Is Saoirse too unusual, and are we allowed to `adapt` the pronunciation??!!

[Bex22]

Expecting DD3 end of June. We all like Saoirse but have been saying it Ser-shuh rather than Seer-shuh which I understand is the more authentic Irish pronunciation. Firstly, is it going to present numerous spelling difficulties from all sides, and secondly, does it matter that we are saying it in our own way so to speak??? The trouble is that my 4 year old DS and 2 year old DD are now big fans of this name, as said the wrong way, and I do think it is really pretty and would go well with Elizabeth which I want to use as a middle name after a favourite aunt. We are no stranger to slightly unusual names as DS is Seth and DD is Elwyn, so what do you all think?? Too weird or what??!!

I like the name but would stick to the correct pronunciation - I always thought it was "sheer-sha"

Seth and Elwyn are unusual but relatively easy to spell. If you want to avoid a difficult-to-spell name, you don't want to call your new dd Saoirse. I think also that if you are going to choose a decidedly "ethnic" name, it is preferable if you pronounce it authentically, if you can.

TBH I have always wondered how to pronounce that name so it will be one she has to explain a lot.

Oh and I agree with MsHighwater about pronouncing it. If there is just one correct way of saying it then you should say it like that and just "retrain" your DD and DS otherwise it will look like you don't know how to pronounce your own child's name properly.

Thanks for your opinions, exactly what I was worried about. Ok, next questions then, what do you think of these- in no particular order- Brooke, Lydia, Robin or Alba??! Be as honest as you like!

Please pronounce it correctly, your LO will soon learn how to say it properly once they hear you doing so.

Lovely name btw

Don;t like any of the new names, but this is your baby and choose a name you like, you will never find a name that is loved by all!

Saoirse sounds like Lloyd Grossman trying to say 'Sasha'. It's definitely unusual.

I have a friend whose daughter has this name and to be honest, I'm always really conscious that I may mispronounce it because I find it difficult to say. I don't find it a particularly attractive name. I think there are far nicer sounding names out there you could choose

Brooke is a tacky American style name to me, I love Lydia and don't like the others. I also love Livia by the way which has been vetoed by DP and reminds me of Lydia.

Another vote for pronouncing it correctly.

Just think of all the MN threads about poor unfortunates called Why-von-ee (Yvonne) and See-ann (Sian) and how everyone sniggers.

I like them in this order of preference (I have Irish roots mind so biased!)

1. Saiorse
2. Alba
3. Brooke
4. Lydia
5. Robin

Yes I like Livia too, and my DH isn't so keen- don't you think people would mis-hear it as Olivia though?? Also quite like Lucia- trouble is our surname is also an L with a 2nd syllable d too- or am I over-thinking this??!!!

Did you mean to say your DS is Elwyn? Because that is a pretty macho Welsh boys' name...

I like Saiorse but think it's disrespectful and annoying for her to chande the pronounciation. Sorry.

I have learnt something here as I always thought it was pronounced Sor-shuh. Which I like. Not keen on Robin or Lydia. Alba is ok but I thnk Saoirse is much nicer.

Good luck with it.

What about Sorcha - which is pronounced Saw - shah? Sounds similar, no?

Bex, yes I do think people would mishear it as Olivia but I figured we could just correct them. But DP says no so that has gone.

Other unusual names I like off the top of my head

1. Viola
2. Scout (this one is usually disliked)
3. Dora
4. Orla (I think this is beautiful)

Yes, I read Elwyn in a Stevie Smith poem and it was pretty ambiguous on the sex of the protagonnist- realised afterwards that defo mainly a male name in good old Wales (off on hols there tomorrow)- but still love the name for a girl. We shorten it to Els most of the time, and she is a very strong character!! So we are very open-minded! Bit shocked when I realised that our beloved leader's second son is known as same though!

Ah well, giving girls' boys' names is pretty trendy now I guess. Though I wonder how many :o you will get on holiday here! Whereabouts are you going?

My dd2's best friend is Sorcha. We are in Cork, and one of the acting Cusack sisters is called Sorcha. So acceptably Irish?

Was going to suggest Sorcha too, Candleshoe. Knew a little girl called Sorcha, really suited her and sounds pretty

"Unusual names are a burden to children:

When your first name is Shari, you spend a lot of time spelling your name. A typical conversation with a new service provider involves a lot of time spelling my first name. Just today I ordered something that required a phone conversation. The clerk spelled my name as Sherrie, Cheri, Sherry and Scherri before I finally interrupted her and spelled my first name. She said, "Oh, you don't see it spelled like that very often."

I think about this every time I see an article about how more and more parents are choosing unique baby names. I know why these parents are choosing unusual baby names. It's not really that they want to give their child an unusual name. It's that their names are Sue or Linda or Jennifer or Tom or Mark or John. They think that by giving their children unusual names, they will help them stand out in the crowd.

What they are really doing is dooming their children to the life of a spelling bee contestant. Their children will spend their entire lives spelling and defending their names to people who are thinking, "Who would saddle this lovely young woman or nice young man with that name?"

I know because I do it all the time. Whenever I hear that a baby is names Abygayle, I cringe. Whenever I see a name I need pronounced before I can figure out the letter combination, I feel sorry for the child.

A friend did her Master's thesis on unusual names. Her research found that Riischa is less likely to be high on the corporate ladder than Rene or Reena. Jaymees is not as likely to be a partner in a law firm as James. Basically, she found that unusual names are cute on toddlers, but not in the workplace.

It's something for parents to think about before naming their children. Yes, people think it's cute that your daughter's name is a combination of both your names, but will they hire her when she graduates from college?"

Read more: technorati.com/women/article/unusual-names-are-really-a-burden/#ixzz1IyAt7a00

My friend called her DD this, and has so far had several comments about it sounding like "sore arse". I'd avoid it.

Well ds 1 and 3 have as difficult to pronounce an Irish name as Saoirse but I line in London so most people are prepared for unusual names. I must admit I thought your pronunciation is correct. My little ds has a name that is pronounced dfferently in the east of Ireland than the west so you might find the same with Saoirse,

Mmm, quite like Sorcha but how exactly is is pronounced again- am I entering another Minefield???! Going to the left of the Brecon Beacons- place called Llandeilo- anyone know of anything nice to do in the vicinity bearing in mind that have a very stubborn 2 year old with a bossy 4 year old big brother and a grumpy pregnant mother- oh yes and we are dragging DH along too! Reddaisy, we liked Orla too, and I do like Scout...oh dear, too much choice for a gel!