Niamh?

[Fiona341]

What do you think of Niamh? I have worried on and off about the spelling / pronunciation although love it as a beautiful name and would def want original spelling if did use it. We are not Irish, but are Scottish and live in Scotland so I think the Gaelic pronunciation will come easy enough as just the same as Mhairi etc but not sure...? Grateful for any opinions!

I think it's a lovely name. Gaelic names are common enough in Scotland for the spelling and pronunciation not to be an issue.

Lovely name. All the Niamhs I know don't appear to have any issues with pronunciation.

Really lovely, and I think most people get the pronunciation now. We're in rural Somerset and people get it.

I only know how to pronounce it b/c there was one at preschool a 12 yrs ago and I had to be corrected and have it explained. Or maybe I don't know how to pronounce it... Neeve? Her little brother was Ben.

I would spell it Neeve if that's how I wanted native English speakers to say it.

I'd think Niamh was a pretty well-known name nowadays. The normal spelling is, well, normal, as far as I'm concerned, even in mainland UK. It's a nice name.

It's pretty common these days. I don't think most people would have an issue with pronunciation.

Vivienne's comment is ridiculous.

Gorgeous but very popular here (northern city) if that bothers you.

It's usually pronounced Neev in the UK which sounds a bit off to me as all the Irish Niamhs I know are NEE-uv.

One of those names I think.

yes, one of those names stupid and or lazy people will never bother their arses to try and pronounce. It's actually really fucking simple to say. If you were bothered.

@MeanAger exactly!!!

One of those names I think.
*
yes, one of those names stupid and or lazy people will never bother their arses to try and pronounce. It's actually really fucking simple to say. If you were bothered.*

Yes it is 'one of those names' and, no, it's not really simple to say. Not if you're in a country where those letter combinations are pronounced differently.

I'm from a country with a non-European alphabet, and my parents came from a European country. When we came to the UK they wrote our names in English, according to the pronunciation of their birth country.

Do you have any idea what a pain in the arse it is to have to constantly correct people when they try to read or write our names? Every. Single. Time.

I don't think they're lazy. I think they are trying to say/write correctly - but in their own language, English. I don't expect them to know my mother tongue!

So if you live in Scotland or Ireland, by all means name your child Niamh or Aisling. But why on earth impose that on a child who will grow up learning to spell 'eve' or 'lean' according to the rules of her home country's language?

Yawn. Let's all just call our children Jane and Adam then.

You know how people get used to spelling and pronouncing names from languages other than their own? Any idea how that happens? I'll give you a clue, it's not from preventing them ever coming across those names.

I know it is still popular in Ireland but it isn't my favourite choice. But in Scotland it might work really well as it might not be that popular - but I don't really like it.

No. Call them Neve and Ashleen.

Or just accept - on their behalf - the fact that they will be mis-called and miss-spelled.

I happen to know how to spell and pronounce those names, because I have met people named thus. But I have no idea how to pronounce Clodagh. Am I expected to?

Am I expected to?

No. Do you expect everyone to know how to pronounce every single name that exists? do you advise everyone not to use. Names that you or others have never heard said before?

No. I advise them to use names that can be spelled in their home country.

We (my siblings and I) wish our parents had asked an English person to transliterate our names into English. While our names aren't English, they're perfectly pronounceable by English standards if they are spelled using English phonics. Nobody has any problems with our names, beyond "Ooo that's unusual", until they have to read or write them.

I advise them to use names that can be spelled in their home country.

they can be spelled in all countries.

Ha ha ha. You know exactly what I mean,

(And I do not know why my posting name keeps changing.)

I was wondering why someone else was responding to my post!

I do know what you meant. However, I disagree that people not knowing instinctively how to spell a foreign name should be a reason not to use it. Especially if it is linked to your heritage. No-one is born knowing how to spell anything. They learn. And the more exposure they have to other languages the better they (and society as a whole) get better at being able to spell and pronounce them. The world is getting smaller and smaller. We have to stop being so resistant to sharing cultures and languages. Embrace it, stop fearing it.

I don't think there's anything wrong with giving your UK born child a 'foreign' name, likewise I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to avoid giving your UK born child a difficult to spell/pronounce name.

Anyone who has lived in the UK with a 'how do you spell that?' name is entitled to their own opinion.

Thanks so much everyone for opinions, much appreciated.

Know quite a few Niamh's. Only my SIL who works with children didn't know how to pronounce it.

Just came across this post on a chance stumble of old posts and enjoyed looking at old name musings with both my DDs... our now 5.5 year old Niamh really enjoyed being read this!

And interestingly we've come across not too many, but a good couple of others similar ages to her, actually all spelled her way, and we've not really had any trouble with pronunciation. Enjoyed looking back on this!