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Baby names

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Original poster

Does Aoife 'go' with Esther and Henry?

32 replies

howdy1 · 21/08/2017 15:33

Name changed for this as I'm revealing my children's names.

I have an Esther and a Henry, both traditional. We love the name Aoife but we're not Irish and not sure it 'goes' with the other two names?

Advice would be appreciated!

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Original poster
howdy1 · 21/08/2017 19:50

Thanks for all the recommendations! Some lovely names.

I hadn't ever really considered that Esther and Aoife are similar but now I do see it! I think the decision is obvious really, I just wanted to see it it was just me who thought it was odd to use an Irish name with no Irish connections, DH hadn't thought of it until I mentioned.

OP posts:
Glumglowworm · 21/08/2017 19:34

I don't think it does "go" but i don't think it matters. I wouldn't use sibling names that were very similar (for simplicity more than anything!) but generally I think it doesn't matter. They will be a sibling set to you forever, but to most people only for a very short time. Once they're adults with separate jobs and friends, no one will think of them as "Esther, Henry and Aoife", they'll just be "Esther" or "Henry" or "Aoife"

I love the name Aoife as well!

early30smum · 21/08/2017 18:31

Love your children's names OP! Although I like Aoife, Alice is lovely and goes much better.

I don't know if you like this, but Alicia is also lovely, and a bit of a compromise between Aoife and Alice?

pigeondujour · 21/08/2017 17:53

Don't if you aren't Irish. Alice is beautiful, classic and goes perfectly with your other kids' names.

ruthsmumkath · 21/08/2017 17:50

I prefer Alice with the other names - plus as someone with a hard to spell name - unless I lived in Ireland I'd avoid Aoife.

Tabymoomoo · 21/08/2017 17:48

Don't think it goes very well and tbh I'm not a big fan - always sounds like "heffa" to me.
Alice fits much better.
Effie, Amelie, Elodie, Adeline, and Eilish are similar pretty alternatives?

mumofone234 · 21/08/2017 17:47

I don't think it matters that you're not Irish - I'd have liked Niamh if I had a girl and neither of us is Irish.

grasspigeons · 21/08/2017 17:45

I don't think names need to go so it being irish is fine, and I like Aoife as a name but I do feel it sounds a bit similar to Esther.

squoosh · 21/08/2017 17:40

Esther doesn't sound classically English to me. It's a name I'd associate with a Jewish family. Nothing wrong with that of course.

They don't really need to 'go' OP, it's not as though they'll spend their days as a trio. Although the Bee Gees...

harrietm87 · 21/08/2017 17:37

I don't think it does go - Esther and Henry are such classic English names and Aoife is obviously Irish and also becoming quite trendy now. It doesn't really matter as it's not like she'll be referred to along with siblings for the rest of her life, but might make her feel different from them. She will have to spell it constantly (which I don't think is really a problem) and explain that she has no Irish roots (which could be annoying for her).

I'd go with Alice. Lovely name and does go well with siblings.

TwitterQueen1 · 21/08/2017 17:27

No because it's too similar to Esther and I would anticipate confusion between the two....

MammieBear · 21/08/2017 17:22

I don't think you need an Irish connection to use the name they have been brought over to England for hundreds of years so long as you use correct spelling that is!
Niamh for example is used and it doesn't hold people back. I'd say it goes well a little different but that doesn't matter as they all have individual personalities anyway. Smile if you both love the name I'd say use it.

Original poster
howdy1 · 21/08/2017 17:07

We're having a family name as the middle name - otherwise would have been a good idea!

It's strange but I'm not fond of Eva - I know that's ridiculous given how similar they sound!

OP posts:
ilivebythesea · 21/08/2017 16:50

Can you have Alice as first name, Aoife as the middle one? Otherwise, I would say go for Eva, as it sounds almost the same as Aoife, but you won't get the questions!

Original poster
howdy1 · 21/08/2017 16:39

I think we are leaning towards Alice - it's good to hear people's opinions!

I myself would assume an Irish connection, which is why I was a little concerned, but we just love the name.

Dina1234 it's pronounced ee-fa.

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 21/08/2017 16:36

I honestly think Alice would 'go' better, even though Aoife is lovely & does sound nice with Esther & Henry.

I probably would assume there was an Irish connection of some sort if I heard of an Aoife in the UK. Not that there needs to be, of course, but a lot of people will think that.

As someone else said above, you could go with Eva which would have the advantage of everyone being able to pronounce & spell, though I appreciate it doesn't sound like Aoife.

HelenaJustina · 21/08/2017 16:35

I don't think it goes as such, gorgeous name but think you could find a better fit if having a 'set' matters to you. It's also not that far apart from Esther (which I also love)

Dina1234 · 21/08/2017 16:29

How would you pronounce that?

Adarajames · 21/08/2017 16:26

I think unless you speak Irish / have Irish roots, it's mean to give a child a difficult to spell and pronounce name, especially when siblings are very traditional names

BoneyBackJefferson · 21/08/2017 16:18

Its not hard to pronounce (Ee fa)

PaganGoddessBrigid · 21/08/2017 16:15

I love Esther as well! I like Miriam and Esther together!

PaganGoddessBrigid · 21/08/2017 16:14

It wouldn't ''not go'' in Ireland. I know families with a mixture of classic and Irish names but in the uk it might sound odd.

Could you just go with Eva?

Jooni · 21/08/2017 16:12

Alice "goes" better but Aoife is a much prettier, more interesting name IMO. Love Esther and Henry by the way!

RTKangaMummy · 21/08/2017 15:56

If no Irish connections or friends expect her to have to explain how to pronounce and spell all the time

Very pretty name but perhaps use as 2nd name so she still has name but no endless questions

Original poster
howdy1 · 21/08/2017 15:55

Thanks for the thoughts! Very useful.

DD often gets Essie, more so as she gets older!

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