Spelling of an Irish name

Use the original spelling of Niamh and use it as a first or second name ..
Carlotta Niamh
Amelie Naimh

How does the actress Neve Campbell pronounce her name ?
I always thought she pronounced it Nev, like Bev ?

I am Niamh, pronounced Nee-v.
For simplicity though I tend to tell non Irish speakers that it’s pronounced Neeve.

What I can’t stand is people over emphasising the uv as Nee -OVE.

I think that’s fair. Also that there are anglicisation errors in Ireland, too, like Aoibheann pronounced ‘Ayveen’, or Sorcha pronounced ‘Sore-shuh’, as well as legit. regional variations in pronunciation in names like Caoimhe.

My days of naming babies are long since over, so I don't think there's any risk of it.

Oh, goodness me, the boys' names includes ANTICHRIST!

Others include Farce, Gap, Nut (like wing nut, not hazelnut) and Untrue,

Even worse knitpicky, I tried it on another language ('Sausagese') and Portuguese, and the common names were fine, but the 6 example Sausagese were as follows:
1 boy's name
1 month name not normally used as a name
4 nouns that aren't names (Part, Bird, Time, Money)

so I clicked on the 380 Sausagese Names link, and the first 12 names starting with A are not Sausagese names, and only one looked like an actual name - Adele (which won't work, although Adela would). B wasn't much better.

Scrolled down to names starting with C, and there is an entry that actually would be offensive.

Basically, do not use mixedname.com to find a name in just one language, unless you think your DD will be happy to be called something like Abundance, Arrow, Breast, Dyke, Hustle, Sacrifice, Serpent, Slave, Spawn, State, or Wheel,

@knitpicky , they are good names and ones that should work internationally though, unless you want a name that sounds exactly the same.

If my online translator is right, only Nádia sounds the same.

Fine - I was just trying to help.

Upset?

Nopity-nope!

But it's known that Irish people have and do reinvent Gaelic names.

"Not even the pleasing fashion for Gaelic names marks a return to ‘tradition’; in west Cork children today are more likely to be given ‘re-invented’ or ‘generic’ Irish names like Orla or Ciara or Colm than mainly local ones like Conchubhar or Gobnait."

Cormac Ó Gráda is associate professor of economics at University College Dublin.

Traditional or not, they're still Gaelic names. In English, we have variations of the original name but you wouldn't claim they're not English language names....would you?!

You can't change the spelling of Niamh and still claim it's Irish.

Why are you so upset? Is your name Migwell...👀

Neve sounds like "ne-vi" in Portuguese. Probably similar to the one in Italian and French ("névé").

I don't think that particular spelling will work in Portugal to give a sound to match the name Niamh if so.

That's a very fair comment, @LizzieAnt and one I broadly agree with. It's certainly been my experience that anglicised pronunciation and, in many cases including my ancestry, an anglicised spelling variation is very common.

It makes sense when we think about how English based and anglicised names are by far the most common names in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Languages and cultures are highly susceptible to change which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

As for Niamh, I switch between "Neev" and "Nee-av". Either way, people know exactly which name is meant.

So, thank you for your reasoned, well considered post, @LizzieAnt.

Portuguese is a fascinating language which is difficult for English language speakers, but I did learn some. Currently switching to Spanish as that is easier for English language speakers and I plan to learn Portuguese as a third after that.

Neve sounds like "ne-vi" in Portuguese. Probably similar to the one in Italian and French ("névé").

I am though very familiar with Gaelic based names being Northern Irish myself.

It's been well-established that you have no knowledge of the Irish language. But I'm sure classes are available if you'd like to learn.

Best of luck.

Yet you blatantly ignore those who ARE not only fluent Gaelic speakers, but also called Niamh.

Like Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird! 🤦‍♂️

I am though very familiar with Gaelic based names being Northern Irish myself.

I hope you have a good day and take care now! 👍

@DownNative To be honest, I think in many cases people don't realise the Neev pronunciation is an anglicised one. It's not a deliberate choice as such, people just use the pronunciation they're familar with. Niamh is by far the most usual spelling in Ireland - I've never met one spelled differently at least - but then of course it causes no problems here such as the OP might face.

I do think a distinction needs to be made when giving advice on Irish names as to which ones are Irish language and which are not - it can be helpful to make a distinction between 'Irish' and 'Irish language'.
For example, Maeve is an Irish name but the spelling has been anglicised. Niall's spelling is true to Irish language, but the usual pronunciation nowadays (Ny-ul) is an anglicised one - again many Irish people don't really realise they're using a anglicised pronunciation in this case. So the process is fairly common, and I think it's sometimes useful to mention this sort of background when trying to advise someone on their choice.
In the case of Niamh there are two usual pronunciations in Ireland, the Irish language pronunciation Nee-uv and the anglicised Neev. But I think we may have strayed a bit from the question OP was originally asking which was to do with spelling 😅

I mean, I'm not a fluent Gaelic speaker

you're clearly not any kind of 'Gaelic' speaker.

If anyone is making a spectacle of themselves, it's you with circular reasoning which is a logical fallacy.

I mean, I'm not a fluent Gaelic speaker, but that doesn’t mean I've zero knowledge of Gaelic based names. I'm obviously from Northern Ireland, so I know quite a few people with Gaelic based names. After all, I'm descended from O'Manacháin (Monaghan) and Ó Sluaghadhaigh (Slowey).

But you're certainly not more of an authority than Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird....perhaps in your own head you are! Oh dear, indeed....

Could those who want to bicker get their own thread, please? I imagine this stopped being useful to the OP some time ago.

If you want the Neev pronunciation, use Naoimh

Once again, dear, I speak Irish, you do not. You know nothing of the language

But please, continue making a spectacle of yourself.

So. Does. Niamh Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird.

What does she say?

Oh yes! She says both are "perfectly acceptable".

Poor attempt at argument from you. So, you have absolutely no authority to draw upon - good to know!

Yes, @LizzieAnt, you're saying the same thing as I am in that "perfectly acceptable" is how most people approach it.

Except for language purists who believe it undermines a language despite the opposite being true.

An anglicised pronunciation is common in Northern Ireland as I know.

The Irish historian Cormac Ó Gráda, associate professor of economics at University College Dublin, noted that:

"Not even the pleasing fashion for Gaelic names marks a return to ‘tradition’; in west Cork children today are more likely to be given ‘re-invented’ or ‘generic’ Irish names like Orla or Ciara or Colm than mainly local ones like Conchubhar or Gobnait."

So, Irish people ARE also reinventing traditional names as well as selecting a spelling variation. Language change is inevitable which is healthy, right?

Interesting to note that in the Republic of Ireland in 2019 Niamh was ranked 54th out of 100, but in 2020 it dropped to 86th. Names like Grace, Hannah, Emily, Sophie and Lucy are much more common names for girls there.

In the girls' top 20, only three Gaelic based names make the list - Fiadh, Éabha and Saoirse.

From this, it shouldn't be surprising that given the popularity of English based names in the ROI that an anglicised pronunciation would become highly acceptable of names such as Niamh. This would extend to alternative spellings of it to some degree too, albeit not in the top 100.

I don’t know who you think is arrogant and entitled 👀
Certainly not the OP who only wanted to giver her child an Irish name that she loves but would work in the country she lives in. Hardly oppression.

I note you’ve failed to produce a single authority on how Niamh should be pronounced. Thought so.

I.speak.Irish.

You do not.

Niamh is a two syllable word.