Baby Name Poll Results

There is a song Marieke that doesn't pronounce it as mar-ree-ka but more like mare-reek. I know it is Dutch and would be more inclined to pronounce it mare-reek than the way you want. Marika makes more sense to me if you like the name, especially if you live in the States.

I like Marieke best. If she doesn't like how "different" or "out there" Marieke and Mieke are she has Marie as a a more "normal" nickname option. Both Marieke and Mieke could prove to be extremely hard to live with as well though. I do think it would be easier on her if you spelled it Marika or even Marieka. Just thinking about the child's future and what will best benefit her instead of possibly hindering her. I have heard that employers will pass up job applications if they can't easily pronounce an applicant's name.

I like the sound of Mieke better. Marieke sounds like reek (smelly) to me, though I'm not sure if it would strike others that way. I don't at all think Marieke is tired by comparison. I think both names are spunky. I don't know if you were trying to stay with a Dutch name, but there is also the French name Monique (mo-NEEK) which I think could work with MEE-ka/Mieke (however you want to spell it) as a nickname, if you were trying to find a more "grown-up" name for the girlish Mieke. Personally I think Mieke is fine.

Marieke is pronounced "mar-REE-ka" in both French AND Dutch.

Though we live in the States, most of our family does not. We have an Arsène, and so we know having an "atypical" name can cause frustration, but our boys have friends named Zuzu, Rito, Zudi, Nikito, Keiko, and a whole slew of Russian names I won't even attempt to spell. We all get on just fine. The best part about living in a multicultural world is getting to celebrate it.

I'm just suggesting what would be best for HER future. Especially if you primarily live in the US. I honestly doubt that there are THAT many oddly spelled Russian names used in the US unless they were born there and were moved here. Of course Russian names are normal in Russia. I totally get wanting to celebrate your culture and everything, I love the fact that my mother's family is 90% French and I love some of the traditional French names but a lot of them would cause so many headaches to my children throughout their lives in the US, unfortunately you live in a country where cultural celebration isn't always thought about before everything else. Employers will pass up applications if they cannot figure out how to say Mieke/Marieke in a timely manner or if they just think the name is "too weird looking" to represent their place of employment. Sadly that is a real thing in this world especially in America. Names that aren't "atypical" can end up making the person's life a living nightmare of several occasions not just a little bit of frustration. Missed job opportunities, teasing/bullying(especially with the REEK sound in Marieke), and so many other variables. I'm just trying to give advice here and look out for the best interest of a being that currently has no say in their name. I'm sure there are many girl names that would honor culture but also be easier for her to live with in the US just by looking at Zuzu and Nikito. Arsène is a bit easier to imagine it being decent to live with, the accent over the E and just the spelling in general pretty gives away it's pronunciation. Mieke and Marieke do not have that.

Jsyk the "yOu'll neVer be sucCessfuL wiTh a NamE liKe thAt" was borne out of xenophobic ideology, most commonly directed at POC with "ethnic" names, but also against Eastern Europeans and Jews with distinctly Jewish names. Not exactly an argument that makes you seem helpful or informed. No malice here, just education.

Voted Mieke because I think it's cute! Mieke Paprika, love.

Marieke would be my choice. It's not common, but it's also not impossible to pronounce. It sounds quite lovely to me. The other name sounds like it would be a nickname for Marieke. As for Paprika...well, this is why we don't let 7 year olds name their siblings.

Paprika could work. Maybe Poppy for short?

We wouldn't name her Paprika! Lol! He thinks it would be a funny nickname!

Thank you for your comments!

Marieke nn Mieke or Marika nn Mika :-)