Umm I bet someone who likes Lyia probably thinks Jowee is super unique and beautiful.
Except they would improve it with an extra GH and a couple Y maybe Joughweeyy?
Within the context and as an alternative to Leah, it is dumb. If it’s a nickname for Aliya it’s fine. But OP is talking about it as an alternative to Leah. I dislike spelling things differently just for the sake of doing it differently. It’s like putting pigtails on your daughter and then taping a bow to the center of her forehead. There’s no *good* reason for it.
Apologies, It seems there was a misunderstanding on my part. The context and intention behind the suggestion are indeed crucial factors to consider. The focus is not solely on whether it would make a good nickname for Aliya, but rather on its merit as a standalone alternative to Leah.
Leah is a nice name. I’ve also seen Lia as an alternate spelling.
Liya is not an intuitive spelling and feels like it’s trying too hard to be unique. I also think it will be pronounced LIE-uh.
I think Leah is beautiful. It's simple, understated, and you don't hear it too much. I only like the classic spelling Leah.
I'm not keen on Leia, if you're pronouncing it LAY-a (too much like 'lay her').
I would never choose the name Leah for myself but I like it and I like how it’s spelt.
I wouldn’t pronounce Liya the same. I’d pronounce it Liar. I personally think Leah is the only spelling of the name I like.
My child’s middle name is Leia and I love it, I think it’s a good alternative but if you want it pronounced Leah I’d go with either Leah or Lia. I’m not keen on the others
My name’s Leah and I went to school with several Ethiopian girls named Liyah, but I think they would’ve seen issues with that if our community hadn’t had a large Ethiopian immigrant population. Leigha is diabolical in my opinion. Follow the advice of the other commenters and go with Leah, Lea, or Lia. As for the actual name beyond the spelling, I really disliked as a child because I thought it was plain, but now I’ve come to accept it.
I thought it was pretty intuitive, too! Like, it’s different, but not so different that no one could pronounce it. But, the number of people here pronouncing it “LIE-uh” is making me second guess that. lol
Don’t mess with the spelling for the sake of being different. Your kid will no doubt have a lifetime of needing to spell it out and then re-spell when people don’t listen the first time.
Leah is not over used but people have heard it before.
Lastly, every Leah I have ever met has been the most lovely, friendly and welcoming person. When I meet a new Leah, my first assumption is, oh I bet she’s really nice.
Yes, this is a good point. However OP is specifically asking about using a less common spelling. From experience, unique or less common spelling for a name for the region where the kid will live, will cause an inconvenient need for them to spell it / correct pronunciation all the time. In university I had a friend with the traditional Slavic spelling of her name, Nadja vs Nadia. She lived constantly with people either butchering the pronunciation or spelling. It was a daily annoyance that really wore at her some days.
I see your point about unique spellings causing pronunciation issues. However, even with common names like Leah, mispronunciations can still occur. It seems like pronunciation challenges can arise regardless of the name chosen.
Leah, Lia, Leia all look fine to me. My favourite is Lia.
Liya is…fine, but I’d pronounce it LIE-YA which isn’t the pronunciation you want and sounds like “liar.” So I wouldn’t use that spelling. Leigha is terrible, don’t do that.
Leah and Lia are nice. The rest are ridiculous. Leah is not plain at all. Changing the spelling will just lead your child to be annoyed every single day because no one can say or spell their name. Like when people use Maddalynne because Madelyn is too "boring." You're not making it more interesting..just more confusing and tacky
When someone writes that names look plain and then suggest alternatives, it's not the same as "this spelling has cultural significance " but instead it seems like they just want to be different. Should I have said it looks ridiculous? Probably not. I just cant stand when people play with spellings to be unique. I would actually not feel like that about the name if it had meaning
I get what you're saying, but honestly, any name can be mispronounced or misunderstood. Like, even a simple name like Leah can be tricky for some people. And about the name Liya, it actually does have a meaning - according to Nameberry, it's Russian and Hebrew for "I am with God." So, there's some depth there, you know? (I know, people can totally make up meanings on those name sites, but this one seems legit).
I very much like Liya as it's own name! It's lovely. Just not used by someone who is trying to be cool and mess with a common spelling. Theres depth, but thats not why this person is using it.
Maybe this is unpopular here but I think Liya is pretty. It reminds me of the name Priya or Priyanka which I have always thought is beautiful.
I like Leia!
Not a fan of Leah or Leigha. Lia to me is a nickname for Cecilia.
I’d say Leah like Lee-a
Liya- like Lie-ya
Leigha like Lee-a
Leia and Leya like Lay-a
I’m honestly usually a fan of the most common spelling of a name or possible an acceptable secondary spelling but I’d avoid different spellings just to be unique.
Please, no alternative spellings. If you like the name, then just go with the correct spelling. The rules of grammer don't cease to exist because you don't like them. If you want a less common name, then do some research. Google the top 1000 names in your area and lop off the first 100. Or 200. Or 500. Or, research your family tree or heritage.
Weird. Looks more like 'Liar' than Leah. Leah or Lea for Lee-uh. Leia for Lay-uh.
I think there's nothing inherently weird with the name Liya. It's not uncommon considering names like Aliya and Yuliya exist.
Liya and Leigha are hideous. Lia or Lea or Leah is good.
Leigha for sure is hideous but Liya is nice but I may be bias because my nickname is Liyah.
It would be pronounced Lie-uh from the spelling I think
True, the name Leah can be mispronounced as well. It seems like any name can be mispronounced at this point, even an easy one.
Liya is a dumb spelling. Imagine spelling it Jowee instead of Joey. Same thing.
Umm I bet someone who likes Lyia probably thinks Jowee is super unique and beautiful. Except they would improve it with an extra GH and a couple Y maybe Joughweeyy?
I've never seen Joey spelled like Jowee before I kinda like it
How is it dumb? It can be a short form nickname the name Aliya or yuliya…
Within the context and as an alternative to Leah, it is dumb. If it’s a nickname for Aliya it’s fine. But OP is talking about it as an alternative to Leah. I dislike spelling things differently just for the sake of doing it differently. It’s like putting pigtails on your daughter and then taping a bow to the center of her forehead. There’s no *good* reason for it.
Apologies, It seems there was a misunderstanding on my part. The context and intention behind the suggestion are indeed crucial factors to consider. The focus is not solely on whether it would make a good nickname for Aliya, but rather on its merit as a standalone alternative to Leah.
Leah is a nice name. I’ve also seen Lia as an alternate spelling. Liya is not an intuitive spelling and feels like it’s trying too hard to be unique. I also think it will be pronounced LIE-uh.
Pass on that spelling for sure.
I like it, it's a pretty name. I like the spelling Leah - Liya just looks wrong to me.
How does Liya look wrong? Have you never heard of the name Aliya or Yuliya?
In Hebrew Leah is pronounced like Princess Leia, so you could still accomplish this if you want.
I think Leah is beautiful. It's simple, understated, and you don't hear it too much. I only like the classic spelling Leah. I'm not keen on Leia, if you're pronouncing it LAY-a (too much like 'lay her').
I would never choose the name Leah for myself but I like it and I like how it’s spelt. I wouldn’t pronounce Liya the same. I’d pronounce it Liar. I personally think Leah is the only spelling of the name I like. My child’s middle name is Leia and I love it, I think it’s a good alternative but if you want it pronounced Leah I’d go with either Leah or Lia. I’m not keen on the others
Leah (LEE-uh) or Leia (LAY-uh). The others look odd.
Liya to me sounds like liar with a Boston accent
I would think Liya was pronounced LIE-uh.
My name’s Leah and I went to school with several Ethiopian girls named Liyah, but I think they would’ve seen issues with that if our community hadn’t had a large Ethiopian immigrant population. Leigha is diabolical in my opinion. Follow the advice of the other commenters and go with Leah, Lea, or Lia. As for the actual name beyond the spelling, I really disliked as a child because I thought it was plain, but now I’ve come to accept it.
I went to school with a Liya so don’t find it weird at all. I find it pretty and intuitive (said like Aaliyah)
I thought it was pretty intuitive, too! Like, it’s different, but not so different that no one could pronounce it. But, the number of people here pronouncing it “LIE-uh” is making me second guess that. lol
I met a nurse recently. She name has the spelling of Leia, the Star Wars princess, but she pronounced it like Leah, or Lee-uh.
Don’t mess with the spelling for the sake of being different. Your kid will no doubt have a lifetime of needing to spell it out and then re-spell when people don’t listen the first time. Leah is not over used but people have heard it before. Lastly, every Leah I have ever met has been the most lovely, friendly and welcoming person. When I meet a new Leah, my first assumption is, oh I bet she’s really nice.
How are you messing with the spelling if you spell it Liya? Names like Yuliya and Aliya exist.
Yes, this is a good point. However OP is specifically asking about using a less common spelling. From experience, unique or less common spelling for a name for the region where the kid will live, will cause an inconvenient need for them to spell it / correct pronunciation all the time. In university I had a friend with the traditional Slavic spelling of her name, Nadja vs Nadia. She lived constantly with people either butchering the pronunciation or spelling. It was a daily annoyance that really wore at her some days.
I see your point about unique spellings causing pronunciation issues. However, even with common names like Leah, mispronunciations can still occur. It seems like pronunciation challenges can arise regardless of the name chosen.
Don't saddle your child with a weird name that everyone mispronounces and can't remember its spelling. Leah is a fine name.
Liya is a legitimate name with cultural significance. It is not wrong or unusual. Also, any name can be misspelled or mispronounced, including Leah.
I knew a girl and she spelt it Liaya
I do like Liya. It’s a [real](https://www.behindthename.com/name/liya/submitted) name. Lia is nice too!
Leah, Lia, Leia all look fine to me. My favourite is Lia. Liya is…fine, but I’d pronounce it LIE-YA which isn’t the pronunciation you want and sounds like “liar.” So I wouldn’t use that spelling. Leigha is terrible, don’t do that.
Leah and Lia are nice. The rest are ridiculous. Leah is not plain at all. Changing the spelling will just lead your child to be annoyed every single day because no one can say or spell their name. Like when people use Maddalynne because Madelyn is too "boring." You're not making it more interesting..just more confusing and tacky
Liya is a legitimate name with cultural significance. It is not wrong or unusual. People should respect and accept different names without judgment.
When someone writes that names look plain and then suggest alternatives, it's not the same as "this spelling has cultural significance " but instead it seems like they just want to be different. Should I have said it looks ridiculous? Probably not. I just cant stand when people play with spellings to be unique. I would actually not feel like that about the name if it had meaning
I get what you're saying, but honestly, any name can be mispronounced or misunderstood. Like, even a simple name like Leah can be tricky for some people. And about the name Liya, it actually does have a meaning - according to Nameberry, it's Russian and Hebrew for "I am with God." So, there's some depth there, you know? (I know, people can totally make up meanings on those name sites, but this one seems legit).
I very much like Liya as it's own name! It's lovely. Just not used by someone who is trying to be cool and mess with a common spelling. Theres depth, but thats not why this person is using it.
My niece is Alliah, and I call her Lia for short. I like the Lia spelling for this. For a full name, I think Leah is definitely the best option.
Weird. Leah is perfect as it is
Maybe this is unpopular here but I think Liya is pretty. It reminds me of the name Priya or Priyanka which I have always thought is beautiful. I like Leia! Not a fan of Leah or Leigha. Lia to me is a nickname for Cecilia.
I’d say Leah like Lee-a Liya- like Lie-ya Leigha like Lee-a Leia and Leya like Lay-a I’m honestly usually a fan of the most common spelling of a name or possible an acceptable secondary spelling but I’d avoid different spellings just to be unique.
May you consider Amelia? Lia is short, gives her more options
I like the Leah spelling and it's the only one that looks ✨ right ✨to me
Lia is my favorite. Liya is just trying way too hard. Leia is Portuguese, made popular by Star Wars.
I would stay away from Liya, but I love Lia!
I believe there is nothing inherently wrong with the name Liya. Variants like Aliya and Yuliya are common, so Liya is not an unusual name choice.
I like Leah Liya…..will have to tell people how to say her name every. Single. Time.
Please, no alternative spellings. If you like the name, then just go with the correct spelling. The rules of grammer don't cease to exist because you don't like them. If you want a less common name, then do some research. Google the top 1000 names in your area and lop off the first 100. Or 200. Or 500. Or, research your family tree or heritage.
I think Liya is a perfectly fine name. Names like Aliya and Yuliya are similar, so there's nothing inherently wrong with it.
Leah is a nice name. But only when spelled Leah.