Neve, Nieve or Niamh?

[orangeunicorn]

Ttc at the moment but already set on a girls name. Just curious as to how people think it's best spelt

I was taught to read and write by word recognition, not phonics. So I knew my dd Niamh would easily learn to write her name , which she did at 3.

And besides, the child knows exactly how their name is pronounced, what with it being their name, and having being called it since birth.

So they're hardly going to think, 'oh actually, my name's pronounced [entirely different pronunciation]'.

I wonder how Niamh will learn to spell her name? Assuming she's in England. That must be very confusing.

And I'd presume you'd say the same to a Phoebe, Chloe, Isla, Geoffrey, Hermione, Joaquin, Margot, Yvonne... Yet mysteriously it's just the names that aren't typically British that get this Little Englander critique.

Nieve means snow in Spanish (sorry if already said). Also slang for cocaine.

Lol Niamh is the only way I've ever seen it spelt. And I'm old.

Neve would remind me of a males name in like..Spain or something

Another vote for Niamh.

Neve looks like it should be said as 'nev' to me, not 'neev'. Being used to seeing words like ever and never with an 'eh' not 'ee' sound, I guess.

Glad your DH has seen sense and best of luck for your little Niamh Bean to Be!

Sunflower321
I wonder how Niamh will learn to spell her name? Assuming she's in England. That must be very confusing.

The same way all the English-speaking Irish children learn to spell their Irish names if they have one - child learns from the parents, both orally and in writing.

English-speaking children do not have an innate preference for the English language in all its quirks.

Children absorb details like sponges. The process is made easier by the absence of mental blocks.

I will get my niamh to learn her name by explaining that it’s irish - therefore it’s spelt

N, ia (ee in Irish), mh (v in Irish).

It’s a different language not a random collection of letters

I know several, 2 are spelt Neve and the other Neave.

Niamh is a beautiful name.

Tbh, even if you have a fairly common place name (as I do) you still get asked to spell it a fair amount. I think Niamh is now popular enough for most people to know how to pronounce it.

I have a Neve. I am not Irish and Niamh wouldn't have worked for us, as my extended family are not English and would struggle with that spelling and pronunciation. I also like the fact that it means snow in Italian (even though pronounced differently), as that's relevant to us.

It was also chosen by the prime minister of New Zealand for her daughter!

Neva.

Niamh

Regardless of what your husband thinks the child will go through life having the name mis spelt because there's so many variations now! Beautiful name though.

Niamh.
Mine is now 17, I've had no regrets, it's a great name.

Niamh