Niamh vs Neve

[Mango194]

One month to go until DD1 is due and one of the (very few!) names on our shortlist is Niamh, which I've always loved. We live in England; do you think most people know the correct pronunciation, or would it be better to spell it Neve (I'd rather use the authentic spelling but don't want to saddle DD with an unpronounceable name, having grown up with one myself!). I should add that our Irish connection is fairly distant (my paternal grandmother, long deceased, and no other family there with whom we're in touch). Opinions gratefully received!

[Trazzletoes]

bunbaker yes, Niamh is pronounced Neeve.

Neve is pronounced Nev. like Kev.

[DewDr0p]

Definitely Niamh - it's gorgeous and I think well known enough not to cause her any major issues.

[Floggingmolly]

Use it properly or don't use it at all.

[Elvensong]

Roory for Ruairidh... I've seen Roary as well, nearly as bad. I have a Rory - lived in UK at the time so decided not to go with traditional Irish spelling. Would've chosen Niamh or Aoife if had a girl.

[Gooseysgirl]

What Kobayashi said

[Bunbaker]

"Neve would rhyme with Lev,"

Now, I would pronounce Neve like Neeve to rhyme with sleeve. To rhyme with Lev I would spell it Nev. So I would pronounce Niamh as Neeve. I wonder if this is regional?

[PacificDogwood]

I thought Neve Campbell's name was pronounced Neeve?

[booksandchoc]

How about spelling it Neive?

[Trazzletoes]

Pacific you'd think so, eh? But she's a Nev!

[PacificDogwood]

Well, I never!
I stand corrected.

Niamh, every time in that case

[LeslieWink1e]

Nieve is snow in spanish. Nieves is a name. So I want to say nee-ev-ess

[Mango194]

Thanks everyone Definitely wasn't convinced about spelling it Neve, and your replies have confirmed that! Niamh is going on the shortlist - it's between that and one other name atm... we'll just have to wait and see what suits her best!

[BeeBopDingALing]

I know a Neve and it's pronounced Neeve. Never heard it ever said sounding like Nev.

Either spelling, it's a beautiful name.

[LinusVanPelt]

Niamh is pronounced more like "NEE-uv" where I live, with the second syllable being more like a half-syllable, if that makes any sense at all.

For me it's a big part of the charm of the name - it's not the same at all when it's just pronounced as the one-syllable "NEEV".

[OkayHazel]

I knew a Neeve as a child, only really now realizing its made up. It was the only way I knew how to spell it for so long!

[ThisIsMummyPig]

I know a Neve, to rhyme with sleeve, and that's how I would have thought it. On a written down basis I thought Niamh would have been Neem. I can't believe I would have been on my own with that.

[MidnightMasquerader]

Neve is a misspelling and a mispronunciation of the name Niamh, so definitely don't go with it.

As others have said, the actual pronunciation of the name is with two syllables; the seond syllable very soft - so Neve/Neeve/Neave are all rather ignorant, Anglo bastardisations of the name.

[sashh]

Please, please go with the standard (Irish) spelling.

After a life time of my name being misspelled I changed it to the common spelling.

Niamh is so common in England these days I don't think it will be a problem.

[slippysnow]

On screen neve looks like nevel (or Neville). Most people know Niamh now, and if not corrections aren't that bad- you grow to anticipate them. I could write a naming book of strange variations of my name, despite its regular spelling. Congratulations :)

[GooseyLoosey]

Dd has an Irish name and most people have got on OK with it. I would definitely not use an Anglicised spelling, it just looks wrong.

[AmandaPayneNeedsaHoliday]

I would go with Niamh.

I think that, with Irish names, there are some names where the Anglicised spelling has become popular even in Ireland - Rory (although not quite the same name as Ruaraidh) or Orla spring to mind. But I doubt you'd get someone in Ireland naming their child Neve.

I have a name you have to spell. It is no biggie. I introduce myself and, if someone is taking down my details, automatically spell it out too. I have to do it with my very simple surname too, because there are various variations.

[LeslieWink1e]

yes, Orla and Maeve are accepted spellings in ireland! In fact, the first Orlaith I was aware of was English. The girl from BB, years back now.

[MarthasHarbour]

You know what would happen - she would say Neve over the phone to say a shop or something and the caller would write 'Niamh'

Seriously i think the name Niamh is known enough. I am biased, my friend has a Niamh

[AmandaPayneNeedsaHoliday]

Yes, in England, if you say you are called Orla, people will write Orla, not Orlaith (or the other spelling I can never remember, the one with the d). If you say Neve, people will write Niamh.

[squoosh]

Yes it's a two syllable name pronounced NEE-uv. Neve is something else entirely.

Re. Neve Campbell, a bit of googling tells me that Neve (pr. Nev) is her mother's maiden name. I'm sure there's a Hebrew boy's name Neve pr. Nev also.