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[nocluenoidea]

Baby is due in a few weeks time and we're still not 100% on a name!

Currently in love with the name Eilidh but husband has concerns over the spelling. We don't live in Scotland but have Scottish heritage and a Scottish sounding surname.

Do you think we can get away with Eilidh? Have considered alternative spellings but it seems a little tacky to change the spelling?

I wouldn’t know where to begin when pronouncing that name

I think it’s lovely. Though it is definitely pretty impossible to pronounce if you haven’t come across it before!

Aillie is an alternative. Eilidh is pretty mainstream these days

I live in Scotland so no problems here. I don't think you should change the spelling. Can't think of any other spelling that would look good.

It looks like a pretty name but I wouldn't even attempt trying to pronounce it in fear of offending!

Keep the spelling as is! Yes, it's a lifetime of "it's spelled ..." and "it's pronounced ..." but better that than a deliberate misspelling, which will always look a bit knockoff

I think you have to spell it correctly and just go with having to constantly explain how to spell and pronounce it.

I think it's pronounced 'Ai-lee'?

If you live in London or somewhere else where people drop their H's you'll also have the constant mistaking it for Hayley!

I knew one growing up and that happened everytime anyone asked her name! We probably are used to a wider range of names now though so maybe less of a problem!

I'm not Scottish (in fact not British) and have no Scottish heritage, and yet still know how to pronounce it. Its a lovely name, and mainstream enough that most people will have heard of it.

It's a gorgeous name.

For those that don't know, it's pronounced similar to Hayley without the 'H'.

I know it, but I have Irish heritage so am used to these kind of names. I think it’s pretty and not over used, it’s whether it bothers you that you’ll need to spell it out. Don’t spell it any other way though.

Morven/Morvern?

But if you decide you like Eilidh best just go with it. It's easy to pronounce once you know how.

My name is uncommon and it's a nightmare!

My Scottish cousin spelled it Ailey for her DD.

People who care will learn. Beautiful name! What boring names we'd all have if everyone stuck to what's easy. One of my daughters has a name of this kind and she often has to spell and correct people's pronunciation, however she loves her name and says she doesn't mind that in order to have an interesting name. These days Eilidh and similar names are more used outside their places of origin and becoming more familiar. On the other side of it I have one of the most common and straightforward names that you could think of - and people still can't spell and pronounce it half the time.

And I'll say it again, people who care will learn.

If you want to call her Eilidh then call her Eilidh. Don't butcher it by trying to come up with some phonetic spelling!

(And is it really THAT uncommon a name that the pronunciation would often be an issue...?)

I wouldn't change the spelling but I probably wouldnt she it if I wasn't in Scotland. It's just added grief for a child to constantly have people unable to pronounce their name, especially if they are remotely shy and don't like attention being drawn to them. It is a beautiful name though.

Probably wouldn't use it not she it.

I'm in the south of England and know a lovely girl with the name spelt this way, I didn't know how to pronounce it until they told me but it's not hard to remember- I'd go with the original spelling!

I have family in London and their kids seem to go to school with loads of boys and girls with very very Irish names (I'm Scottish, I know Eilidh is Scottish). So I don't think spelling will be an issue.

It's not an uncommon name particularly is it? I'd have put it on the same level as Niamh and I doubt anyone looks at that and reads out "Nim" on the morning register.

I would have thought it was a pretty well known name. I’m in London and a Scottish name like that seems a normal type of name to me. I’d know how to pronounce it.

Spell it Eilidh.

I haven't heard of it before and was pronouncing it like Vileda - as in the cleaning products!

I thought it was pronounced Ellie, but then I'm not Scottish.

I like it. Keep the spelling how it's meant-Eilidh

I LOVE that name. I’ve always known how to pronounce as I knew an Eilidh growing up .. don’t know if it’s obvious otherwise but I imagine once people get told they won’t forget.