Aoife

[namedecisionshelp]

Honest opinions of this name?

Also I don't understand the logic that e for elephant makes Aoife a bad name, surely that applies to other E names? What about C names and their association with cat or any of the other letters of the alphabet?

I couldn't tell if that's sarcasm or not, so I googled it. Turns out they are common pet names (because it's c for cat, geddit)? Like E for elephant...

My friend from primary had a Rabbit that I thought was called Arthur but I recently learned it was actually Rfer Rabbit

You will constantly have to spell it for people. I've got an alloy for aoife A-O-I-F-E. it also doesn't start with the letter it sounds like - if you didn't know you'd start looking under E. also sounds quite like Eva so they'd perhaps think they'd miss heard that.

Nice name! I know one my age but have heard a lot of babies in London where I am. I know how to say it but maybe more difficult for non English speakers.

My all time fave Irish girl's name tho is Niamh as I used to love her on ballykissangel in the 90s lol

People saying done use Irish names unless you are in Ireland? Wtf!

I’m going to call my kids Irish names for sure - both myself and husband are Irish! Being away from home makes me want to use an Irish name even more - good for the child to have a link to their Irish roots!

People will learn how to pronounce it !

I’ve got an Irish name and I kinda like the fact that my name is different to everyone else here and it’s never annoyed me that I have to tell people how to pronounce it to be honest !

Also I don't understand the logic that e for elephant makes Aoife a bad name, surely that applies to other E names?

Because the name Aoife is pronounced Eefa. Like Ceefa/Seefa Cat (cee for cat) is different to Carol cat. Eefa elephant. Sounds like 'Ee for elephant'.

I’m at people worrying about children struggling with phonetics of their own names being followed up with comments like Ceefa cat 😂😂😂

For those struggling - the word for has an “r” in it. Try practicing in the mirror 3 times a day. For for for. 😜

I wanted to call our DD the (I'm Irish, DH is English), but he said it sounded too similar to "ether" said with a London accent (which is where we live), and once he'd said it I couldn't unhear it.

@BrooHaHa - Because the name Aoife is pronounced Eefa. Like Ceefa/Seefa Cat (cee for cat) is different to Carol cat. Eefa elephant. Sounds like 'Ee for elephant'.

You're still not making any sense. Ceefa is not the same as cee for. Fa and for are totally different. One has an 'a', the other has 'or', after the f. Aoife does not have an r sound in it. Equally, it does not have an o sound in it. It's Ee-fah, not Ee-for.

Because the name Aoife is pronounced Eefa. Like Ceefa/Seefa Cat (cee for cat) is different to Carol cat. Eefa elephant. Sounds like 'Ee for elephant'.

So that also rules out Eva, Evie, Elizabeth, Edith etc

Or C names like Celine or Cecelia etc.

It's just such a random thing to think 😆

BuddleiaTime, your parents weren't daft.

Other people are just a bit thick.

Cat (cee for cat) is different to Carol cat.

I mean the fact you went for Carol says it all. Hello it's the 1940s calling & they want their name back 😆

We had a child in clinic with this name for about 6 years, from day one she was called Ay-off-ee by the doctors, nurses and reception staff... the mother just stopped correcting people in the end! And the child answered to it

That makes no sense at all. It looks like you are going out of your way to come up with an insulting association for the name. There is no r in the pronunciation of Aoife. It is pronounced Ee-fah, not Ee-for or even Ee-far.

In Saaaf Laandon we say E fah Elephant. In Scotland, you'd have no issues.

That’s actually embarrassing that not a single doctor or nurse was able to ask how do you pronounce the child’s name or even attempt to learn tbh!

Not embarrassing for the mum or the child! @EmotionalFlood

Not my cup of tea, but it's your daughter!

I'd put a few names in your back pocket (including this one) and then wait until the child is born.

She may not look like an Aoife.

If you are expecting, congratulations!

Gorgeous name.

Although I've heard someone say it "Ay-o-weefer", which was unfortunate.

@KaptenKrusty I didn't say it was...? And they did ask afterwards/each time, but when they see and call in 100s of children a week it can be hard to learn names that aren't common for that area that wasn't the only name that wasn't pronounced correctly

I know a little Aoife (in England). I think it’s a very pretty name, once I learnt how to pronounce it.

I mean it’s fine if strangers can’t get the name right No big deal really!!

But am sure the child’s friends and family will know the name and that’s all that matters

Have to say with the amount of Irish people living in the Uk I’m surprised that so many people have trouble with a name like aoife (it’s a very popular name)! But there you go!

Aoife is a beautiful name!

For those struggling - the word for has an “r” in it. Try practicing in the mirror 3 times a day. For for for

@ChandlerIsTheBestFriend only if you practise saying "not everybody has the same accent as me" in the same mirror. In most English accents, there is no vocalised "r" sound in for. In fact, vast swathes of English people with rushed speech or poor diction would pronounce "e for elephant" and "Aoife Elephant" identically

OP, Aoife is beautiful. I know several and I live in a rural part of England where people are predominantly white English. It's well known here. And people can learn if they don't know it.

It’s lovely, but if you’re in England be prepared to correct a lot of people’s pronunciation. I’ve got friends with daughters called Aine and Niamh and both are constantly correcting doctors surgeries, school receptionists and people on the phone who read “Annie” and “Ne-ame-he”. The only Irish girls name that seems to have gone mainstream in this country and that everyone knows how to pronounce is Siobhan.

only if you practise saying "not everybody has the same accent as me" in the same mirror. In most English accents, there is no vocalised "r" sound in for. In fact, vast swathes of English people with rushed speech or poor diction would pronounce "e for elephant" and "Aoife Elephant" identically

I know, I was being deliberately dickish with that comment in response to the idiotic comments about phonics and spelling and elephants.

So that also rules out Eva, Evie, Elizabeth, Edith etc Or C names like Celine or Cecelia etc

No, not close enough. Celine/Edith etc don't sound enough like c for/ e for, for it to work. Like it or not, fa sounds enough like for in many accents when spoken casually, that if the initial syllable is a letter name and the second syllable is fa, it will sound like that.

I mean the fact you went for Carol says it all. Hello it's the 1940s calling & they want their name back

I was born in the eighties. I have been watching Scrubs though.