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[quote Drunkenmonkey]@Wondermule it's not about dying on any hills! When a name gets changed and lost it is a shame for people from that culture because there is a risk of the languages dying out completely in time, that's why people like to use the original spellings of Irish/Scottish names, to keep the language alive.
I don't really want to be rude, but it's the ignorance in posts like yours that make other nationalities so angry about the English (and I am English!) We're not all like this, honest![/quote]
Huh?? Well as long as people in Wales keep using Welsh names they’re not going to die out are they? What does it matter if they are used in England with a different spelling? It’s a compliment if anything.

@Wondermule it's not about dying on any hills! When a name gets changed and lost it is a shame for people from that culture because there is a risk of the languages dying out completely in time, that's why people like to use the original spellings of Irish/Scottish names, to keep the language alive.
I don't really want to be rude, but it's the ignorance in posts like yours that make other nationalities so angry about the English (and I am English!) We're not all like this, honest!

I think England started using Betsy as a variant first, then Wales put their own spelling twist on it. The fact they did doesn’t offend me in the slightest 🤷🏼‍♀️

I've no idea if they did, I only know it from Betsi Clwc Clwc. Leusa has been around a long, long time, so isn't a welshified Lisa.

Florence is mentioned on every girl’s name thread usual with mn Flo/Florrie/Flossie. I don’t think it is pretty or classic and IMO will be very much of its time like Noah.

[quote KirstenBlest]@Wondermule, I wouldn't try to read it as Welsh though, because it so obviously isn't. I generally try to get people's names right.

oh, apart from when it’s English people of course.
I think that's quite enough. Goodnight.[/quote]
No I meant, it isn’t solely England that mispronounces names and doesn’t know the provenance of a lot of them. Although you would think it from the posts on this thread 🙄

I think England started using Betsy as a variant first, then Wales put their own spelling twist on it. The fact they did doesn’t offend me in the slightest 🤷🏼‍♀️

Imogen and Ottilie.

Betsy is an English name but Elizabeth isn't. Betsi is therefore just as valid a variant as Betsy.
At least if you're going to make a sarcastic point, make sure it's correct.

@kirstenBlest I completely see where you're coming from. When a name is mispronounced and becomes mainstream you risk losing the original name entirely. Caitlin is a good example of that.
I could see the same happening to Ciara actually.

@Wondermule, I wouldn't try to read it as Welsh though, because it so obviously isn't. I generally try to get people's names right.

oh, apart from when it’s English people of course.
I think that's quite enough. Goodnight.

I doubt it. If I tried to read it as if it were Welsh, which it obviously isn't, I'd say it as Ot-TIL-yeh.

[quote KirstenBlest]@Wondermule, Betsi is a form of Elisabeth, as are Bethan, Betsan, Beti and Leusa. They are not Welsh spellings of English names.

I don't claim dibs on any name but if you wanted to use a name like Ottilie in the UK, it would be nearly always be said as Ottily not the original pronunciation Ott-il-ee-uh.[/quote]
Betsy is itself an English name, it’s on babynames.com

Would people in Wales pronounce Ottilie as Ott-il-we-uh?

@Wondermule, Betsi is a form of Elisabeth, as are Bethan, Betsan, Beti and Leusa. They are not Welsh spellings of English names.

I don't claim dibs on any name but if you wanted to use a name like Ottilie in the UK, it would be nearly always be said as Ottily not the original pronunciation Ott-il-ee-uh.

And you don’t have exclusive dibs on names. They don’t lose meaning just because they’ve become popular.

It's not clear cut, @Wondermule. You could use an anglicised version of a name and people find it acceptable (e.g. Evan or Ewan) or you could use an anglicised version (Neve or Shevaune) and people not like it.

What I don't like is the name losing its original pronunciation and the name becoming mainstream (e.g Ottilie, Caitlin or Bethan).

There are also loads of posters who criticise people using Anglicised spellings of Welsh/Irish/Scottish names. Is that rude as well? Or does this only go one way?

Wondermule, that was just one thread, but as CaffiSaliMali pp it happens on lots of threads.
If you are not in the culture where the name is popular you will get a lot of comments about how crap your name is.

I remember the comments when DSibling gave her child a name that was not mainstream english. Comments like 'Why the silly spelling?' (the welsh spelling), 'Can't they give him a proper name like Peter or something?' (why would they give their welsh child an english name?).

Said child is now an adult and his name is suggested on nearly all the welsh name threads.

I think some of the posters enjoy being neurotic about it.

They post about Anglo-centricism but I’ve never seen a post asking for English names in the way so many posters ask for Welsh/Irish/Scottish names saying it’s ‘really important to them’.

I just picked a name because I liked it, I just don’t see it as a big deal.

[quote KirstenBlest]@Wondermule

Betsi thread[/quote]
Read it. Lots of compliments on the name, 2 posters suggested spelling it using a Y, one of them apologised as they clearly hadn’t read the OP properly. Don’t get the big deal?

Gosh, I would have said that MNers are obsessive about only traditional spellings in traditional language and only if you have a personal relationship with that culture is acceptable. So you can't use a Polish name if you're not Polish, etc.

Or eg., must use Niamh not Neeve. Using "Neeve" would be a racist direct insult to every Irish person alive (according to MN).