Eira or Teifi?

I like both names, but have only heard of Teifi as a boy's name. I also like Eiry / Eiri which are similar to Eira.

Ignore the comment about pronounciation- it's shocking how anglo-centric some people are.

Pob lwc!

Both are beautiful names ❤

I know several girls and women called Teifi
It's only been used 6 times in the years 1996 - 2024, so I guess you live near the river.

It's more usual to have a Welsh river/place name as a middle name than as a first name.

Love both names. I'd go for Teifi because Eira is pretty common at the moment! I know several girls and women called Teifi, it's lovely.
This thread has made me realise that it's a very Welsh thing to name your child after a river or a mountain, and it's not really done in England! Never thought about it before and I love it, I know loads of people who carry the names of the lands they were bought up on.

I’ve changed by user name for this so I’m not identifiable but we have a son called Teifion and he is known as Teifi. We have never lived in Wales although his grandfather is Welsh and is called Teifi so that’s why we named him. My father in laws family all come from a village by the river Teifi. We have a v Welsh surname so it makes me laugh how Welsh people assume my son is when he just goes there twice a year to visit grandparents.

He loves his name, he is a teen now and says sometimes people mispronounce it as “Tee-fee” and he just says “it’s more like Ivy with a T” and that’s that. Lots of people complement his name and he’s only met one other. At school he is called Teifion by the teachers so it’s mainly just friends who call him Teifi.

Nope to both.

Eria and either pronouncation, I have definitely heard people say bith.

What about Tesni ?

Eira is a girls name and Teifi is a boy’s name
so if this is for a girl Eira

Teifa is probably a typo as it's Teifi in the thread title and would give the ee ending. Teifa doesn't seem to be a name.

I wouldn't use Eira because the Eye-ruh pronunciation would grate.
The Norse and the Welsh are both nearer Ey-rah.

There are nicer names. Eira has been having a moment because of the popularity of names like Ava and Eva.

I’m in Wales and have met a few young Eira’s - beautiful name, always pronounced “Ay-rah” around here. Haven’t met a Teifa, but on seeing the name I’d instinctively pronounce it as “Tay-vah”, rather than the pronunciation you want, sorry.

I think Eira is becoming more and more familiar outside of Wales (I think Eira is also a Norse name from a different etymology, but pronounced as “Ay-rah” as well?) , so for that reason I’d stick with Eira. I think Teifa would be regularly mispronounced.

Eira!

@MedievalNun , Eirwen and Eirlys become Airwun and Airless after you explain.
Those who only speak English tend to struggle with most non-English names.

Welsh speaking Gog here - Eira is ey-rah up here and Teifi woud be Tay-Vee. Additionally Teifi is more of a male name up here so there’s that.

But Eira and derivatives (Eirwen, Eirlys etc) are fairly common names up here and contrary to @Berlinlover ’s statement we all know how to pronounce them. And my cross-border cousins don’t have much difficulty once it’s been explained. (I mean, if you can manage a French / German / Spanish or insert-nationality-here name then Welsh isn’t too difficult).

Hope all goes well and good luck picking your name.

Not Welsh - the first one pronounces roughly as written

teifa I would say tee-fa

I am in mid Wales and pronounce Teifi, like the river, more lie tay-vee not tie-vee. I know a Teifi and he's a boy. I also knew a horse called Teifi, can't remember the sex. Eira is definitely used for girls. But I guess the name of a river can be used for boys or girls.

I really like Teifi as a name for a boy. Eira is very old lady name and the pronunciation of it, as also discussed on here a few times, seems to vary even within Wales so go with whichever version you prefer.

Like other pp, Eira is approximately Ey-rah, Teifi approximately Tay-vee.

Teifi is the name of a river in Wales, a name not much used for humans, see Teifi (darkgreener). It was the middle name of a well-known broadcaster, Hywel Teifi Edwards, whose son is no longer a BBC newsreader.

Eira is gorgeous (the Eye-ra pronunciation is used round me). I’ve never heard Teifi but it’s also nice.

Are you in south wales? I’m north and they are pronounced like Tay vee (Tay like Taylor) and Eira is like ay to rhyme with hay

I know of Teifi as a surname but not as a first name and so probably wouldn’t pick it as a first name. I think Eira is such a pretty name whether it’s ey ra or eye ra. My dd has a cousin named Eiri which is a bit of a combo of both if you like that one? She pronounced it like ey- ree (welsh r obvs) but you’d prob pronounce eye- ree which is also nice

Really hate this attitude. Not every name in the world has to be anglicised FFS

Except all of Wales, the country the OP presumably lives in

I love Teifi but you’ll probably have to say “like Ivy” to some people. I prefer it to Eira. Having to tell people how to pronounce it wouldn’t bother me.

Eira is a beautiful name

Neither, nobody will ever be able to pronounce them.

Ear-ra and Teff-ee

If you are in England - be prepared to continually correct English folk and for your kid’s teachers to always get it wrong too, especially in secondary school when they’ll have at least 10 different teachers.