Neve/Niamh

[stellarfox]

What do you think of Neve? I’m only a very small % Irish (mostly English) so I don’t think I could really use Niamh could I?

Well there you go, I've just posted about how mine feels!
She's generally not bothered by the mistakes, it was just in hospital when she wasn't well and in a huge grump anyway.

I've just asked her as well, and she says whilst it's occasionally annoying, she's happy with it and wouldn't change it, she also said, "Oh fuck do not spell it Neve, ever "
There's a few amusing FB memes featuring it too.

Neve and Niamh do not make the same sound. Neve sounds like neev whereas Niamh has two syllables. But I've heard English parents calling to their little Niamh and realise they don't hear the distinction.

Niamh doesn't have two syllables to all Irish people, though. I know plenty that call themselves Neeev. It's not incorrect.

Technically it's incorrect. It would be like pronouncing Brian as brine.

When there's a split in the country as to how to pronounce it, I think OP will be fine pronouncing it as Neev abroad. It's a widely accepted variation in Ireland. Would be different if she was taking the name and using some pronunciation no native Irish person would dream of, like perhaps Ay-oh-fee for Aoife.

My little sister is called Neve, lots of people comment on it & love it !
A lot of people miss pronounce it as Nev or Nev'ey

I've known how Niamh is pronounced for a long time and I don't think it would cause too much confusion in England. However, if you do decide to go for an anglicised spelling, I think Neve would be by far the most sensible. I used to know a little girl called "Neive" - I always felt the I and E should be the other way round to get that pronunciation!

I’ve met a Niamh, Neve and Nieve and they were all pronounced “neev”.
I’d personally go for Niamh and it’s common enough in the UK not to cause confusion.

How about spelling it Neev?