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Baby names

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

Original poster

Caoimhe

41 replies

MissMoodyMoo · 21/05/2020 22:01

I'm sure this has been debated before!
Keeva
Or
Kweeva

I love keeva but again have heard it pronounced both ways! My partners niece middle name is the "kweeva" pronunciation
Our first daughter has an irish name so we would like another although we are living in Scotland we have never had a problem with our first daughters pronunciation after the initial how do you pronounce that
Would love peoples opinions

Thanks x

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paradyning · 22/05/2020 20:51

Queeeva as well.
Not Kweeva.

And the English attempt Ka-oim-hey is everywhere!

TerribleCustomerCervix · 22/05/2020 20:44

Dublin SIL is Kweeva.

I’m from NI so took me a while to get used to it the difference but now I prefer it.

Every time I hear the Keeva pronounciation I think of a girl from Derry who I used to work with in Dublin. When new people called her Kweeva she used to say SO LOUDLY “Eh it’s actually Keeva” in a really obnoxious and eyerolly way.

Shutupanddance1 · 22/05/2020 20:43

I pronounce it Keeva but I’m from the north of Ireland. Around Dublin it’s Qweeva shutters - much prefer Ulster/West pronunciation

Donkeytail · 22/05/2020 20:37

I've only heard it pronounced as Qweeva here. I mean I know there is another pronunciation but every Caoimhe I know is pronounced Qweeva.

Mummyshark2018 · 22/05/2020 20:34

Definitely Keeva. The alternative sounds like a Quaver (crisp).

17caterpillars1mouse · 22/05/2020 19:04

I know two Caoimhe's

1 keeva (I like) who is 9
1 queeva (I don't like) who is 1

Like / don't like the pronunciations not the children haha

Flappingflamingo · 22/05/2020 18:58

Absolutely love this name, I would pronounce it keeva

chunkyrun · 22/05/2020 16:04

I love Irish names. Never in a million years would I think that spelling would be pronounced that way.

CaffiSaliMali · 22/05/2020 15:58

I knew one from NI who pronounced it Keeva. She had to explain it a few times but people quickly learned how to say and spell it (she was rather fierce).

I really like it.

Mucklowe · 22/05/2020 10:48

Keeva is a gorgeous sound. Kweeva not so much. Sounds like queef.

Nihiloxica · 22/05/2020 01:43

The Ulster pronunciation is Keeva, so that seems more appropriate in Scotland where Gaelic is closer to the Ulster dialect.

It's not really ever Kweeva, the "w" sound is softer and made in the back of the throat and not with the lips. I would avoid it outside of Ireland because Kweeva with a heavy English w sound us very ugly.

DramaAlpaca · 22/05/2020 01:34

Kweeva in the part of Ireland where I live.

A friend spelled her daughter's name Keava to avoid that pronunciation as that's what she'd get round here.

whatausername · 22/05/2020 01:20

Heard both, prefer kee-va pronunciation.

MrsEricBana · 22/05/2020 00:45

Keeva here too.

packetandtripe · 22/05/2020 00:40

it's just a dialect thing, I know it as Kweeva, but I think either Kweeva or Keeva would be fine. Your problem is the - Ka-oim-hey pronunciations, but to be fair unless you were aware of Irish pronunciations or were familiar with the name, that is what it looks like.

bombaychef · 21/05/2020 23:54

No W

SionnachRua · 21/05/2020 23:43

Kweeva is the pronunciation I usually hear. I'm in Dublin. Occasionally hear a Keeva but it's rare.

I do know someone with the name written as Keeva and I think it's spectacularly ugly, a real butchering of the language!

Blursula · 21/05/2020 23:34

My friend with this name pronounces it Keeva. Irish living in London.

Original poster
MissMoodyMoo · 21/05/2020 22:54

No it's his nieces middle name and when I say niece its actually his uncles daughter but him and his uncle are closer in ages so his children call my partner uncle if that makes sense? his "niece" is 4 strange family dynamic but it works

OP posts:
sawollya · 21/05/2020 22:47

Hang on though, your partner's niece is called Caoimhe!?

So the grandparents would have two granddaughters called Caoimhe but one pronounced Kweeva and one pronounced keeva?

Oh, please no. I'd feel really bad for the grandparents who had to style it out at the bridge club/golf club telling their friends that.

Aragog · 21/05/2020 22:45

I'm in England so no idea of the official pronunciation. However the child I taught with this name was called Keeva.

sawollya · 21/05/2020 22:43

I'm from Dublin and Keeva sounds right or better to me.

The few I know are Keeva. \

BUt I could cope if somebody said ''this is my daughter kweeva''. I'd remember!

Northernexile · 21/05/2020 22:42

I live in NI and up here I've only ever heard the 'Keeva' pronunciation.

MindyStClaire · 21/05/2020 22:40

It can be either. I prefer Kweeva, DH prefers Keeva. Based on where we each grew up.

Lovely name.

MissMarks · 21/05/2020 22:39

Keeva