Aoife - if not Irish?

People will assume she is Irish and probably ask her about it. Also the spelling and pronunciation will cause problems throughout her life.

I didn’t mind that when I “saddled” my kids with Irish names with Irish spellings because I am Irish and it was very important to me that they had that connection despite growing up in England, but no way would I do it if I wasn’t Irish. Not because I don’t think you have the right to use it OP but more because I don’t think it’s particularly fair to your daughter.

I'm not sure why you said it wasn't part of GB - that much is obvious from the name the UK used to be known by (The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland). It was a united kingdom, a unitary political state.

?

Completely contradicted yourself there.

I wouldn't, especially if not Irish. Most people can't even pronounce it

It’s the combination of the ‘aoi’ triphthong and the schwah in the second syllable.

Go for it. Nobody owns a name and you owe no-one any explanation. Most names come from somewhere else in the world. Your baby, your choice. Lovely name by the way.

I think if you can pronounce it properly then it’s fine

No collective term, I mean.

I suppose the issue is there is no term for citizens of the UK other than British.

I agree with @EarringsandLipstick

The name we are given shapes our identity; they give us a sense of who we are, the community we belong and our place in this world.

A name is also a descriptor that allows people to make quick judgments and assumptions about us. So with that in mind OP, please understand that It will be assumed she is of Irish heritage. Given there's still anti irish bigotry in Britain today I would recommend you have a rethink on your daughters first name.

Really? How do they say it?

I'd have thought the sounds were straightforward enough in English once you'd heard it said a few times. Unlike, say, Órla, where the r will be said differently with an English accent, or Caoimhe, which you really need a bit of a blas to say correctly. Obviously I'm wrong though.

by not bt

@mathanxiety , what do you gain bt telling me I thought wrong? I said Ireland was part of the UK not of GB, and I wasn't wrong.

Well, you thought wrong.

Ireland sent MPs to Westminster ever since the Act of Union dissolved the old parliament in Dublin in 1800.

Ireland and Britain were a unified political entity, both governed from Westminster, with a representative of the Crown resident in Dublin.

Ireland was as British as Wales was. There was no distinction between being part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and being part of the Empire, unless you're saying England, Wales, and Scotland weren't part of the empire?

It was the fact of political unity and direct government by Westminster that inspired the Home Rule movement of the late 19th century, followed by the Easter Rising of 1916, and the subsequent war of Independence.

@EarringsandLipstick ,I'm with you, but my opinion is not wanted on here.
I agree with you, and I think the names tend to be trend led.

When I was born, Kevin (anglicised Irish) and Julie (french/Julie Christie) were popular names. They're nice names but seem terribly dated now.

@BridaBrida , I'm well aware that Eva and Aoife are not the same name, and that Islay and Isla (name) are pronounced the same.
I used Aaliyah and Anjali as examples of names from the culture and language of people affected by the British rule of their then country. Tom and Jessica could well be a welsh man and irish woman living in Slough.
I suspect that Aaliyah would be asked if there was an islamic connection and Anjali asked if there was an indian connection.

@twigthewonderkid, I don't think anyone has said it's inappropriate, more that they wouldn't.

So to all those saying it's not appropriate, what about the use of popular names with European roots like Sophia, or Louis if the parents aren't Italian or French (or indeed have direct links back to Ancient Greece?)

It will be assumed she has irish heritage.
English people will not pronounce her name correctly; I would imagine that will bother her somewhat.

@KirstenBlest How is Anjali or Aaliyah more comparable than actual Irish, Scottish or Welsh names (circumflexes and minuscule pronunciation differences aside 😂)?

So, if Isla’s acceptable because it’s been around for a while then presumably Aoife will be the same in a few decades given it’s current popularity? An Irish person has already clarified that Aoife is not the Irish equivalent of Eva, and Islay and Isla are both pronounced eye-la.

not least because English people (including me) struggle to say it correctly.

Yes, this too. My name isn't Aoife but it's an Irish name with a similar initial syllable. I have several lovely English colleagues. They say my name fine but not correctly. There just isn't a similar sound in English so despite their best efforts, it's always a little wrong!

I’m Irish and have never heard anybody with an English accent pronouncing Aoife correctly.

I agree with you @EarringsandLipstick. I'm not Irish myself but have lived in Ireland for years and my DH and DC are Irish.

It seems odd to me to use Aoife with no Irish connections, not least because English people (including me) struggle to say it correctly.

FWIW, I'd say Eva as ee-va and Aoife as ee-fa, and think they sound pretty similar.
Isla has been around for a while, there's an actress called Isla Blair who's been in lots of films and TV comedies, and Isla St Clair who was on the Generation Game (prime time saturday evening show when there were only 3 tv channels) in the 1970s. Both have scottish heritage, I think.

Isn't Isla from Islay. I can think of people who say Islay (as in whisky) as Eye-lay.
I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere there is an Islay whose parents say 'This is Izlay, it's scottish'

Well, you can of course choose any name you want. However, I think I'm in a minority on this thread in saying that I personally wouldn't be in favour of using the name if you've no Irish connections (I'm Irish)

@BridaBrida Should every English person called Isla, Niamh or Sian change their name by deed poll?
That's not the issue, although, the spelling is Siân. Niamh is now generally pronounced as Neev not Nee-'v.

Tom and Jessica from Slough calling their daughter Anjali or Aaliyah, might be something comparable, but that introduces race and religion into the mix.

Irish here, not offensive or weird. If it's the name you've loved go for it. Don't worry about the Eva talk go with what you want 🙂