How do you pronounce that name?
“Uh-LAY-thei-uh.” Emphasis on the second syllable; the third syllable is like “thief” without the ‘f’. And with the ‘i’ and ‘e’ transposed.
Why does that first ‘e’ sound like a long ‘a’?
Because it indicates a Greek eta. Kind of a pain, I guess, but we didn’t get to develop the transliteration rules.
Won’t that be too hard for her teachers to learn?
1. They’ll cope. If she has a teacher without the personal interest in her students or the intellectual curiosity to learn an elegant, classical name then we’ll know right away that we should move her into another classroom.
2. Turnabout’s fair play. Won’t they be asking her to learn words she’s never seen before?
3. Not when she gets to Harvard.
Please tell me she at least gets a nickname.
In a crunch, call her “Allie.” We’ll know who you mean.
Where does the name Aletheia come from?
Greek literature, especially the New Testament. It means ‘truth.’ You shall know Aletheia, and Aletheia shall set you free. Her dad learned it in the fall of 1993 when he was studying Greek and thought it would be a great name if he ever had a daughter. Almost thirteen years later, that little girl is almost here!
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! I was about to say something rude and intrusive about your unique choice, but now I see that it’s a beautiful sounding name with deep Biblical roots and a wonderful meaning! I can tell that you put a lot of thought into it, and it’s a very appropriate name for a little girl whose parents have five Bible degrees between them.
Thank you for your kind words. We like your kids’ names, too. But if we didn’t we’d never admit it.
