Eluned?

[FunnyFaces]

I'm due with a girl soon and would like to use my sisters name, Eluned. Its a welsh name but I don't live in Wales anymore so I don't know how it will go down around here (north of England).

My sister died when we were children and it would mean the world to my family, particularly my DM.

The way it's pronounced in my family (think its slightly different in South Wales possibly?) is ee - lyn - nid.

What do you think?

I'm not fussed about always having to say 'oh, its welsh, you say it like this/spell it like this' because I already have to do that with my welsh name.

The way I have always been accustomed to pronouncing it is El-een-ed.
If she will have problems with constantly spelling/ correcting people, why not use it as a middle name?

i would use it as a middle name too

I have always said El-leen- ed.

I think it's a beautiful name and would be a lovely tribute to your sister.

I think you will have to explain the name to people, but that it will be worth it to you to honour your sister's memory. Be aware of the possibility that your dd or others may shorten the name to something more 'normal' - like Ellie. If you're ok with that, go for it. It's a pretty name, by the way.

If you say El-leen- ed whereabouts are you from? We're from the Holyhead area and the whole family say ee-lyn-nid. Hope we haven't all been saying it wrong for years!

I grew up in North PEmbs and now live between Swansea and Cardiff.

I think it's lovely, and honouring your sister is entirely appropriate. My late sister had a Welsh name too: Ceridwen but she was known as Ceri. We didn't grow up in Wales so always had to tell people how to pronounce it, but it wasn't a problem. If I'd had another DD after she died I would have considered using it.

Well, I am pleasantly surprised. I was expecting 'no, you can't do that, its an awful name', and no one will know how to say it and worse.

I'm not Welsh, but I live in Wales and thought it was pn Eh-lin-ed, so a cross between the two on mentioned on here :p

I prefer my pn, but yours is nice too.
I like it.

I know an Elunid, I have always pronounced it El-you-ned

squeak I would say it the same as you.

It's a lovely name OP :)

Another who would pronoounce it El-leen-ed with emphasis on the leen. I'm from south Wales originally. A really nice name, I would consider it a bit 'middle-aged' possibly... Do you like the nickname Ellie? That's the very obvious shortening if you don't live in Wales!

Or you could wage a determined campaign from very early on for a shortening to Nina - that's lovely :)

It is a beautiful name, gorgeous.

Please don't shorten it to the pedestrian, overused Ellie.

Lovely name, have never heard it before. Yes you will need to explain it outside Wales but hell, I still have to spell my name and it was the most popular name in the 70's!

It is a lovely name and a lovely way of remembering your sister. Unusual too. With regards pronounciation, I'd say El-in-ed with the emphasis on 'in'. (I'm from South Wales but my mother is north Walian and my father's family are from Cardiganshire). Your pronounciation is more similar to the name Elenid.

It's gorgeous and I'd add it to my list but have been unable to convince DH :(

You and you alone know how much this will mean to your family and how they will take it. If you know they will appreciate the name and your reasons, go for it, stuff what ANYBODY else thinks

Thanks folks, appreciate the thoughts. Think we'll go with it, not sure whether we'll shorten it or not, I guess we wait to see when she is here and call her what comes naturally. DH wants to shorten it to Ned, I have explained that she is a GIRL(!) but he still thinks its great!

Ned is kind of great actually :)

When I looked at the name at first I thought ....what?

Then I read that it was Welsh and it all made sense and sounded so much nicer (than if an english person was called it) :)

It is a lovely underused name and a lovely tribute to your sister. Lots of names have different/diffucult pronounciations and people tend to learn very quickly. But please don't shorten it to Ellie - way overused already.

Lovely name. North Walians would normally pronounce it Eh-lynne-ed, stressing the lynne

I work with an Eluned, lovely name, lovely lady and yes being N Walian we and she pronounce it Eh-lynne-ed.