Eiriana?

[Threelilducks]

I'm picking a Welsh girl's name and deciding between Eiriana, Mabli and Iola. My dh suggested Eiriana and it's growing on me but it is 4 syllables which seems long to me. What do you think of the options?

Is that a Welsh name? Not heard of it before. Eira is snow. The ‘ana’ bit makes it sound a bit more Greek to me. Not that it makes any difference, unless you’re dead set on it being Welsh. Maybe a fluent speaker could provide a bit more insight.

I like Mabli by the way!

I have no idea how to pronounce it. She will have a lifetime of spelling it out.

I like Eira but have never heard of eiriana- it's a bit frilly for my taste.

Like Mabli and iola too.

I prefer Eira personally.

It's in a Welsh name book. I'm not keen on Eira as it's a May baby and Eira means snow . Eiriana is said Ahy-ri-ana

I definitely wouldn’t have got the correct pronunciation. I would have thought Air-ri-ana. So it’s pronounced the same as Arianna?

OP, I assume you don't speak Welsh.

I've never heard of Eiriana and it looks made up and clumsy. I know many an Eirian. Eiriana would be 3 syllables not 4.
The Ei is difficult if you don't speak welsh - it's a short Eh/Ey sound.
It would be pronounced Eyr-YANN-a. (not Ey-Ree-Anna)

Iola is pronounced Yoll-ah

Mabli is pronounced MABB-ly ( Like Madly)

Of the 3, I would say No to Eiriana, maybe to Iola or Eirian (both seem a bit middle-aged), and yes to Mabli.

I wouldn't use Eira because of pronunciation issues.
You will get Ay-ruh or Eye-ruh.

Eiry is nice - Ey-ree.

OP's pronunciation is not correct.

In Welsh, Arianna is pronounce Arr-YANN-a (not Arry-Anna)

I'm not good at spelling out names but they are said differently. Arianna starts with an A as in apple sound. Eiri starts with Ay as in say.

I'm not worried about people mispronouncing as it's a Welsh name and we live in Wales. I wouldn't think twice about someone French picking a name that is pronounced in French. I don't think names have to be anglosized.

I like the sentiment and I like the name. Just wouldn't now how to pronounce it.

I have heard of Eira and Eirian but not Eiriana.

I like Mabli.

Wouldn’t know how to pronounce it. So like how it sounds using the correct pronunciation up above

I’m Welsh, granted not from a heavily Welsh speaking area. I’ve never heard of Eiriana in real life or otherwise, I’m not keen. I don’t like Iola. Mabli is the best of the three.

I like Mabli, Eirianna doesn't really work, sounds to me like you want it to sound like Rihanna (the singer) with Ey at the start. Rhiannon/Rhiannydd are easily recognisable Welsh girls names that have a similar sound.

I've never hear of Rhiannydd. I've heard of Rhianedd.

Pronunciation minefield.

Many people struggle with RH and DD. Both are single letters.

RH is like R and H said at the same time, and DD is like the th in The, That, there, and sounds quite different to TH.

Esyllt, maybe?

Mabli and Iola are nice. The other one is a bit much

I like Iola although she may get confused for Lola
Mabli would make me think of Cefn Mably which is odd but I don't dislike it.
Eiriana - sounds as though you're not even sure of the correct pronunciation so I'd scratch that

I've not come across eiriana before, only Eirian. I think it's pretty though. Where I live it's pronounced eye-ree-ann but I've heard the ay-ree-ann pronunciation too and prefer it.

I love your other names too.

And amen and hallelujah to 'names don't have to be anglicised'. I am sick to death of the old 'nobody will know how to pronounce it' line trotted out on here to any name that isn't a mainstream English name.

I'm in Wales and have never heard of Eiriana.

Eirian is really nice. Eiriana looks made up.

Foamrolling indeed. According to the largely liberal MN, if it's not an English name or if English people can't pronounce it, change it. Preferably to something very English. Fuck me sideways! Those that care about you or just care about a world in which we are all not anglicised robots, that appreciate diversity, will learn to pronounce it. Hell, they might even be inspired to learn other languages even just a few phrases or name their kid a name from a different culture/language other than English because they appreciate/admire that culture. What a day that will be! In a millennium perhaps?

I haven’t heard it before (unsurprising since I’m not from Wales) but it’s really pretty, I like it.

Rhiann
Rhiannon

@GingerScallop I get the sentiment but quite a few responses on this particular thread are from Welsh posters who are very unfamiliar with Eiriana as a name.