Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

If you saw...

43 replies

MissMoodyMoo · 30/12/2018 12:06

What would your first instinct be? Pronunciation

Fiadh 😍

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
LeeCee · 01/01/2019 09:48

I'm Irish with an unusual name and despite having to spell/pronounce it a lot when I was young I wouldn't change it.

I did shorten the spelling when travelling to make life easier and your little one could do the same - so Fiadh on birth cert etc but maybe Fia on a CV for a bar job in Australia 😂

Go for it

IVflytrap · 01/01/2019 09:33

Fee-ah.

Because I've seen it discussed in an Irish thread on these boards before, and I remember thinking how pretty it was. (I'm English, no connection to Scotland or Ireland. If I can remember how it's pronounced, anyone can.)

Choccywoccyhooha · 01/01/2019 09:27

The pronunciation won't be a problem. For most people it will be obvious how to pronounce it because the spelling shows it is clearly an Irish name and should be pronounced as such. For those who can't pronounce Irish names from their spelling, they will quickly learn how to pronounce it when you tell them, if they don't they're just being rude.

It's a beautiful name, don't change it.

weegiehere · 01/01/2019 09:17

I've got a Saoirse and folk just get on with it! Use it.

DramaAlpaca · 01/01/2019 03:44

I'm in Ireland so am familiar with the name & how to pronounce it, it's just that with my English accent I have to try really hard not to pronounce it as 'fear' Blush. It's a gorgeous name. You could of course simplify to Fia, but I think you should stick to your guns & go with Fiadh.

simplepimple · 31/12/2018 21:16

Not being Scottish I'd say it Fi-ada but I love how you are meant to say it as Feeah.

You could consider amending the spelling [Fia, Feeah, Phia ] if you want to appease your MIL but really why should you - she'll get used to it eventually.

It's a beautiful name.

implantsandaDyson · 31/12/2018 21:14

I like it - it has a touch of the trendy wendys about it at the minute - I've heard of a few baby Fiadh's over the past 18 months or so - a female Ezra if you know what I mean.

I'm in NI, so I'd be grand with the pronounciation.

user1471426142 · 31/12/2018 21:00

In all honesty, the child will spend their whole life correcting spelling and pronunciation. I have only come to appreciate how annoying this is after adopting an unusual married name and it is pretty tiresome. If you still love it then use it but think about how it might affect the child as part of that process. It will be her that has to live with an unusual name not you.

Sophronia · 31/12/2018 12:23

Fee-ah

howrudeforme · 30/12/2018 19:43

Fee - ad

mortifiedmama · 30/12/2018 19:42

Like a toddler saying Thea! I'm English so probably butchering it! But a lovely name. Sod MIL and use what you like

FogCutter · 30/12/2018 18:26

I'm English and would pronounce it like fia/ fee-ah

I know a little Sophia who is known as fia and it really suits her.

mirren3 · 30/12/2018 18:24

West Coast here too, I love it.
Just remind MIL she had her time to name her children, now it is up to you and DH.
Most people your DD meets will go by the pronunciation you use anyway.

PissOffPeppa · 30/12/2018 18:18

I know nothing about Irish names, but Fee-uh would be my initial thought.

Heismyopendoor · 30/12/2018 16:14

Also west coast and wouldn’t have a clue lol.

anatol · 30/12/2018 16:08

Also West of Scotland here and would pronounce it 'fee-ah'. I love this name and it's on my list (one of the few that DH and I agree on as well!!)

HoratioNightboy · 30/12/2018 14:38

Fiadh is also Scottish Gaelic and means "deer", just like in Irish. The "dh" at the end is a sort of half-sounded hard G, so strictly would be similar to Fee-ug in Scotland, at least to Gaelic speakers. Saying that, the spelling Fia is older and more popular in Scotland, and won't cause any pronunciation issues.

And by the way, it is a lovely name!

ZebraKid71 · 30/12/2018 14:30

I'd pronounce it fee-ah and I love it!

I'm English but I think it works well, it's easy enough to say once youve told people once and not too difficult to spell.

It's not your mother in laws baby, so unfortunately for her she will have to get over it! Please don't let one person put you off a name you love.

Original poster
MissMoodyMoo · 30/12/2018 13:00

We live in the West of Scotland and when telling people we haven't had much issue with the pronunciation. My dad has said straight away he'll never learn how to spell it 😡😡😡 people seem to love the name Niamh and have no problem with the spelling but are really thrown off with Fiadh 😂😂

OP posts:
Halfahunnerstillastunner · 30/12/2018 12:42

festive accents are amazing aren't they? I find it fascinating. In mine Sofia is so-fee-a and fear is more like fee-urr so sound totally different. That Scottish r! Grin

Halfahunnerstillastunner · 30/12/2018 12:40

Ah just seen your update. I like it. If it's the name you love, use it! Your MIL will have to lump it, not her child to name!
My only proviso is wait until she's born before finally declaring - sometimes they look so different, another name works better (happened to me!)

PoorMansPeppaPig · 30/12/2018 12:37

Do you live in Ireland? If not... I'm unsure about it in terms of the spelling you're going for. I love the name as it sounds but the '-dh' bit of spelling makes it hard to figure out how to pronounce it. Could you spell it some other way? Feah or Fiah? Though unsure either of those are much help really...

FestiveNut · 30/12/2018 12:36

For me the end of Sofia and the word fear sound exactly the same! So-fear. Fear has two syllables to me. Do you pronounce it with only one?

Halfahunnerstillastunner · 30/12/2018 12:36

Fee-v?

Dh can sometimes sound like a v in Scottish Gaelic I think, (and I'm Scottish but east coast so not a speaker!) so that would be my first guess.

noseoftralee · 30/12/2018 12:36

Actually the pronunciation would work quite well with an Irish accent.

English accent I meant to say. Hmm