Girl name: Étaín

[kittyonthebeam]

Off the cuff what comes to mind?

We'd probably spell it Etaine.

The name of the lady who runs the Irish communications ombubsman thing. And I know how to say it but not spell it.

So how do you say it?

Nothing comes to mind, just puzzlement over what nationality and gender it is, and pronunciation. (so is it Irish then, going by stleger's post?)

Girls name, pronounce ay-tawn.
Lovely name. The little one I know called it is lovely and very talented!

Étaín Doyle sprang to my mind also stledger.

Étaín is a sun goddess and heroine of ancient Irish mythology: we nearly went for it for DD.

Lovely name, my only reservation would be the number of accents on it. Fine if you live in a Gaelic speaking place, less good if you move to somewhere else. I trained as a nurse with a number of Irish women, Grainne, was pronounced Grain or Grainy and Aofe, well she never stood a chance. Apologies if I have mispelled the names.

Thanks chipmonkey.

Considering the pronunciation, I think Étaín is marginally better than Etaine, which looks French to me and makes me want to pronounce it "ee-TEN", or "ee-TAIN" sort of like Elaine. However you spell it, though, I think it will be difficult unless you live in Ireland.

I can barely spell it myself and we are going to always be living in a non gaelic speaking country so there will be a lifetime of correcting pronounciation but I don't care I am really taken with it!!

Am I being selfish putting that on my daughter?

Thanks Morgan, hadn't considered that

True.

If you put the fada on the I you make the I sound EEE (long E). So you come up with Ay-teen if you spell it as in the OP.

If you want to end up with AY-tawn you need the fada on the E and then the A.

It's gorgeous! No one can pronounce my sons name properly (even me sometimes) but it doesn't matter - if you love a name you love it xxx

I didn't know this math. Thanks for your input. Unforch I only know 1 Gaelic speaker. Have only seen the writing as in my OP, never knew there was a different one. I can't even do a fada on my old rusty laptop.

Off to google a different spelling. Many thanks! Cannot really find anyone alive with that name. Does it have a bad connotation?

"étain" is pewter or tin in French.

I like it, written, but would be confused as to how to pronounce it if someone didn't explain.

But yes, it has a lot of charm when writtenm it's cute.

I know prettybird. Hence the importance of fada and spelling. It will definitely not be pronounced french...I hope.

I've trailed google but cannot come up with a comclusive spelling. I am v v confused now. I think this name might be too challenging for me. hmmm

Reading the thread title, I pronounced it as its spelt, what with being un-cultured an all.... 'Eh-tayn"

Quite like it though, definitely unusual without being far out there.

Our first one has a very old greek name that really no one has but sounds french so not a problem. Like unusual names if they are not very out there

I've heard of Etaoin.

I'm sure there is a website which pronounces Irish names out loud? Does it go well with your surname? My dd1 has a name, 4 letters, very phonetic English pronunciation - nobody seems able to say it or spell it first time.

Now, Etaoin would be pronounced like Elaine but with a "t"

But I usually find people outside Ireland get confused by too many vowels.

All I know about her is that at some stage she sat by a well!

kittyonthebeam - What's your DC's name? I love love love Greek names (and Greek men people) but I'm just too un-Greek to pull one off.

RE: Etain or however you spell it, I think it sounds lovely but I honestly would have no clue how to pronounce it without someone telling me. It's the curse of gaelic names unfortunately; they're lovely once you hear them aloud, but written down they're a nightmare.

I wanna know the Greek name too! Pronunciation of Irish names always lead to chaos on here, I think you need to hear it aloud; plus different regional accents vary it.

Ya reckon? I have a customer called Grainne, I pronounce it the way she pronounces it, my boss strangles it (he was educated through Irish). I must ask him how to pronounce Etain. It is a nice name, looking at it written down, it should be user friendly!