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!

I think it's lovely and thanks to this thread I now know how to pronounceit - for some reason I ffirst thought eye-leesh - is that an Irish name?

Eilish/Ailish is generally pronounced Ay-lish in Scotland or Ay-leesh in Ireland (based on my experience).

I'm English living in Ireland & I know how to pronounce Eilidh. I love the name.

In my area of Ireland, based on people I know, Eilish/Eilís is pronounced Eye-LEESH, and Ailish/Ailis is pronounced AY-lish. They are quite different names.

I like it - people will get it wrong, be corrected and then that is the end of it! I am a londoner, and know how to pronounce it, as i met one, and she told me. And now i know...

I have a rather tricky, slightly less common Irish name, and as such am used to spelling my name, 90% of the time i meet people but i don't care - once again, once i tell people how to say it, and then they do.

Don't discount a name you love just because you have to explain it to people, you'd have to explain or spell Jane to some numpty or other.

I'd pronounce it Eye-lee rather than Aylee. Like Eileen. Céilidh has a fada (accent) on the 'e' so different pronunciation.

I'm irish though not Scottish!

My friend Jayne still has to spell out her name....

I should know this as did learn a bit of Gaelic in primary school but I'm not sure if Scottish Gaelic has fadas?

My family are Scottish although I've mostly lived in England, but I've no idea whether it's a boys or girls name, let alone how to pronounce it. Sorry, I think it's one if those you just have to know to love.

It depends on your accent Groovee :o I know it's more ay though, but I have a west Midlands accent, no one would than me my AY !

I think I know how to pn it, but only because I've been on name forums so long.
It's a perfectly normal name in Scotland though, as far as I know, so as long as you're fine with having to say 'Oh, it's Scottish, it's pn *' a lot, then it's fine.

In my mind it's eh-li-da. Aylee is not what comes to mind at all! I would imagine that both spelling and pronunciation will be an issue. Not necessarily enough not to use it, but in England I would expect your dd to have a lifetime of correcting/explaining both on a frequent basis. If she loves the name then she probably won't mind too much (I always have to spell out my name and then talk about it afterward) but if she's not so keen then it will annoy her I expect.

I love the name and know how to spell and pronounce it, but I am Irish.

The mispronunciation of one's name has its advantages. You can always tell when it is a cold caller.

Eilidh is 100% pronounced like hayley without the H or alien without the N! It is a great name 30 years ago in Scotland it wasn't that common, now it is more popular then most people know how to say it.

It is pronounced differently in an english accent though, I would put a shorter ih sound on the end where as in an English accent it is more like Ay-leeee. Hard to type - in my head I can hear it.

Right here I have recorded myself saying it, which was a good plan until I went to speak and remembered I am losing my voice so can't speak loudly and sound croaky. -

Espa, I know that, my daughter is Eilidh, but other parents have spelled it differently and it's confused the hell out of me.

My mum spelled it Ailie and my brother thought we'd called her Ally, and his thicko of a wife who has known her for over 11 years still calls her Ellie.

And who ever names their daughter Eilidh... DO NOT give the poor child Ann/Anne as a middle name! If you want to call her Alien then spell it Alien instead of Eilidh Ann

HAHA

It's a pretty name. I wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce it (if I hadn't read the thread)

I'm of Scottish extraction, so I know how to spell and pronounce it but in England it just sounds like Hayley with a dropped H especially in London

I'm English, living in England and know one (with Scottish parents). Had never heard the name before. The birth was announced with a pronunciation guide, and that's been that - unless I'm saying it wrong, I don't think it's hard to SAY for the monoglot English.

I do have to think about the spelling when I write it down, and I'm sure there are others who don't bother to think and just spell it wrong. But that would happen with a common name with more than one spelling.

I get the impression that it is becoming a more popular name in England, so I think more people will be familiar with it in the next few decades, as all the little Eilidhs go about their lives educating us all about their name.

I love it, and love Ailish/Eilish too.

I love Morven currently

The thing about the spelling or pronunciation is, you just learn it once you've seen/heard it for the first time. It's no different to having a colleague/friend/relative who had a French, German, Italian, Polish, Nigerian name.

I had an english friend with that name as a child. No problem pronouncing it whatsoever :) it's a lovely name!

I'm English and would pronounce it Ay-Lee. It's lovely, much nicer than Hayley imo

My daughter has a more unusual Gaelic name than that, but similar level of difficulty to pronounce, and we live in England. Generally, it's better if people hear her name first (but you'll get Ellie from that), but if they see it they mispronounce, or don't even try. It's been fine. I think you'll be all right with it. They cope with Aine round here too. I'll pm you my daughter's if you want.