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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Eviah

43 replies

Emmelu · 02/11/2014 18:49

Came over this name and thought it was beautiful for our little girl :)

But how would you pronounce it?

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mathanxiety · 05/11/2014 18:10

But how do you pronounce it?
EE-vee-ah
EV-ee-ah
ev-EYE-ah
ee-VYE-ah

usualsuspect333 · 05/11/2014 17:28

It's a beautiful name and I would use it.

If they MN baby name squad don't like it , then you knows it's a cool name.

AWombWithoutAFoof · 05/11/2014 17:23

So where is it from then?

Eve and all its variants are so popular in the UK I'd want to avoid anything in that style, sorry.

Belazu84 · 05/11/2014 14:39

I think your pronunciation is nice OP, and though I've never heard this name before, I really don't think it's that weird. Many of my friends and students have unusual/tricky to pronounce names- and with all their different cultures and backgrounds I find that perfectly normal (and lovely). Eviah is hardly a mouthful, and Evia would be even easier if you're worried...

northgoingzax · 05/11/2014 05:21

Love Eviah - it sounds pretty - love to hear of names I haven't come across. I find it easy to pronounce but if I was writing it down without seeing the actual spelling I would properly neglect to use the h however that's not a big deal. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Riverland · 05/11/2014 03:08

pipbin Grin

Elida is like Vileda. Eviah is ..a cross between Mariah ( pronunciation a la Carey) and Elias. Is it?

CheerfulYank · 05/11/2014 02:28

I think Evia is pretty! Agree it looks better without the H. :) I'd say "Ev-ee-uh".

It doesn't sound at all like "heavier" to me but in an American accent there is a very definite "ur" sound at the end of heavier.

SoonToBeSix · 05/11/2014 02:07

In English it would sound ridiculous .

MrsSchadenfreude · 05/11/2014 00:40

Elida is a hairspray, no? Avia is an airline.

CeriBerry · 03/11/2014 21:46

I know an Avia- kind of pronounced "ah-vee-ah." She lives in the uk and hasn't had any trouble as far as I'm aware- I think it's beautiful.

mathanxiety · 03/11/2014 20:21

Elfrieda would be nice.

aoife24 · 03/11/2014 19:30

Elida is grim, makes me think of a cleaning or sanitary product.

mathanxiety · 03/11/2014 17:17

To me, the E in Evelyn and Evie are exactly the same.

Eviah is madey uppey and sounds too close to Uriah as in Heep in David Copperfield for my liking. I agree with pps^ who remarked it looks like a cross between Evie and Nevaeh/too close to Nevaeh for comfort.

nooka · 03/11/2014 03:34

Elida is lovely. The problem with Eviah is that it really looks like Neveah (ie made up). If it looked more 'foreign' I think that it would be easier for people to think, ah yes she is from Norway so has a Norwegian name and pronounce it right.

ArgyMargy · 02/11/2014 22:02

Pipbin that really made me laugh (the jamjar / horseshoe thing). If this is you on drugs, carry on!

Leeds2 · 02/11/2014 21:58

From your top 10 names, I love Thea. Not Theadora. just Thea.

Eviah makes me think of Evian water.

florascotia · 02/11/2014 21:37

OP Just in case the info is of use, this government website says that there were no babies in England and Wales were named 'Eviah' last year (2013), but that there were 4 babies named 'Evia':
[[http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-318125]

Kundry · 02/11/2014 21:36

To me it sounds African-American rather than international.

I have a Scandinavian name and love it and totally don't mind pointing out to people how to spell or prnounce it - but I get that there are lots of people on here who have names with similar issues and find it drives them nuts.

I love love love Elida though.

Original poster
Emmelu · 02/11/2014 21:23

No, it's not a "norwegian" name, but the most common name's in Norway aren't.

This is the top 10 list for 2013:

1.Emma (Germanic/English)
2.Sara/Sarah (Hebrew)
3.Sofie/Sophie (Greek)
4.Ingrid/Ingerid (Norse/Scandinavian)
5.Nora/Norah (Latin)
6.Maja/Maia/Maya (Danish/Scandinavian)
7.Linnea/Linea (Swedish/Scandinavian)
8.Thea/Tea (Greek)
9.Sofia/Sophia (Greek)
10.Emilie (Latin)

Personally, I'm not very fond of names like: Ingrid, Astrid, Berit, Arnhild, Ragnhild, Hildegunn, Hildur etc.

I like names that are a bit more international. I myself have a very common "norwegian" name, which is Marthe - and whenever I'm traveling, people have big trouble pronouncing it. Mostly is becomes Martha or Mertha.
That's why I want my children to have either international name or at least a name that's easy to say or pronounce in most languages.

I liked Eviah because it's not a common name, and I though.. since Eviah is so much like Evie, Eva, Elvira (and norse names like Elida, Elvida, Evina) - it would be an easy name to pronounce abroad, but I see now that I couldn't have been further off.

But it's good to know.. because I don't wanna give my children a name that turns out to be inconvenient.

OP posts:
AtrociousCircumstance · 02/11/2014 20:49

I like it.

Kundry · 02/11/2014 20:38

Not on the Danish approved baby names list either which would include all common and uncommon Norwegian names.

wishes lived in Denmark where they actually have a list of names you have to pick from

Kundry · 02/11/2014 20:34

Are you sure it's a Norwegian name? It doesn't sound remotely Scandinavian and the spelling is v odd for a Scandinavian name.

I suspect your fiance may have met the only one.

serialgrannie · 02/11/2014 20:32

No, no, no. Just choose a name that is a recognised name with a spelling that is normal in the country you intend to live in. What is wrong with Eve or Eva? (Speaks from 66 years of experience). A name which is commonly misspelt/misunderstood is a lifetime's pain in the ass. With naming children, it seems to me parents fall into two camps. The first are those who want above anything to seem different/unusual/cutting edge/please themselves at any cost and the second are those who choose a name which is not wacky/difficult to spell/unheard of/from a totally different cultural background and which the grandparents may actually like.

Think of the baby!

Original poster
Emmelu · 02/11/2014 20:23

Yes Pipbin.. That's what I'm saying, I guess.
It's not really a common norwegian name though, but my fiancé heard it this weekend - I'd never heard it before, but I really liked it.
But I guess it would be a troubling name in the UK Sad

OP posts:
fancyacupoftea · 02/11/2014 20:22

I think if it's an existing name in Norway then use it and use the pronunciation in Norwegian. Just be prepared though that you/your DD will have to spend a lot of time correcting people once you move back to the UK. Sorry, that's not supposed to be negative, just the sad matter-of-fact!