Names you aren't sure how to pronounce

[whatausername]

Since we're all inside for the foreseeable future...

What are some names you're not quite sure how to pronounce? We'll see if we can help each other. But do take answers with a pinch of salt given the wide variety of accents we all have!

For me: Hebe (hee-bee?) and João leave me feeling uncertain.

*too

Sorry, you're quite right about Seoirse, @LizzieAnt.

So I’m Irish and generally good on pronunciation of Irish names, but want to double check something.

I’m considering Ailbhe for my next baby (early days atm so have time!). I have a friend called this who pronounces it Alva. But I have an Irish name book which has it as “Alvy” or “Elvy” phonetically - that’s not right is it?!

@londubh thank you for the explanation thats really helpful. Shamefully i know the people with these names but have only seen them written as we live so far away.

Can somebody tell me the difference between a legal name and a name somebody is known as in daily life.

So take somebody with the name Liz. Does this mean their name is recorded on their birth certificate as Liz or Elizabeth?

Yeah legal name is on the birth cert and known as nane is whatever they want to be called day to day. Liz might be the legal name or could be short for elizabeth. I know an Abby whos legal name is Abby. Shes 'known by' her legal name whereas im known as my nickname rather than my full legal name.

It's a bit dated. It's from Ionawr, welsh for January.

Iola is similar and AFAIK is the female version of Iolo
Yoll-ah and Yollo' respectively , o' to suggest that it sounds like o in got, not. It's lot Yo-Low

@HarrietM87
I've only heard it pronounced as Al-veh, so like your friend and not the book. It was originally a male name I think, but I've only ever heard it used for girls.

HarrietM87
Ailbhe I would pronounce as Alva

KeyPerfect
I would pronounce Isolde ( beautiful name )
as Iz ol da

Iseult I would pronounce as Eesult

Og - Oh-g (oh as in snow), Irish for 'Junior' so usually paired with Dad/Grandad's first name

Fionan - F-yun-aw-n

Caiohme Qweeva or Keeva depending on where you live and how your Irish is spoken

@Londubh beat me to it :)

I know a Gildas
Never know how to pronounce his name

I never heard of the name Gildas sugarcherry

tir na n'og is land of the young isn't it.?

Yes, but it's written Tír na nÓg.

I was to lazy to look for the alt codes

too not to. I'm not that lazy.

It's pronounced Teer nuh Nogue, sort of.

This thread is fascinating. Gaelic is a wonderful language yet so hard to grasp for anyone not familiar with it.

sugarcherry Gidas = appox Gweltaaz
He's a very ancient British (geographically speaking) writer.

Remus is Ray-mus not Ree-mus, e in Italian is pronounced 'ay'.

I should add I know it's not Italian (Latin?) but obviously associated with the story of Rome, Romolo e Remo.

I have a feeling that the 't' in Eithne shouldn't really be pronounced in the Irish language anyway? I could be wrong though.

Yes, the Enyeh (Enya) pronunciation is far truer to Irish than Eth-na.

I’m considering Ailbhe for my next baby (early days atm so have time!). I have a friend called this who pronounces it Alva. But I have an Irish name book which has it as “Alvy” or “Elvy” phonetically - that’s not right is it?!
I went to school with two Alvys, weirdly enough, and I knew a woman named Alvy whose married name was Alvy Alvey. She would be at least 110 now if still alive and maybe keeping your own name wasn't a thing when she got married. In Irish it's Ailbhe = 'Al-veh'.

I also knew a male Ailbe who pronounced it AIL-bee, which isn't right.

Ché

Any Irish / Gaelic names (I'm sorry)

Most people struggle with my name and call it a slightly different name. As a result i will only choose simple names for my kids!

Thanks @mathanxiety and phew! I guess some people anglicise Caoimhe as Keavy so it’s the same kind of thing. And I’d definitely say it as more of an “uh” at the end than and “a”.