Mumsnet Talk

My husband and I are almost decided on a name for our little girl and one on the list is the name Keira (keer-ah) but we are arguing about how it should be spelt.

I think as above he thinks Kira but having looked there are loads of different ways.

So what do you think , Keira , Kiera, Ciara, Kera, Kira or any other derivation. I really don't want to lumber her with constantly having to spell her name or have and 'odd' spelling for the sake of it. Opeinions welcome.

I think on hearing the name most people will reach for Keira as its the one they know (Keira Knightley).
If you spell it Kira it's possible she will spend her time correcting people.
I think the proper Irish spelling is Ciara although somebody might be along to confirm. This is lovely also and possibly a more obvious spelling.

I'm with Foofy, either Keira, like Keira Knightley or Ciara, the Irish spelling - it's a really lovely name

I would think Keira was the most common way. I no somebody who has a daughter spelt Ciara but you say it like sierra. Also if you spelt it Ciara i imagine most people would think it was Kee-ar-ah.

I used to teach a Kera, but I think that Keira and Ciara are nicer.

I agree I think people will automatically write Keira . Kera I would pronounce Kerr-a and ciara I would pronounce key-ara . This just going from kids in DD school .

Ciara - lovely lovely name

i taught a little girl called Kira and it was pronounced 'Kai - ra' so wouldn't say that way!! I think the others would all be ok as have the 'keer' sound...

The only one i know is Ciara

The only problem with spelling it Ciara is the RnB star who spells her name like this and pronounces it Sierra!

Ciara is the Irish spelling but the English spell it Keira, as in Keira Knightley. I have seen it spelt both ways, but here in Ireland Ciara would be the correct Gaelic spelling.

I have taught a lovely Ciara. I would go for this spelling as most 'authentic', but if you decide on an alternative I would choose Keira. The others look made-up to me.

It was on our list too and we decided it would be Keira as most people know it that way.

I have a niece called Kira

I'd actually go with Kira, although I prefer Keira, so people don't think you've named her after a 'sleb.

Ciara pronounced Sierra???

Yup, she's an American star.

Can't figure out how her parents got that pronounciation from those letters.

I know a Kira, it's the persian spelling, Ciara is the Irish spelling both are lovely and unusual so i'd go for either of those spellings.

I like Kira or Ciara as both are authentic, as much as a Persian spelling can be once the Roman alphabet is used in the case of Kira anyway. I think if you want ease of pronunciation in Britain and elsewhere in the Anglophone world outside of Ireland Kira would be your safest bet.

As an Irish person I would just say Ciara without thinking, but, I guess if you are in the UK using an Irish name you will have issues with people getting it wrong anyway.

I went to school with a few all Spelt Kiera

If you read the book freakonomics there is a chapter on baby names. One of the interesting points was made from a statistical analysis of babies' names in California, over a decade. There was a negative correlation between non-standard spelling of a name and the number of years the child spent in education - for example, "Jasmine" spent longest on average in education, followed by "Jasmyne", "Jasmyn", and so on until "Jazzminn" etc. The correlation wasn't causative, but was an indicator that the education levels of the parents influence whether they choose a standard spelling for their child's name or whether they want to be a bit "unique".

I would go for whatever is the standard spelling in the country you live. Kira is a bit Jazzmin Shardonnae to me.

I like Ciara best but then I'm in Ireland and it's nearly always spelt like that - I do know of one Kira though.