View Message

[Opinions] Snejana
What do you think of this variant of Snezhana, derived from the Slavic word for "snowy"? I think it's enchanting. I can't decide if I prefer Snejana or Snezhana, but for the moment, I'm leaning towards Snejana because it looks more continentally sophisticated.Some combos:Snejana Iris
Snejana Lily
Snejana Phoebe
Snejana Rosemarie / Rosemary
Snejana Eloise
Snejana Odette
Snejana Marguerite
Snejana Muriel
Snejana Opal
Snejana Lucille
Snejana Pearl
Snejana Sylvie / Silvia / Sylvia
Snejana Lucette
Snejana Edith
Snejana Pauline
Snejana Paulette
Snejana Ruby
Snejana Irene
Snejana Sophie
Snejana Caroline
Snejana Maxine
Snejana Clotilde
Snejana Veronique
Snejana Roxane
Snejana Martine

This message was edited 7/12/2023, 8:10 AM

vote up1

Replies

If I had to choose I would choose Snezhana although I don't find either one remotely sophisticated. And I say this as someone who was born in Eastern Europe. I find a lot of names used in that part of the world as dead common and trashy. And this particular one just reminds me of the English word sneeze. If this was my first name I would go by my middle one.It doesn't work for me with a French middle name. The clash is jarring. I think it's best with another name that ends in A or a name that is the same in many languages.
vote up1
For much of the 2000s through perhaps 2012, I followed high fashion. Not that I was trendy myself (or that I had any money to blow), but more or less I kept up with haute couture models, editorials, things like that. I'd recognize models in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. My favorites were Sasha Pivovarova, Frida Gustavsson, Lily Cole, Gemma Ward (I really loved the "alien doll" aesthetic, as you can see), and my favorite walker was Natasha Poly (though as a "Victoria's Secret Angel" I think she was considered less "high fashion" than the others).Another model who was well regarded for her walk, though, was Snejana Onopka. There was a time when she was considered Queen of the Runway - before her own agency pulled her for health reasons. (Sadly, nearly every high fashion model who was "making it" seemed to have an eating disorder.) She's immediately who comes to mind when I read the name Snejana.Only in Googling her now to see what she's up to, have I learned that she chose this transcription of her name while gaining work in Western Europe, and her Ukrainian name was usually transliterated as Snizhana beforehand. Also, apparently she recently left an abusive marriage. And her hometown was taken over by Russian forces in 2022. Now I'm sad....As for the name itself, I like the Russian Snezhana since the E is "liquid" (mentally add a little Y in front of it). The name is very pretty, but admittedly clunky outside of Slavic countries. Though it pairs well with French middles. From your combos, I like:Snejana Lily ("snowy lily" is a very pretty image)
Snejana Eloise
Snejana Odette
Snejana Pearl (also "snowy pearl")
Snejana Lucette
Snejana RoxaneI would also like to propose:Snejana Lucine / Snejana Lusine
Snejana Daria
Snejana Darlene
Snejana Cécile / Snejana Cecile
Snejana Cosette
Snejana Flavia
Snejana Marjolaine
Snejana Léonce
Snejana Garance
Snejana Liliane
Snejana Lisette
Snejana Teresa / Snejana Theresa
Snejana Perrine
Snejana Rosalie
Snejana Roselle
Snejana Rosette
Snejana Sébire
Snejana Sabine
Snejana Lyonesse
Snejana Vanesse
vote up1
I prefer Snježana. Snejana seems incomplete to me, but it's still not that bad.I like:Snejana Iris
Snejana Rosemarie
Snejana Eloise
Snejana Odette
Snejana Muriel
Snejana Lucille
Snejana Lucette
Snejana IreneSome combos:Snejana Anastasia
Snejana Aurelia
Snejana Celestine
Snejana Elizabeth
Snejana Genevieve
Snejana Isabelle
Snejana Noelle
Snejana Rosaline
Snejana Therese
Snejana Vivienne
vote up1
Since in most Slavic languages that use the Latin alphabet, J is pronounced as Y, I don't like this spelling - snay-A-na features a prominent neigh, and sneh-JA-na might be even more horrid.Snežana is my favourite spelling, I think. Snezhana is nice too.Odette Snezhana would be nice. Very swan-like.Snezhana Roshanara!!

This message was edited 7/12/2023, 9:25 AM

vote up1
Yes, I understand that concern. I have a soft spot for French renderings of Slavic names because they remind me of the aristocrats in Russian novels.
vote up2