Ayra - how would you pronounce this?

[Clebaby]

We love the name Ira for a girl but didn't want the association with IRA so are trying new spellings. Ayra is our favorite. But would you pronounce the "ay" part to rhyme with Isla or Layla? We also like Iyla and Eira as spellings but less so..

[Graceflorrick]

What about Lyra?

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

I'd pronounce it 'I-ra'. Bear in mind though, people may think you've misspelt 'Arya', the Game Of Thrones character's name - that's what I first thought when I opened the thread.

[PenguinsAreAce]

Eye-ra

Like Isla

[WingMirrorSpider]

If pronounce it Ay-ra like the a sound in Ada.

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

Eira is also a Welsh name, pronounced 'Ay-ra', not 'I-ra', so you may find yourself explaining that one too. I think you're going to run into problems with the alternative spellings you've suggested.

Lyra is lovely. Isn't Ira a male name?

[KoalaDownUnder]

Same as Penguins.

Isn't Ira (pn Eye-ra) a boys' name?

[Raines100]

Read it as Arya first. When I realised, my thought was eye-ra.

[WaitrosePigeon]

I have absolutely no idea.

[Charitygirl1]

Ira is a male, biblical name. But because it ends in 'a' people use it for girls!

[IoraRua]

Ay to rhyme with hay for me.
It does seem a lot like Arya misspelled...

[HelenaJustina]

I would read it eye-ra but think you would be better off with a similar alternative. I think of Ira as an American male name.

As a pp said Eira is a differently pronounced name in its own right.

Why not Isla? Or Lyra?

[Charitygirl1]

But if you really like it OP, it's my son's name, and the IRA thing never comes up.

[Clebaby]

Thank you for your fast responses! We are on a deadline..
Ira is used as a male Jewish name but also equally so as female name in India. Plus we like gender neutral names so that isn't a worry.
Eira is Arabic/Welsh version which is both of our heritages but we think people would say "era".
I am worried people would confuse with Arya but GoT won't be around forever... maybe less so than the I.R.A :S who knows.
I do like Lyra too.
Iyra is most phonetic but has no meaning as is kind of made up.. but maybe we can keep Ira meanings that we love so much (peace, earth, wisdom/music Hindu goddess) or is that now how names work!

[Clebaby]

*not how names work

[DaisyFranceLynch]

I didn't think IRA at all when I saw Ira - my first thought was of Ira Gershwin.

I do think of it as a boys' name, but it's similar to names like Isla or Lyra or Iris so wouldn't sound out of place on a girl.

I'd pronounce the first vowel in Ayra like Layla rather than Isla, if that makes sense. The Ira spelling is probably the most straightforward to pronounce.

[2nds]

I'm Irish and when I see Ira the first thing I think of is the IRA.

[2nds]

BTW I think AYRA will be mispronounced and misspelled all the time, but if you are prepared to put up with that and love it go for it.

[Clebaby]

We do like Lyra and Iris and Ida too! But she feels like an Ira is all. If IRA hadn't popped up in news again this year.. we are still pretty flexible but only days/weeks to decide. It's a tricky job, don't want to ruin her life!

[FuminFecker]

Eye-ra

[Raines100]

Had a quick Google and found a Spanish girl's name Aira pronounced Ira.

[Clebaby]

Pretty! But that could also be "air - ah" like Sarah.
A few people think Eira is best alternative over on nameberry.
Should have done a nationwide pronounciaton poll...

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

Aira is lovely, but again, pronunciation issues!

Baby names are a minefield (pronounced 'mi-neh-fee-el-dah' )! I really hope you settle on something you like, Clebaby

[Wolpertinger]

Arya misspelled - think you and she will spend a lot of time saying how it is said/spelled. There will be a GOT generation of children's names

When I read it properly - Ay -rah.

[TheUnsullied]

I'd stick with Ira personally. I didn't think of the IRA at all. But with the Ayra spelling, I did think you'd put Arya, which is going to be a very popular name right now, what with Game of Thrones (and possibly PLL). That would end up far more annoying to me than the rare occasions someone might think of the IRA.

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

I'd just go with Ira (I think of Gershwin too) personally. I think the other spellings could be more confusing, other than perhaps Iyra, but it looks weird!

I always think if Arya being from Eragon, not GoT.