Girls name...should I listen to people's opinion?

[30SomethingChick]

My first baby is due in a couple of weeks, we'd decided to keep names secret until she arrives but I stupidly told my friend that my favorite name for a girl was Aoife Elizabeth (pronounced ee-fa) and her reaction was one of pure horror! She said it sounded like the poor child didn't have a first name and i was just spelling out the first letter of her middle name (e-for...) I'm quite upset, have loved this name for years and always thought if I had a girl this is what she would be called!! - do you think I need to go back to the drawing board or should I just not listen and name her what I want to name her?

Aoife is a lovely name, name your daughter whatever you want to, especially if you've had the name picked out for a while.

Your friend is being picky and a little thoughtless.

It's a lovely name, ignore friend (who obviously isn't familiar with the name, others will be).

Urgh. People are so annoying aren't they.

You could just change the middle name. It does sound like e for Elizabeth.

It s a beautiful name your friend was thoughtless and insensitive- does she have kids ? You should remind her of this if she ever does!
I know lots of Aoife s (irish) and they are all very lovely people too, maybe it goes with the name

Thanks ladies you've calmed me down! My friend is originally from Melbourne so maybe Aoife isn't as well known down under.

Nutella - Elizabeth is a family name so wouldn't really want to swap to another unless I absolutely had to

Aoife is a lovely name but your friend has a point. Your daughter will doubtlessly face comments on it, it does sound like E for Elizabeth.

Where do you live? Although it's a very normal Irish name it's not as well known in Other parts of the country.

I would keep Aoife if you really like it but rethink Elizabeth or at least run it past a couple more trusted friends. Your friend may actually have done you a favour, albeit in a rather insensitive way.

Also - in answer to your question, you may choose not to listen to people's opinion but your dd may not have that choice, she has to grow up with it

Could you add another middle name between them, like Aoife Grace Elizabeth or similar?

Yes, I was going to suggest adding a second middle name between the two

Unless she is going to be addressed by both names I don't think it will really matter. When she is first born people will ask her full name out of interest, but after that surely her middle name will only be used for form filling?
Aoife is a beautiful name. I'd go for it!

like another said, it will only really be apparent when she is first born as people like to know the whole name!
fwiw, ds1 name is along lines of Jonathan Edward Smith so I pause just slightly between the first two names to avoid 'nedward' iyswim. Just do the same. I love the name aoife but dh vetoed it!

Put the names the other way round, but always call her Aoife. Lots of people are known by their second name.

Ignore friend and comments about another name between the two you have chosen

[happy]

I love it. DD2 was going to be called Aoife, but I thought she'd have problems learning to spell it, so I went for something phonetic.

Your friend has a point

I can see what your friend is saying, but I very rarely use my kids middle names. I'd have to think what my best friends kids middle names are & In godmother to one of them. Aoife is lovely and very popular where I live, I'd be relunctant to change it. The Elizabeth, I know it's a family name but where they always called Elizabeth in full, if they we're called a diminutive can you use it?

Christ - apologies for all my wheres, we'res, I swear my phone deliberately does it on MN only

It's a lovely name, maybe your friend was a little tactless but she does have a small point. I would agree with the other posters who advise to insert another name (not starting with E!!) in between the two.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply I'm located just outside London and connected to a large Irish community so Aoife wouldn't be an unusual choice, can't say too much more or I'll out myself! I think i'll stick with Aoife but maybe re-think the middle name!

Haven't read all the thread but how about another form of Elizabeth if it hasn't already been suggested?

Either a different version of the name eg.Isobel or a shortened form of it like beth. I think Aoife Isobel and Aoife Beth are quite nice.

I was desperate to use a family middle name but my dh vetoed it. In my case Yvonne became Eve and it was enough of a tribute and a good compromise in my case. it was that or an extra middle name which I didn't want to do but I do think that's a good option for you.

If you don't intend on using her fill name (first name + mn) much then just ignore your friend. If you do intend to call her by her full name then, as suggested above, you could add another name between or use a different form of Elizabeth not beginning with E.

Aoife Bethany
Aoife Rose Elizabeth

Ohhh Aoife Beth is lovely isn't it!

Aoife Beth sounds like a toddler who can't pronounce Elizabeth properly

I adore the name Aoife, but I'm afraid I agree with Elizabeth not being the best choice of middle name if you are in the UK.

In Ireland (where I live, anyway) Aoife is pronounced slightly differently than it is in the UK. There is more emphasis on the last syllable so it sounds like EE-fah, whereas in the UK you tend to get EE-fer, which of course sounds unfortunately a bit like E for Elizabeth.

As someone with an English accent who lives in Ireland, I struggle to get this right. Which is unfortunate as I know lots of Aoifes!

As others have suggested, you could keep Elizabeth but put another middle name in between them which would solve the problem perfectly.

If you are looking for other suggestions how about Aoife Catherine, which I think is gorgeous.