Why do people have such trouble with the name "Eliza"?

[bbernardini]

My wife's name is Eliza, and it stuns me how many people have trouble pronouncing it. "EE-LIH-ZUH", "EH-LEE-ZAH", "LISA", and of course "RAYMOND LUXURY-YACHT".

Is it really that uncommon of a name? (I'll admit, I thought for quite a while that her name was actually Elizabeth. Boy, was that embarrassing when that came out.) Is it just easy for me because I'm comfortable enough with myself to enjoy "My Fair Lady"?

[Commendatori]

1. I don't. I've got Eliza Dushku on my mind.

I wouldn't mispronounce her name, that's for damn sure.

[Bucky]

2. What an odd name! How are you supposed to pronounce Eliza (sp?)

That's why most of her people change their names to normal American names when they move here, bub

[Liberal Veteran]

3. I thought everyone knew it was pronounced ee-LIZ-ay

:)

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

4. Why do you think people have trouble with the name "Eliza"?

[JVS]

5. Perhaps it is you that has trouble with the name Eliza?

[JVS]

6. please go on

[JVS]

7. You like to think that people have trouble with Eliza, do you not?

[JVS]

8. You are being a bit negative

[Kellanved]

15. paging Dr. Weizenbaum

...

[Philostopher]

9. Maybe it has to do with all the 'creative' spellings

in recent years. You know, it's spelled "Raymond Luxury Yacht" but it's pronounced "Jim." If they've never seen the name, they assume it's more complicated to pronounce than it actually is. You mentioned Lisa -- keep an eye out on the birth announcements in your local paper sometime and see how may corkscrew spellings there are that could be read as Lisa.

My name is moderately uncommon, but in constant usage and similar to another name that's also in moderate, constant usage -- people continually call me by the other name. It would be like being named Janet and having people constantly misread it as Janice, or for a man, Pat and being constantly called Paul. I finally gave up and just let them call me "Janice" -- apparently, I'm the only one who cares, since they'll continue to do it even if I correct them a couple of times. There are people who've known me for years who still think my name is "Janice" not "Janet."

[Ellen Forradalom]

10. Are you married to my cousin?

Lots of Elizas in my mother's family.

[bbernardini]

12. Perhaps? Where you from?

[Ellen Forradalom]

13. New England family.

Is she the Eliza referenced in the poem "Eliza's Jacket"?

[supernova]

11. I feel your pain

my name is Denice. That's De-NEECE. I can't tell you how many people have tried to call me "Dennis."

[redqueen]

14. If you knew my last name

and how COMMON a word it is... yet so many refuse to pronounce it correctly.

I have no idea why this is.

(btw, it's uh-lie-zuh, right?)