If you're not Scottish, what do you think of...

[soundsystem]

Eilidh?

We're in London and trying to gauge how easy (or not!) this will be for people to pronounce/spell.

Double-barrelled surname which needs spelling out so torn between choosing a really easy first name, or thinking actually if she already has to spell out two names spelling out another name isn't that big a deal!

frumpy but i've heard worse!

I got it mixed up with the Irish name Eilish and would have pronounced it like that. I think it is pretty, but would be quite hard to pronounce/spell for people who aren't familiar with Scottish names.

I knew a girl called Eilidh when I was at uni - I thought it was a really ugly name back then when baby names were nowhere near any of my thoughts/priorities.

Now I think it is a very pretty name both to look at when it's written and also to say - I think it is rather ethereal and fairy-like.

I'm Scottish by the way but agree some may struggle with the pronunciation but that's their problem.

My maiden surname and my married surname both require spelling and correction of the pronunciation but it's pretty minor in the grand scheme of things.

I live in England and knew one (not Scottish) when I was younger. I was about 7 when I met her (at brownies!) so heard it said before I saw it written down, and therefore there were no issues at all.

I know that seems like an obscure concern but I used to work with children with special needs
The dyslexic child I worked with really struggled to learn with phonics (and would have done anyway). Worse he had a tricky name (phonically)...I always thought it wasn't helping!

if it's pronounced AyLee then to me (Londoner) you sound like a Cockney saying "Hayley". Looks nicer than it sounds.

I don't think the whole spelling/pronounciation thing need be an issue, I was at school with a Siobhan and no-one had any problem with it.

I only know it from the athlete who did well at the Commonwealth games. Although commentators seem to pronounce it with an s on the end?

With the likely surname spelling issues I would go with something simpler. We have a very common surname but with a slight spelling twist and it is a pain in the backside having to launch into spelling it for every phone call etc.

unlucky my dc are bilingual English/Gaelic and their phonics make Eilidh very easily.

English phonics aren't the only ones!

But the OP's child will be living in England. Not that I think the phonics thing is a huge issue one way or the other when it comes to names.

Ahh Weegie - was going to say that - if they did Gaelic it would be easier - but OP is in England - so no Gaelic phonics involved ...

I think it's lovely but she'll probably have to spell it every time she gives her name, or get used to repeating herself. Which is fine really. DH has a name a bit like this and doesn't seem to get annoyed. He gets called all sorts of things. There are people we've known for 20 years who still spell his name wrong.

I think it's pretty.

Thanks all. Should have said we are Scottish, so not so worried about it from a reading/phonics point of view for her as she will get to know a bit of Gaelic. Was more concerned about how others will pronounce it: eyelid or like a Cockney Hayley I think we can probably live with! :)

Is it pronounced Eyelid

Don't know one to
Be honest

No, not eyelid
Most like Hayley without the H

Oh

I like it. I think it is becoming like Niamh, in that it is used enough that non-Scots are becoming familiar with it.

Obviously, wrt to Niamh, I know that it is an Irish name, but you get my gist from my previous post.

I've come across two Dcs called Niamh - (see it written down rather than in person) and I still forget how to pronounce it
The same with Siobhan ...
DD was at school with a Ruaridh - who up to being in P2 he and his parents/school spelt it Rory...

I'm not Scottish but know it's hayley
both me and my son have Scottish names (easy ones :o)

It's my name. I love it. Scottish living in Scotland though, but until I started work I didn't really have much difficulty with it - the odd misspelling but nothing major. Now I deal with colleagues all over the world (incl England!) I do get various misspellings and mispronouciations. Frustrating on occasions people can't read their email properly but it's not a big deal. I also much prefer when people just ask how to pronounce it as once they are told they can say it perfectly fine. I usually explain it as "the 'dh' is silent so it's a bit like Hayley without the H".

I'd use it if it wasn't already my name!

For those not in the know, it's Gaelic for Helen, and means 'light'.

PS: I'm not frumpy.

It's my name too it's pretty common in Scotland now, when I was wee no one knew how to spell or pronounce it but now there are millions of little Eilidh's everywhere!

It isn't actually difficult to pronounce so that isn't really an issue but the spelling confuses people that aren't familliar with the name. Spelling my name out occasionally doesn't really bother me personally.

I'm not Scottish but know it's hayley

Owl, my dd who is 14 says "Its not Hayley, it's AYLEE!"

I work with children and have had Ailidh, Ailie, Aili, Eilidh, Eileigh, Eiligh over the years. But hadn't had an Eilidh before I had my dd.

Grovee most of those aren't legit spellings!

I don't even know how to spell it or pronounce it. Sorry