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Indian / Welsh girls names - help please!

66 replies

Cathays · 19/12/2017 11:18

Baby girl due any time soon and we haven’t decided on a name!

She will be of mixed Welsh and Indian (Punjabi Sikh but we’re not religious) heritage and I would love a short name that reflects both if possible?! Any ideas?!

Currently considering:
Nia
Devi
Ani
Saffir
Arian
Asha
Eira
Vina

OP posts:
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MikeUniformMike · 19/12/2017 11:50

Nia is nice but was very popular in the 1970s.
Devi - too similar to how they say David in some parts of Wales, and similar to the Welsh form of David Dewi.
Ani - Spell it Annie or maybe Anni.
Saffir - Welsh for sapphire perhaps? Not sure.
Arian. Welsh for Silver or Money. Rates about the same as Kash. It's a No from me.
Asha - It's a yes.
Eira - Beautiful but unpronounceable to all but the Welsh. The Ei bit isn't pronounced I.
Vina. - It's not welsh but sounds quite pretty, but made me think of Venal. Another no.

I'd choose Asha.

MikeUniformMike · 19/12/2017 11:52

Just looked up Saffir and it's a masculine noun and it means Sapphire.

LeahG94 · 19/12/2017 11:54

I am Welsh and really like Eira, second choice from your list would be Nia.

SocksRock · 19/12/2017 13:33

I have an Eira and live in England. Everyone manages nicely once they've heard it a couple of times.

LoveInTokyo · 19/12/2017 13:34

Aneira?

LoveInTokyo · 19/12/2017 13:39

Or Jasmine is lovely and would work with both cultures even if not particularly Welsh.

Scottishgirl85 · 19/12/2017 13:39

I also have an Eira, we live in south east England. I'll admit it does cause some pronunciation issues initially and requires explanation, but I think most names do to be honest! Once explained people remember it and we always get compliments. If a random old lady asks in the supermarket they tend to hear 'Ava' and it's too much effort to correct them! We have no regrets. It's a beautiful name. We pronounce it Ay-ra but it can also be eye-ra.

MikeUniformMike · 19/12/2017 13:43

Eye-ra is wrong but you will hear it. Eye-ra would be spelt Aira not Eira.

LoveInTokyo · 19/12/2017 13:50

Some more ideas:

Laila / Leila / Layla
Sian / Siana
Mai / Maia
Kira
Nina
Tia
Tara
Una

MikeUniformMike · 19/12/2017 13:55

If your daughter is Eira and you do not speak Welsh you are probably not saying it properly. Ayra is close but it is different. It is such a pretty name

Potteryprincess30 · 19/12/2017 14:30

I am in love with the name Asha, please name your daughter this!

Scottishgirl85 · 19/12/2017 14:43

Mike, I believe it is Ay-ra in north Wales and eye-ra in south Wales. Both are correct. My husband's family are north Wales hence we say Ay-ra.

Fluffythefish · 19/12/2017 16:10

In South Wales it is Eye-ra. Similar is Eirwen which means snow white in English. Both lovely imo

Unicornwhiskers · 19/12/2017 16:13

Eira is regional. North and South pronounce it differently.

Cathays · 19/12/2017 17:30

Thanks all! I hear you. I love Eira (would pronounce it Ay-ra) but as we are not fluent Welsh speakers there will always be someone telling you you’re pronouncing it wrong Wink Think it’s going to have to be either Welsh or Indian- finding one that makes sense as both is too difficult!

OP posts:
Sugarpiehoneyeye · 19/12/2017 18:05

I second Jasmine, so pretty !

CalpolandCoke · 19/12/2017 18:18

Ziya

HeyRoly · 19/12/2017 18:23

Think it’s going to have to be either Welsh or Indian- finding one that makes sense as both is too difficult!

Or you could go for neither Smile My kids are mixed and we opted not to go for an Indian name or classically "English" name. Or you could go for a Welsh first name and Indian middle name (or vice versa) to include both sides of their heritage?

CalpolandCoke · 19/12/2017 18:23

Eiriol
Elen

MikeUniformMike · 19/12/2017 19:07

Eiriol would get called Aerial.
Sorry for being pedantic but it's tough on a child having a name that's mispronounced, misspelt etc. Ei isn't Ay - it's shorter. I am fluent mother tongue north walian and know several Eiras (and Eirians, Meiras, Eifions, Eilirs, Eirlysiau, Einirs, Meinirs ...)
How about a name that is easy to pronounce. I'm not keen on it but Seren is popular on here.
Nia should be easy and it's a beautiful name.
Mali is cute.
downloads.bbc.co.uk/rmhttp/wales/livinginwales/eira.mp3

Mupflup · 19/12/2017 19:12

I love Manon..not sure if that fits in any way with her Indian heritage tho!

MikeUniformMike · 19/12/2017 19:15

Best wishes for you and the baby.

GoJohnnyGoGoGoGo · 19/12/2017 19:17

I love Eira, my second choice would be Nia from your list.

We live in Wales and have boys with very Welsh names. We considered Carys, Eleri, Alys, Angharad and Sioned if they'd been girls.

JingsMahBucket · 19/12/2017 19:21

How about Sarrah? I have a friend who's the same mix and she was named this by her parents. I'm guessing it could work in both languages. She pronounces it sah-rah

LBOCS2 · 19/12/2017 19:45

Or even Sara? It has both Welsh and Indian background, I think.