Aoife in England?

@BeingATwatItsABingThing , I never said that "Aoife doesn't look like a real name". I said that the misspellings won't look like a real name. Big difference.

Well, Aiofe is someone not spelling it correctly so not really sure what your point is.

Fine, you’re not English so I take that comment back but the point still stands. It’s highly offensive to claim Aoife doesn’t look like a real name.

Most people, @RuthW ? I doubt that's true

@BeingATwatItsABingThing , Aoife is, but Aiofe isn't.

I'm not English. I'm glad my DC aren't being taught by a teacher who jumps to conclusions.

I've only seen it written - never met one - no idea how to say it

Not my real name obvs, but imagine me being called Kristen, Christine or Kirsty, at least they look like real names.

Look like real names?!? Aoife is a real name and it seems only the English are so rude as to claim a name doesn’t look real if it’s not stereotypically English.

I taught in a very diverse school with a wide range of names. Everyone learnt their names and not a single child was bullied because of their name. We’ve had some quite complicated spellings too and their teacher and peers learn it. It’s not difficult.

It's used a lot in England and most people know how to say it now.

I totally get the Eath-er comment. I'm not sure if it was intended to be humorous, but where I live, lots of people say f for th and don't say r at the end of words. So ether is pronounced aoife.

It's a beautiful name. The name of my best friend from college who I've sadly lost contact with.

She used to joke as a chat up line 'ive got all the vowels in my name.... I'm just missing 'u'!

Thanks! I tend to put some strange sound in the middle where the v is, but if Marion just says Keeva I can relax a bit!

You only ever hear this bollocks from English folk tho. “That’s a silly name” or “why do you spell it like that” or the one you forgot to mention “that’s just made up spelling to sound all patriotic is it not?” never hear that shit from the poles or the Norwegians or the French. Tbh or the Irish or Scottish or Welsh.

Call your lass whatever you want and sod the Susan’s who can’t fathom anything culturally different.

Before reading this thread I would have said it was a safe bet but having seen the number of posters who have confidently stated that they know exactly how to pronounce Aoife and then given a completely incorrect pronunciation… Eath-err?!?

I concur with the pp who have said that it gets muddled with Eva. It does, especially when called across a busy classroom or playground.

But I would avoid it at the moment, to be honest.

Eva, Eve, Evie, Evelyn, Ava, Ada are all very common right now and an Aoife will not stand out at all and always be confused with Eva.

Absolutely this. It's a lovely name in itself, but there has been a long trend of names as above (and the Ellie/Ella/Elles) that all sort of blur together for me. There's plenty of lovely Irish names to choose from.

I can say it but not spell it . It's one of the pronounceable Irish names but only because I know one .

I went to school with a Caoimhe and a Saoirse in about as little England an area as you can get. People managed to learn the names pretty quickly.

I'm not remotely Irish and know how to pronounce Aoife. It's quite well used in London I think. Never met one but know of a few.

It's a lovely name OP and (most) people will soon learn.

Kirsten is right though - IME some people are very rude about what they deem to be unusual names. I have a Welsh name and have had a few 'oh I'll never manage that, I'll call you X instead' and a few 'eurgh, what is that? comments. The worst are the ones who insist I should have been called 'something nice and English'.

Most people aren't like that - I'd say the majority are very complimentary and my name is a good ice breaker as I usually get asked about it but it is something to be aware of. I still have a ton of Welsh names on my list so it hasn't put me off at all!

This is my DD’s name and people have been fine with it. Occasionally, they pronounce it wrong but it only takes someone giving the correct pronunciation for them to get it.

I love it. X

My friend called her dd it, didn't have a clue how to pronounce it when she text me, I thought she'd misspelt Alfie, I find it a bit of an ugly name tbh but obviously my opinion

It's a beautiful name, why wouldn't you?!

I'm considering Tadhg for DS, due next year...

I have a very British surname. It’s not common, there aren’t many of us. It often pronounced wrongly. I just correct them, it’s doesn’t feel odd, nobody has been offended. It’s worse when they call my first name a nickname I don’t use - that’s just rude! Do people here not encounter people from different backgrounds? I work in an industry where people have very long surnames, first names with accents on letters that are not commonly pronounced. You just ask!! Surely people here are not that self centred?

Know an English one. No issues

We're Catholic (northern England) and at DD's school Aoife and Caoimhe are one of the most common names for girls.
Most people would easily know how to pronounce it.

^I think this sums it up most succinctly.

I've never heard of it and wouldn't know how to pronounce it. Obviously I'd remember after being told how to pronounce it.

no, people don't generally like being corrected. If I get someone's name wrong, I feel foolish when they correct me.

I'd say that's on you. I don't expect everyone to know how to say or spell my name or expect to know how to spell everyone else's name. I'm not going to give myself 100 lashes over it! Would you feel foolish for spelling Claire as Clare?

Some names have sounds that you might not be able to say if you don't speak that language

so what?