Einar...

[fourcorneredcircle]

Hello all... we have had a girl's name in mind for years, since we saw a painting of a woman with the name. The name's Elin (how funny that there's already a thread running with that name!). We want a Celtic/Welsh or Icelandic/Norse/Danish name to represent our heritages BUT it's really important to us that the name is said as it's written. I have a Gaelic name which I have spent my life explaining.

Anyway, we are officially on team surprise, so have been looking for a boy's name that we like and that "fits" our criteria. Also, it has to fit with a second name we have no choice in... Ronald shudder.

Any thoughts on the name Einar for a boy? It's Danish/Norse and means "warrior one"

I love it. It doesn't "go" with Ronald ... but then, what does?!

[10Betty10]

I'm not sure if it's as straight forward as Elin pronunciation wise.

I'm reading it as:
'Eye nar'

But I can also see it being seen as:

'E (long e) nar'

Am unsure which it is supposed to be?

[Kirstyinnorway]

As you can guess from my username, it's a common name where I'm living and I really like it.

From my part of Norway, it would be pronounced "eye-nar". I can't imagine pronouncing it differently, but that's probably because I've been introduced to so many. Perhaps more difficulty in the UK though?

[BadToTheBone]

I'm reading it as Aye Nar, which is Yes No where I live.

[smilingsarahb]

I wasn't sure how to pronounce it either. I thought eenar. It reminded me of eimear so thought it might be a girls name as I wasn't familiar.

[OrchidaceousRose]

Eye-nar. Always makes me think of the Sugar-cubes.

But I could see some people saying it A-nar. And that might be a minefield in the playground.

[CRbear]

Ay-nar with a rolled r would be the pronunciation in the part of Norway I lived in (and pronunciation does vary a bit across the country) - I think it's really nice but would probably pronounce eye-nar in the UK. How had you envisaged it being pronounced OP?

[Cinnamon84]

I like it - would pronounce ein like nine ein-nar. A bit like dime bar I suppose?! Iyswim

[EssentialHummus]

In South Africa "Eina" is something like "Ouch!", so that puts me off a bit. Not sure OP.

[eltsihT]

We live in Scotland and have an Einar. He fits in well and we haven't had any problems.

[eltsihT]

Should have said it's mostly pronounced eye - nar but we pronounce it ai-nar as we have Icelandic roots

[fourcorneredcircle]

I'd envisaged Aye-nar (which is how my norther accent probably pronounces eye-nar!). I might try writing it down for a few people and seeing what I get :D

We already have a Karl in the family Sally so would probably lead to confusion!

Are there sugar cubes called that orchid I had no idea! I don't think other children would call him Anna... surely when he meets them at 2/3/4/5 they won't read his name so will accept his pronunciation... and then by secondary they'd be too full of themselves to pretend to read badly! I am a secondary teacher though... how cruel can five year olds be?!

[eltsihT]

We also had

Finnur
Olafur
Ragnar on our list

[sonlypuppyfat]

Kirk Douglas in my favourite film The Vikings

[KatherinaMinola]

orchid is talking about the band The Sugarcubes (Bjork, Einar, etc), which was my first though too .

[fourcorneredcircle]

Well there you go, I seem to have a general "why not" and I've learned that Bjork has been around a lot longer than I realised!

[MiriAmmerman]

I love it (I first came across it in The Danish Girl - Einar Wegener was an amazing artist and imo a cool namesake to have).

[OrchidaceousRose]

Yes, it was the band...

Five year olds can be pretty cruel..but not as cruel as teenagers. I wasn't insinuating that they'd call him Anar or Anna. I was trying to hint that they'd say Anar does Anal.

[fourcorneredcircle]

orchid yeah...ok, that I can imagine! But I think it will be ok... "Ei" doesn't sound like "A" in our local accent.

Besides... kid will have to have developed a thick skin by high school to have dealt with "Ronald Macdonald"!