Ayra - how would you pronounce this?

[Clebaby]

We love the name Ira for a girl but didn't want the association with IRA so are trying new spellings. Ayra is our favorite. But would you pronounce the "ay" part to rhyme with Isla or Layla? We also like Iyla and Eira as spellings but less so..

Lyra is one of my face book characters (his dark materials). But if you don't want to go with a book inspired name i'd avoid.

I don't think anyone would associate it with the IRA these days. Arya Stark has been the number one association for the past few years!

On the show - if it helps - it started out as Are-ee-ah, but now after GRRMs corrections they say Are-ya. Either works, though I prefer the former.

Maybe we could make it Ira-May..as then she can choose to be Ira most of the time but doesn't have to spell acronym out when filling in forms etc. But then she has hyphen issues. Also googled it and headlines include "IRA may attack..." sigh!
I love the Dark Materials book and grew up near Oxford - just got to convince husband as he prefers Iyra to Lyra. Why did we have to fall in love with a name of so many issues...

I think Ira-May sounds more like IRA than Ira does, sorry!

I'd pronounce it Eye-ra. I'm a GOT fan though and there's an Arya in that.

Eira is a good way of spelling Ira as mentioned up thread

I agree that Ira-May sounds more like IRA than Ira.

I would pronounce Ayra with an 'ay' sound to rhyme with way/ weigh. Eira means 'snow' in Welsh and the 'ei' is pronounced in the same way.

If you want the initial sound to be as in Isla but don't want the spelling Ira what about Isra? Or Iyra, Eyra, Eiyra? I think the y would help get the desired pronounciation.

These are all really good suggestions! Thank you so much for helping, have been going round in circles for months. Seems Iyra as most phonetic makes most sense at moment.. hopefully she would never have to correct people that way. And we can steal all the awesome meanings from Ira :D it just isn't as strong. Names making me dizzy! Maybe I need a name break and it will all become clear.

Arya= are-ya
Ira= eye-ra and a boys name to me

Just noticed its Ayra not Arya..

Yeah that will happen a lot

I would say Ay-Ra, with the ay sounding like hey

Lyra is a Greek name, not made up. I think it means harp. It's also a constellation

Just call her Charlotte and be done with it

Oops, sorry, I misread it too!

OP I think Eira is lovely. And works beautifully if it references both your heritages. I'd pronounce that 'Eye-ra' on first read.
There's something lovely and airy about that spelling too - makes me think of open skies.

Graceflorrick - I also love Lyra and its meanings. With the kind of made up Iyra (with an "I"), people will think it is Lyra anyway when written down. But ira still best sounding name

Quodlibet thanks! Eira is ticking most boxes at moment and does please the families...

I'd pronounce Eira as Ear-ra. Just to be helpful! Haha

I also misread it as Arya

I like Lyra or Ayla better

We went for Iyra!

Based on Ira/Eira/Irene it means:

• Earth/Chosen One/Muse/Speech/Respectable/Gift of God in Sanskrit/Indian
• Goddess of Peace, Ancient Greek
• Starting a fire/kindling in Arabic
• Snow in Welsh
• Saraswati Goddess of Wisdom, Music and Art, Hinduism
• Watchful one, Judaism
• Goddess of Sky, Mother of Stars, Polynesian

@Clebaby I am in the same boat. :)

What did you go ahead with?

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