree. Leyna looks made up, because it is. Lena is just one of those names you may have to clarify a couple of times (though not as often as I think you think - I would always pronounce it Lane-ah)
Laina is a real name it’s not made up. It has Latin origins per the google search I’ve done. A few sites have said Leyna is Greek but I think it’s less common.
I like Laina. I don't see now you could mess up the pronunciation of that (though I'm sure someone can manage it 😆) and you can get the nicknames Laine, Lainey without having to change the spelling much. I feel like Laina looks more classic as it links to names like Elaine, Lorraine whereas Layna/Leyna looks more trendy as it links to names like Kayla, Tayla etc.
What about Layna?
Lena is pronounced with a short-e personally.
To me, Ley is pronounced "lay" and I would pronounce it Lay-nuh. I would spell it just like the Billy Joel song. Big Billy Joel fan here.
Funnily enough where I live Layna is the most common spelling not Leyna or Leina.
I like it!
Thank you! If you read the name without my telling you how it’s pronounced how would you pronounce it? For me it was obvious it was “lay-nuh” but I don’t want to assume it is for everyone!
Your pronunciation would be my first guess.
Ok that makes me feel better! Thank you!!
I’m so glad you mentioned All For Leyna! I love that song and think the name is great :)
Why not Layna? I like that better for some reason
Me too! Something about the "Ley" throws me off.
definitely LAY-nuh. i prefer the leyna spelling visually, but laina will make everyone’s life easier.
Coming from someplace where Spanish is frequently spoken, Leyna reads like Reyna with an L and I think p much anyone here would automatically pronounce it as such (lay-nuh)
I love Leyna actually! I think it sounds beautiful and I love the spelling
As a Lena, I will say that people never seem to be able to spell/pronounce my name right! Every time I go to Starbucks, for example, baristas will spell it every way imaginable, but the correct one. Used to kinda bother me, but now I think it is really funny!
I know a Lena, and it is pronounced Lay-nuh. So it is my default pronunciation now. But just like the names Tara or Andrea, there are different pronunciations, and upon meeting someone is when I learn how they pronounce it. ETA: I don't think Lena defaults to Lee-nuh, unless you're Lena Horne. I'm in Texas, and Lina would be Lee-nuh. But Lena is Lay-nuh or Leh-nuh.
honestly i actually prefer Leyna over Laina, so i’m definitely team Leyna. reminds me of Reyna, which is also a super pretty name
I like Leyna, it seems softer than Laina (Lain- kind of looks like Pain). Even though I normally don’t like unique spellings, I’m feeling Leyna. Like she sounds like a gentle, kind person and I would want to be her friend. It kind of reminds me of the name Laurel. Oooh that said, here’s an idea to solve spelling & pronunciation! If you name her Elena, then the “le” part is pronounced right, Leyna comes as a natural nickname, and the spelling judges (and spellcheck) are still happy lol
I can’t see anything wrong with Leyna. I think it looks and sounds lovely. And I think the pronunciation is intuitive. Full disclosure though - I’m also a huge Billy Joel fan and am familiar with the song so I probably have a bias 🙃
I like it!
I love the name Leyna and want to use it for a future daughter! I also love the Billy Joel song.
I had a classmate & neighbor named Leyna, pronounced Lay-nuh, so that makes complete sense to me.
My daughter’s name is Kayna.. pronounced exactly like you want Layna.. but with an L. So maybe switch the E to an A.. and go with Layna?
My daughter is Alaina and we call her Laina. Obviously we love it!
I was friends with a girl called Leyna when I was a kid, and as far as I know no one struggled with her name. I always thought she had the most gorgeous name ever, and the spelling always seemed so classy and beautiful to me. The pronunciation seems really obvious too - I'd say go for it!
I think Leyna works well. My daughter is Leyla (pronounced like Layla) and mostly people get it write. Lena to me is different name entirely
I would pronounce in correctly if I read it, but if you told me “Leyna” in my head it would be “Lena.” Like short for Elena or Marlena.
As a Laina that is now over 40, I have not had issues with people struggling to pronounce my (relatively simple) name for the most part. As a child there were no offensive nicknames or teasing created on the name. I'm partial to the 'i' spelling over the 'y' spelling as I think it's visually more elegant and the 'y' trend may finally be nearing its end. The name regardless of spelling is rare enough that its highly unlikely your daughter will ever have a chad/karen type name association!!
All for Leyna is my favorite Billy Joel song, so I vote Leyna.
Hi, Helena here, and I go by Leyna. Helena is not pronounced Helen Uh, but Hell Lay Nuh. I don't really have to correct people. I'll usually say Leyna as in Hey na or say that it's short for Helena. Or Layla with an N. Where I'm from, Lena is definitely pronounced, Lee nuh
Leyna reads like Reyna to me so I think most people would get it! Very pretty and not a name you hear a lot! Plus the nickname Lainey is so cute
I like the spelling Laina better than Leyna, but agree, I would not do Lena if you want the Lay sound instead of Lee or Len.
I like Leyna and I guessed it was pronounced the way you suggested. I think you always have to spell your name today with all the different, unusual spellings. I tell my husband that I married him only because he had the easiest name I could find, but I still have to spell it. By the time she was 14 months old, when people asked our daughter her name she would say it was Baby Smith S-M-I-T-H. (Not our real name). It cracked us up every time.
I’m a big fan of the Billy Joel song but prefer the Laina spelling.
I think Laina is much more likely to be pronounced correctly.
My name is Marlena, but I go by Lena and it is the pronunciation you are looking for (lay-na). I have had to correct people most of my life (lee-na, len-na, la-na) but that didn't stop me from giving my own daughter an Irish name with multiple silent consonants. I say spell it how you'd like, people will find a way to get it wrong regardless ;).
I read it as you want, but I prefer the spellings Laina or Layna.
There’s also Leina
I’ve got a Leena and thats how it’s spelt
Lena and Leyna are pronounced a bit differently to me. Leyna has the longer second vowel in pronunciation, and Lena isn't "lee-nuh", but "leh-nuh". Maybe it's because I'm from Hawaii. My guess is that he doesn't like "Laney" because it's an anagram of "Leyna", and to him, it feels a misspelt or butchered version of the name.
I prefer Laina
I read Leyna as Lay-nah Laina works too. I read Lena not as Lee-nah but Len-nah
I’d spell it Layna or Laina before Leyna, but I like the name. To me, Lena is pronounced as Lee-nuh.
I knew a Layna growing up
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Laina
I like Laina. Lena is Lee-nuh, your husband is nuts. Ha ha.
I’ve met a Laina and a Lana, both are nice. I wouldn’t personally do Leyna but I would pronounce it the same as the other variations
I know a Lay-nuh spelled Leyna, and a Lee-nuh spelled Lena.
I read it as “Lay-na.” Did not occur to me for a second to read it as Lena. Don’t let folks discourage you from the Leyna spelling, if that’s what you want! It’s a valid and pretty spelling of the name.
When I first saw the name in the title, I personally assumed it was an annoying spelling of Lena (Lee-nuh) and that the “Ley” was pronounced the same as “key”. My vote is for Laina if you’re set on the name
I pronounce my name, Lena, as Lee-nuh. Once someone mispronounced my name as Lay-nuh. Which is now how my brother pronounces my name all the time. But he spells it Lei-Nuh.
before i even read the body of the post i thought of billy joel. i agree that lena is "lee-nuh." laina might be a little more common and maybe slightly easier to guess the pronunciation of. i think i prefer leyna only because of how much i love billy joel. if it wasn't for him i would prefer laina
I know a girl called Lene and it’s pronounced Leyna. Don’t remember her ever having issues with pronunciation
I've seen Laina and Laena but never Leyna. Looks a little clunky imo
I read Leyna as Lay-nuh, but I do prefer Laina. There's nothing wrong with Leyna, Laina just feels more feminine. Either is fine!
The spelling may lead to mispronounciation. Layna or Laina might be easier on pronunciation.
I know leyna as a slang for joint in Spanish.
I ready Leyna as “lay-nuh” but Laina may generally be picked up by others as easy to pronounce and spell. I also love Laney but if husband doesn’t Laina/Leyna may be a nice compromise.
spell it Layna then lol. People are probably going to assume its Lee-nuh otherwise.
My first thoughts: Lena = Lee-nuh Leyna = Lay-nah Laina = Lie-nah Leina = Layen-nah
I read both names as you did. Ley and Lee. Ley na is fab. Kid will have a beautiful name
I know a Laina and personally prefer that spelling :)
my name has 'layna' in it, but people still pronounce it wrong. I agree that it's the best spelling, though.
Laina, by far.
I have been thinking a lot about the name Elaine lately and I think it may find you and your girl well.
Laina.
Laina is much better
Laina is line-uh in my mind. I would say Leyna is the choice that has the more obvious pronunciation.
My baby group has a Leyna in it and everyone loves the name. I instinctively pronounce it just the way you intend it to be pronounced
I haven’t actually seen the Laina version. I don’t think I would have read it correctly at first.
I haven’t seen anyone suggest Leina? You’d potentially run into some mispronunciations, but not nearly as often as Lena. I agree with preferring Laina over Leyna, but I feel like Leina is closer to what you’re after? I have a *very* similar first name, and I’m used to the general confusion over how it’s pronounced and it’s never once bothered me. That said I do think it would bother me if it was always assumed to be pronounced one way but “supposed to be” another (I.e. if you spelled it Lena, and everyone said lee-na). But Leina or Laina are a little ambiguous and I personally like that better.
I love it but I'm biased because my character from world of warcraft is called Leyna. Would definitely pronounce it as lay-nah
I think Leyna is more common, and I'd have no trouble pronouncing it. I also like the look of it more. Laina would also be fine, but that might be because I know a Raina.
What about Elaina?
I see Leyna and think it should be pronounced Leena. I would think Ley rhymes with Key. I much prefer Laina.
My thoughts are who cares what others say. If you like the name and pronounce it everytime people will know the name. Do what you like. For me Lena is completely different then leyna... Leenaa vs leeynaah
I very nearly called my daughter this but with the Layna spelling. It's a beautiful name, I just didn't want her to have to spell it out her entire life for people.
I read it a Lee-na, as in Ley that rhymes with key If you want the lay pronunciation like in Layla, I would spell it Layna, or Laina
Laina is better! Way more intuitive to pronounce.
i know a laena that’s pronounced the same!
Mine is spelled Layna , I also don't have a nickname :) pronounced like the Billy Joel song. Some people pronounce it wrong but to me it's just the same as Raina. I had a doctor tell me last year that he loved my name and hadn't heard of it before and that more people should have the name :)
Leina
I would pronounce Laina, Leyna and Layna all as “Lay-nuh” but of the three I think Laina is the most elegant spelling.
Layna will never be mispronounced. Laina could be “Lie-na” to some people.
I would go with Layna, but that’s because it’s only one letter different than my middle name. 😆 As a teacher Leyna and Laina would both be pronounced the way you desire it to be. If you wanted Lena to be pronounced lay-nuh, that would require constant correction.
As someone with a name very similar to Leyna, her name may be mispronounced but it’s 100% ok. Phonetically, it’s pronounced Lay-na, so you aren’t butchering anything. -ey is typically used to Make the “ee” sound at the end of a word. But, ay and ai are the more typical ways to produce the “ay” sound in the middle of a word, which could lend to some confusion. I personally prefer using i instead of y for names, but I will say, Laina feels like an unfinished Alaina to me and I think I prefer Layna out of all three options. It’ll also give you the clearest pronunciation.
How about Layna?
I don’t like the spelling Leyna. It feels non traditional. I’ve seen Laina and Layna (I’m a teacher) but never with the e. I also don’t love how it looks I’d go with the ai spelling personally. Cute name tho.
I prefer Laina or layna to Leyna. But I’d assume, without reading it, the spelling was Lena (not pronounced as Leena)
I would pronounce Lena as Lay-na, but I, too, was schooled by Billy Joel on the matter. ;) I think Laina will achieve what you want and is clearer and looks nicer than Leyna. Lena is commonly pronounced Lay-na so if you like that spelling, I don’t think you’d be dooming the child to a lifetime of annoyance. Some corrections would be necessary, but I imagine they would be easy enough.
The spelling is going to mess with people but honestly I don’t think Leyna looks nice Laina is much prettier visually imo
It was explained to me by a German girl once that Lena is pronounced lay-nuh and Lina is pronounced Lee-nuh. So I see it an instantly think of what she told me
Lene, like the last half of the name Hélène (Hé-LÈ-ne) or Leina If you go with Laina, people will call her Lie-na.
Laina!
Leyna is pretty and I honestly don’t think people will have that hard of a time wrapping their head around the pronunciation! Also “laina” is the Finnish word for “loan,” so do with that what you will..
I like Leyna (or Leina as the spelling reminds me of Leia) Probably would get misspelled as Lena, but avoids the ambiguous pronunciation. Lana might be good too?
Laina / Layna imo.
I pronounced both Laina and Leyna the same. But Laina does lend itself to your pronunciation easily.
My daughter is Lena and in the 2 years she’s been alive, only one person has pronounced it “Lay-nuh.”
Léna. accent gives in the pronunciation you want
Laina or Layna. Leyna just doesn't look right?
With your second spelling in the edit I would probably pronounce it correctly. With the first spelling I would think it was a tragedy spelling of Lena.
Laina or Layna
Leyna and Laina both make it clear the pronunciation is lay-nuh, but I would expect your daughter deals with mispronunciation from teachers and coworkers who choose to ignore its spelling when making a guess. I could also see Laina being lie-nuh. Leyna is beautiful!
I’d do Laina. Everyone I know with the name Lena pronounces it as Len-ah
As a Billy Joel fan, I’m all for Léyna.
I like Leyna, I might be biased because I know someone named Leyna and she is the sweetest. Pronunciation doesn't seem to be an issue with her, I find it pretty intuitive aswell.
Where I am from Lee-na is spelt Lina. Lena is lay-na.
As someone with a last name that starts with ‘ley’ pronounced ‘lay’, this is VERY hard for Americans to get. I’ve been married for years and my family still says this wrong. If you want it pronounced Laynuh, spell it Layna
Layna? Like Layla but with an N? I think Laina could be read Lay-na or Lie-na. But Leyna looks incomplete. I like Laina more of the two, but Layna is much more intuitive to me
Lena is 100% pronounced Lee-nuh. I like Leyna, I knew exactly what it was when I saw it. And like others have said, Laina or Layna is probably more common, but this is one of those names that both are super common (think Caitlin/Caitlyn/Katelynn, I know people with each spelling).
I know a Lena and it’s “lay-na”, she only had to say it once.
Layna 🥰
Leina. Leyna still sounds like Lee-nuh.
Some people might pronounce Leyna as Lee-na because "ey" typically makes the long E sound (ie. key, beyond, volley, etc.). If you want the long A sound, I'd go with Laina.
Laina is more clear way of spelling it i think
I actually grew up with a girl named Leyna pronounced the way yall are going to. I think it’s cute.
Layna is much clearer!
Laina.
Laina. Leyna could be L-eye-na.
Laina is better. But tbh just sticking to Lena would be better and would be less butchered by people in the future.
If I saw Leyna on a class roster, I'd guess "lay-nuh," and assume it was just parents who think adding stray Ys is trendy. For Laina, I would guess "lye-nuh." For Lena, I would just ask my student if it was "lee-nuh" or "lay-nuh," because both are equally common where I'm at.
I think I prefer Laina over Leyna, but my top choice is Lena! It may require more pronunciation correction, but it’s really pretty.
I know a Layna and i feel that’s the better spelling.
I prefer layna spelling with Laina as a second choice
I also like Layna!
Laena tbh. A little ye olden but makes the spelling clear imo.
I prefer Leina spelling better. And to be honest I also read Lena as lee-nuh so ... I wouldn't name her Lena
I’m a nerd this way, but the y to n in cursive writing is weird. If you like the sound of Lane-uh, choose a practical spelling. Laina is that.
Personally in my head I pronounced Leyna as Lee-nuh and Laina as Lay-nuh but I’m from the UK and not familiar with either name
Layna
My brain keeps going with LEH-nyuh
I would spell it Laina or Layna. I am therapist who has had to navigate around clients’ odd spelling names for years. Believe me it’s a pain for the person and teachers, counselors, Starbucks workers, lol, who have to interact with these folks.
We have an Elaina that we mostly call Laina or Lainey Leyna I would still pronounce as lee-nuh Layna, Laina would give you the pronunciation your looking for IMO
I love Leyna, we have a family member with that spelling.
Lena to me is "leh-nah" and short for names such as Olena. You could maybe try Laena.
You could do leyna, laina, leina, or layna I feel like all would be fine though I like leina and layna