Eilidh Helen

[hhg]

We really like Eilidh for a girl and def want Helen to be middle name (after my Mum).

So annoying though as Eilidh is Gaelic for
Helen and so using this name is like saying "Helen Helen" isn't it?

Thoughts please?

Any other ideas for first girls names - has to be Scottish/Gaelic and nice

Thank you all v much :)

[belgo]

How do you pronounce Eilidh?

[hhg]

Like "Ay-ley"

[RueLaChesty]

hmm i wouldn't use both to be honest.

I do like both names and we considered them as my gran was ellen and ellen comes from helen.

We also liked elizabeth after my other gran and isobel which is form of elizabeth but couldn't have isobel elizabeth. Ended up going with elizabeth ellen.

I do like eilidh but think its quite popular, where do you live?

[hhg]

I agree both together sound a bit daft - which is a shame. Husband and I don't have a lot of names we agree on. I am in scotland where Eilidh is more popular

[bronze]

I have to admit I saw the title and thought, they do realise thats Helen Helen don't they.

Why not just use Eilidh for being after your mum, Helen with a twist.

[belgo]

If you really want to use both for sentimental reasons, then go for it.

[FalachFead]

As a Gaidhlig speaker it sounds ridiculous. But since we are very much in the minority who'll really know.. Loads of gorgeous Gaidhlig girls names...

Floraidh - Flora
Marsaili - Marjory (terrible in English..)
Oighrig - (Euphemia)
Mairead - (Margaret)
Mairanna - (Maryann)
Catriona - (Catherine)
Seonag - (Johanne)
Seonaid - (Janet/tte)
Sine - (Jean)
Sorcha - (Sarah)
Morag
Peigi -(Peggy)
Cairistiona - (Christina)
Mailli - ( a really old version of Mary)
Sìleas - (Julia)
Mairi - (Mary)
..are but a few

I love the name Eilidh but it's become a bit ubiquitous.
Loads in and around our School. It is the Gaelic school also loads in our area and have relies with the name...
Helen much less heard....You could go old Island stylee and put Helen on the birth cert but call her Eilidh to differentiate from Granny....

[Deciduousblonde]

I don't see anything wrong with having those two names together, after all not everyone will know the meanings of names.

I knew 2 brothers called Shane & John..so they actually had the same name

My cousin named her daughter Megan Pearl. Megan means 'pearl'. It hasn't done her any harm and the names go nicely together, as does Eilidh Helen. If you like it, go for it!

[chimchar]

Sorcha and Mairi are gorgeous when written...how do you pronounce them??

op...i think that you could use the gaelic helen in honour of your mum...

[ragged]

Ditto
Tristan Thomas
Maisie Margaret
Ian John
etc.

Just use it if you like it,OP; very few people in the scheme of things will ever even learn what her middle name is.

[Northernrose]

Eilidh is a lovely name. I am a strong believer in using the name you love, so if you really love Eilidh Helen and other things are just second best then use it! I think they sound nice together and like ragged said few people will be using her full name, and I had no idea that Eilidh was the Gaelic name for Helen despite being Scottish!

Others than come to mind are:
Eilish
Mairi
Mhairi
Mara (thinking of Celtic meaning 'sea' rather than Hebrew meaning 'bitter'!!)
Katrin (like Loch Katrin)

Or you could add in a second middle name to break Eilidh and Helen up if it bothers you?

[FalachFead]

Sor-a-cha..said quickly....as in no fada/grave to elongate any vowels... I say Maathi...kind of an r/th combo...others just stick to Mah-ree...they are gorg names.

[ShoppingDays]

I wouldn't use the two names together for the reason's you've given.

[ShoppingDays]

reasons (doh)

[swanandduck]

I'm Irish and it would sound like a crazy combination in Ireland. A bit like an English person calling a child Amelie Emily or something.

[Komondor]

I think its fine - Eilidh is a lovely name, and you never use your second name, except for form filling. I think its lovely that you want to use your mum's name for second name.

[Milngavie]

I'm another who read the title and though 'but that's Helen Helen'.

I like Eilidh as a name though.

What about Mhairi? (said Vha-ri).

I know of twins called Sean and Jack so effectively they are both called John.

However, the Helen wouldn't be used all the time so you would probably be ok .

[whoodoo]

My mum is a Helen and we live in Scotland too. I wanted eilidh for our girl who turned out to be a fergus. Hate to say it but when I read thread title I just thought 'but doesn't she know that's Helen Helen?' sorry. Eilidh lovely though in my view. I was going to tell my mum that it meant Helen so in a way our fergus would have been named after her if he wasn't a blue one IYSWIM.

[ValiumTinselton]

The first thing I thought of before I clicked was Helen Helen.

It's like Elizabeth Isabel.

MAYBE only Celts would feel that so instantly though?

[MollysChambers]

Sorry but another who hopped on the the thread to say "but that's Helen Helen".

[coco2901]

I popped on to say "you know thats Helen Helen" too... I have a cousin called Eilidh, lovely name, much prefer it to Helen :)

[Pingpong]

I'm not a gaelic speaker but know that it's Helen Helen. I really wouldn't do it. Just choose one. If you have another daughter I think it would be fine to have the other one as a middle name so DD1 Eilidh Mairi for example and DD2 Catriona Helen.
I know of brothers called James and Seamus. Just. Wrong.

[nickelbabyjesus]

I would call her Eilidh as a first name and choose a different middle name.

As you know Eilidh means Helen, then you know that you are naming her after your mum.

Eilidh's a beautiful name - my middle name's helen too. :)

[expatinscotland]

Yes, it's like saying Helen Helen. I have an Eilidh but if you want to use Helen as a middle name then chose another forename.

[Eglu]

Eilidh is lovely. If you really want to use Helen as a middle name, why not use Eilish as a first name.