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Baby names

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Original poster

Ingrid or Eira for a baby girl in the UK?

30 replies

Taggys · 02/09/2026 11:35

Ingrid or Eira?

I am thinking of girls names that work in the UK, and wondering which name is best out of these two?

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HudALledrith · 05/09/2026 16:20

Eira* falls into the Eva/Ava/Isla... trend, I think. It wasn't particularly popular before. Baby name explorer.
You'd have been lucky to find one or two in a Welsh-medium secondary school, and they would almost certainly have been born in the winter if not in snowy weather.
(* the Welsh one. I can't comment on the Swedish/Nordic name.)

Calliopespa · 05/09/2026 15:25

LivingTheDreamish · 03/09/2026 00:44

I voted for Ingrid - lovely name you don’t hear often.

Same comment from me.

HudALledrith · 04/09/2026 09:28

The Welsh accent would probably come out closer to 'Vair-a' so it also depends where you live! It probably wouldn't. Vera would sound more like Virrah. There are some Welsh Veras but they'd be very elderly now.

There's no V on Welsh and the 'air' sound for e is only in some regions that are not close to the Wales/England border. You'd get Vera like in Aloe or Duckworth.

(having said that, Eira sounds nearer Irrah than Ay-ruh).

PrincessOfPreschool · 04/09/2026 08:44

I think Vera has similar pronunciation problems. I don't like the rp English which is 'Veer-uh' (to rhyme with fear, mere and leer). It's a very old lady name said in that way.

It sounds much nicer in Europe where people may say it closer to 'Vair-uh' (like fair, care and share) or with a short 'e' as 'Ve-ra' (like vet, pet, net). The Welsh accent would probably come out closer to 'Vair-a' so it also depends where you live!

HudALledrith · 03/09/2026 22:21

@Taggys , people will say it as Eye-ruh or Ey-ruh (like Ava but with an r).
As someone with a non-'English' name, I have no trouble at all telling people how to say it, but I don't like it and it gets tedious because it happens a lot.
It depends on how wrong they get it whether or not it upsets me (some are bad).
I don't think Eira will get the mangling my name gets though.

Original poster
Taggys · 03/09/2026 22:17

7238SM · 03/09/2026 19:09

I do love Ingrid and its goes ok as Ingrid Annie. Not a great combo but could work. I'm not sure why, but it just doesn't flow. Maybe Ingrid Anne?

I'm not born British, but lived here 25yrs and 1st language is English. I would have pronounced Eira as Eye-Ra. How would you pronounced it OP? It also doesn't flow as Eira Annie because they both end in A, but maybe I'm pronouncing it wrong? Also, its rare you'll actually use them together as its normally Eira surname.

Thanks for your thoughts 💕 I'd say it Ay-ra or Eye-ra.

Ingrid Anne sounds classy, but maybe a little boring?? It is lovely though. Almost regal 😜 I feel like Eira is more spunky and fresh somehow even though this is also an old ladies name in both Wales and Scandinavia

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Original poster
Taggys · 03/09/2026 22:12

LittleGreenDuck · 03/09/2026 18:57

I really like Ingrid. Have you considered Astrid? Lovely name.

I like Astrid but it's so so common where I'm from 😆

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TheSandgroper · 03/09/2026 22:11

I don’t like Annie for a middle name. Anne yes but not Annie. Anne is a proper grown up name.

Original poster
Taggys · 03/09/2026 22:10

PrincessOfPreschool · 03/09/2026 17:46

I would pronounce it Air-uh (like an airer you dry your clothes on!). I would say ROIreland (Eire) the same way! I'm English. Now I'm wondering if it's Eye-ruh.

I wouldn't put it with Annie. Far too many vowels. How about Annie as the first name?

It's Ayra or Eye-ra.

Yes, Annie would be nice as a first name actually 🙏 Or what about Vera??

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Original poster
Taggys · 03/09/2026 22:08

TheSandgroper · 03/09/2026 09:02

I really like them both.

So hard....🤪

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Original poster
Taggys · 03/09/2026 22:06

Gotothelakesandlive · 02/09/2026 13:15

I’d guess Ay-ra for Eira, which is probably wrong 🤔
Will people sometimes getting Eira wrong matter to you OP?
Of course, the likelihood of people getting it wrong also depends on where in the UK you live.

No, you are right!😍👍it would not bother me that much even if people got it wrong...they would hopefully learn if you corrected them.

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Original poster
Taggys · 03/09/2026 22:03

RedFatball · 02/09/2026 11:48

I know two Eira's living in England. One is 19 and the other is 5. Neither seem to have an issue telling people how to say it - one has Welsh parents, the other has no Welsh connection.

This is lovely to hear! 😊

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Original poster
Taggys · 03/09/2026 22:01

Mami2Cymraeg · 02/09/2026 11:45

I'm Welsh, so know how to pronounce it. Are you Welsh? Living in Wales? It's a lovely name, but she would need to tell people how to pronounce it.

Not Welsh, but live near the Powys border so go to Wales a lot. I am Swedish, where this is also a used name, as well as common in Norway and Finland 🤗

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NuffSaidSam · 03/09/2026 19:33

I'd go for Ingrid. It's easy to say and spell. It's a name almost everyone has heard, but isn't common at all. I like Inga as a shortening too.

HudALledrith · 03/09/2026 19:31

@LittleGreenDuck , OP ruled out Astrid for DC1, I think.

7238SM · 03/09/2026 19:09

I do love Ingrid and its goes ok as Ingrid Annie. Not a great combo but could work. I'm not sure why, but it just doesn't flow. Maybe Ingrid Anne?

I'm not born British, but lived here 25yrs and 1st language is English. I would have pronounced Eira as Eye-Ra. How would you pronounced it OP? It also doesn't flow as Eira Annie because they both end in A, but maybe I'm pronouncing it wrong? Also, its rare you'll actually use them together as its normally Eira surname.

LittleGreenDuck · 03/09/2026 18:57

I really like Ingrid. Have you considered Astrid? Lovely name.

PrincessOfPreschool · 03/09/2026 17:46

I would pronounce it Air-uh (like an airer you dry your clothes on!). I would say ROIreland (Eire) the same way! I'm English. Now I'm wondering if it's Eye-ruh.

I wouldn't put it with Annie. Far too many vowels. How about Annie as the first name?

Original poster
Taggys · 03/09/2026 17:38

Thanks all!🤗 Would Annie work as a middle name for Eira?
Eira Annie ?

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TheSandgroper · 03/09/2026 09:02

I really like them both.

HudALledrith · 03/09/2026 06:47

LivingTheDreamish · 03/09/2026 00:44

I voted for Ingrid - lovely name you don’t hear often.

Same here. It's pretty, not too unusual and not overused. Sounds nicer in Swedish but not overly different.

LivingTheDreamish · 03/09/2026 00:44

I voted for Ingrid - lovely name you don’t hear often.

SkaneTos · 02/09/2026 22:53

They are both good names.

JoyousWriter · 02/09/2026 16:24

Will it be a winter baby for Eira?

Gotothelakesandlive · 02/09/2026 13:15

I’d guess Ay-ra for Eira, which is probably wrong 🤔
Will people sometimes getting Eira wrong matter to you OP?
Of course, the likelihood of people getting it wrong also depends on where in the UK you live.