Evelyn or Avelyn?

[AngeloMysterioso]

DH and I have been discussing names for DC1 this evening. We've already got boys names fixed, using our Father's and Grandfather's names, but we're undecided on girls. I've had one preferred name for ages which DH was happy to go along with but this evening we threw a few others into the mix and two we really like are Evelyn and Avelyn, but we can't decide which we prefer!

We're pronouncing them like Ev from ever and Ave like rave.

Surname is one syllable, consonant initial.

Putting it to the MN jury! Any thoughts?

Evelyn is on my list...
I think it's a beautiful name 💗

Is Avelyn actually a name?

Evelyn

I’m not sure if Avelyn’s a name I’ve heard before. However, it’s absolutely lovely. I’d go for Avelyn- a beautiful name.

Evelyn

It's an anglicised version of the Irish name Aibhlinn.

One thing that puts me off Evelyn is how popular it is- none of our other names are even in the top 100 atm but Evelyn is no. 27! Although Ava is no. 5 which is what Avelyn would probably end up being shortened to so I guess it's six and two threes... although unsure what we'd shorten Evelyn to with the way we're pronouncing it as it's not the Eve sound?

Evelyn gets my vote for what it it worth. I think Evelyn pronounced like Ev ( short "e" ) rather than Eve is quite a traditional pronunciation & I like it

I wouldn't worry about the shortening - those will just happen over time IME. I deliberately chose a name I thought could not be shortened / obvious nicknames for Ds - guess what he has one & I am the main culprit [ blush] - but they just happened rather than us thinking what his nickname would be

It's a lovely name - all best to you

Avelyn is setting her up for a lifetime of having to correct people on spelling and pronunciation.

You and she are not that special that you require a super special unique name that no one else can have at the detriment of your child. I say this as literally the only person in the world with my (horrible) unique name.

If you name her Avelyn the world will still spell it Evelyn. Please don't.

You and she are not that special that you require a super special unique name that no one else can have at the detriment of your child.

Yikes... no need to be so nasty!

Aibhlinn is a perfectly common Irish name (I’m half Irish, have a huge Irish family) but it’s not at all common in the rest of the UK and DH pointed out that if we went with the Gaelic spelling we would be, as you said, “setting her up for a lifetime of having to correct people on spelling and pronunciation”.

I really like Avelyn
Who pissed on your chips maxipaddy 😆

@AngloMysterioso

I tell this story again myself - a good friend and colleague of mine's wife was called Ailbhe. I had sent her at least two cards spelling it Elva before they had the heart to tell me how very wrong I was getting it. But that is my fault.

Still like Evelyn though rather than Avelyn - though NB autocorrect made me type Avelyn twice - not a bad thing but clearly much more unusual. Both lovely though - so whichever you choose I do not think you can go wrong - very best wishes.

Tricky, I can understand why you would wish to anglicise the name (which sounds pretty) but as it’s one of the less common Irish names (to English wars) people will assume you wanted a unique name. Depends if you care or not.

@Katebob22 - presume you meant ears there instead of wars - opens up a whole new line of discussion otherwise. I am joking here but just after could not type Avelyn without the computer thinking I meant Evelyn it made me chuckle.

Aibhlinn is a perfectly common Irish name Really? I've never come across it & it's certainly not common. If you were to use it, please keep the gorgeous Irish spelling, it's so much nicer - even if you have to explain it

I should have guessed the Irish connection from the way you were pronouncing Evelyn, as it's the usual way in Ireland as distinct from the Ev-e-lyn or Eve-lyn pronunciations you get in the UK.

Actually, on that note, why not Eibhlinn? Such a beautiful name.

😂😂 @BasiliskStare definitely ears 👂🏻 😂😂

I did get it but it made me laugh @Katebob22

Though the war of Jenkin's ear?

Jenkin - possibly not in the top 100 boy's names

Ha ha anyway - you have afforded me a chuckle tonight - thank you

Evelyn

Evelyn reminds me of the nasty grandmother in Coronation Street

Aibhlinn is pronounced Ave-leen though, not Avelyn!

Also it’s definitely not a commonly used Irish name!

Isn't it? I know 3 of them... one of whom pronounces it with a short lin instead of a long leen. I thought it was like the vonn/vawn ending of Siobhan, or the various pronunciations of Saoirse, it's sort of up to the people using the name!

I thought Aibhlinn was pronounced Ave-leen too (half Irish, was nearly called a similar name myself, have spent decades working with Irish children).

I’d go with Evelyn or Aibhlinn. Definitely not Avelyn, again based on my experiences of teaching and working with children. You’d struggle to get that seen as a real name and your child will spend her life correcting everyone.

I met a weary 30 something the other day on a CPD course who said in the introduction part, “Hi, my name is Suelyn, basically Sue-Ellen, what can I say my Mum is a dick and thought she was being funny or clever or something when I was born. Please just call me Susie, I hate it but it’s easier all round.”

Don’t be like Suelyn’s Mum!

Well I'm not pronouncing it Ay-vellin or anything, it's a bit more straightforward than that.

Is it really so different from spelling Amelia with either an E or an A? It's just Avelyn with an A... hardly complicated

And FWIW it's also the name of a character in a children's book from like 100 years ago and I advanced searched it on here and got a bunch of results (although it never got quite the pasting it's getting on this thread) so it's not a brand new spelling either!