Keeva... Discuss please.

[OnNaturesCourse]

(Key Vah)

Keeva... Your thoughts?

I love it but would use the traditional spelling.

It's Caoimhe.

Not Keeva. The spelling is horrendous.

I’d use the Irish spelling too.

Shouldn't it be spelt 'Caoimhe'? and pronounced Qwee-va

Or is Keeva actually a name?

Sounds pretty but that spelling looks a bit insecty.

Yes I really like it and if I lived in the UK I would probably use that spelling because I couldn't make my DD have to cope with having her name spelt the Irish way through her whole life! It's just not popular enough over here, people wouldn't have a clue!

'Caoimhe' can be pronounced Keeva or Queeva. I prefer Keeva, I really don't like the 'qu' sound in the name.

Foreign spellings aren’t a problem. You tell people how to pronounce it once and that’s that.

I’d spell it Caoimhe.

It's an Irish name and is not Keeva! Tha's an awful spelling of a gorgeous name. It's Caoimhe and can be pronounced Kee-va or Kwee-va depending on where in Ireland you are.

Caoimhe is usually pronounced Keeva in N.Ireland and Quee-va in the south.

I prefer the Keeva pronunciation.

Isn't a Keeva an overhead playhouse? I'm sure they were called Keevas when my DC were in primary school. All the classes in reception and KS1 had them.

Foreign spellings aren’t a problem. You tell people how to pronounce it once and that’s that.

Yes, but at school, the doctors surgery, talking to anyone over the phone.... And the other thing is in this particular name, because of the arrangements of the vowels it's really hard to remember which order they go in if you don't know Irish and rarely see the name, because there is no way of phonetically even having a go at working it out.

Honestly I am normally all about going for the authentic name and spelling but Caoimhe is definitely tricky!

There are plenty of girls in Ireland called Keeva, with that spelling.

I'd assume you'd decided to spell Caoimhe incorrectly. I also find it a bit dated.

I think Caoimhe is lovely but don't like Keeva.

Op are you in the UK or Ireland. I think if you are in Ireland Caoimhe, but UK Keeva.

Keeva wouldn't be pronounces Kay-va

It's Caoimhe, beautiful name

We have Irish names for our kids. DH is Irish. We were in Uk and are now in Austria. The spelling has never been a problem really. Once you tell people the name, it is fine.

I could be wrong but I thought the pronunciation was more Queeva than Keeva?

TheCatsPaw you would think you just tell people the pronunciation and they then use it- however as someone with an Irish name in London I can tell you that is not the case! Often there’s a protracted conversation about “mad” spellings or an insistence on pronouncing it how they think it should be pronounced. I gave my daughter an Irish name anyway.

I’d still go with Caoimhe. I prefer the Qu- pronunciation but I know that’s less popular in England.

Thehairthebod true, but it’s not usually a problem spelling names is it? I have an Irish surname, admittedly it’s anglicised, however people never spell it correctly. My DP isn’t white and always has to spell his first name. Can’t say it’s either bothered either of us.

I wouldn’t spell a name the “easy” way personally.

I had no idea that keeva comes from caoimhe. They're not my favourite names ever but if the child is spending most of her life outside of Ireland then go for keeva.

I like the name, but I like it spelt Caoimhe.

I have an Irish name and live in the UK. Would I give my child an Irish name unfamiliar to most people in the UK? To be honest, I probably wouldn’t. I need to spell my name several times a day. Some days I don’t mind, some days I get so bloody bored of it. And endless conversations ‘oh that’s unusual, where’s that from…blah, blah, blah’.

I don’t think someone shouldn’t call their daughter Caoimhe, she may love it, she may find it an arse ache. Who knows! But personally, for an easier life, I’d be more inclined to go for Keeva.

(To be honest I'm a bit amused by all the love for Niamh, Aoife, Caoimhe, Ciara etc. To me they're just the names of everyone I ever went to school with. Uninspiring)

'Foreign spellings aren’t a problem. You tell people how to pronounce it once and that’s that.'

Oh if only!