The final two!

[jemimafuddleduck]

Due a baby girl in 4 weeks and we have narrowed it down to 2 first names and two middle names. The middle names are both family names.

Which do you prefer? Which first name goes best with which middle name?

First names:

Darcy
Aeryn

Middle names:
Eleanor
Jean

I think some pronounce it with a short 'e', rather than an 'ay' sound, in the UK OhCaptain. I think that's how the OP's pronouncing it anyway...I've heard English friends say it like this previously too.

@LizzieAnt

I think some pronounce it with a short 'e', rather than an 'ay' sound, in the UK OhCaptain. I think that's how the OP's pronouncing it anyway...I've heard English friends say it like this previously too.

Ah ok. I was wondering how they were different!

It usually gets pronounced Eh-rin or maybe more like Ey-rin in Ulster, or somewhere between the two. But then Ulster Irish has an unusual dialect and maybe Eireann would be pronounced this way there too?

I'm not sure how Éirinn or Éireann are pronounced in Ulster Irish...afaik Éire is pronounced with the 'ay' sound there though.
www.teanglann.ie/en/gram/%c3%a9ire

To me that's more like Ey-ruh, not ay-ruh 🤔. That is how the start of Erin would be in Ulster... and the phrase "occupied Eire", is one I've heard to describe NI! And it is also Ey-ruh more than Ay-ruh...

Possibly we are describing the same sound, but I'm not doing it very well 😂😂.

I wish I could record the difference between ey and ay when I say it!

None of those sound like at to me... ay to rhyme with say or lay?

Sorry, for the completely unnecessary detail I'm going into here btw. I am a language nerd!

I think the ay sound in Irish is ae... but my irish language skills are shaky at best!

isn't it Éa that gives the ay sound? Like in Eamonn.

No BallstoyouSue, I'm sure you have it right. I'm from Munster so I'm not very familiar with Ulster Irish and my ear isn't attuned to the dialect the way yours is. Hey and hay sound the same to me!! It's the é sound in Irish I'm talking about anyway...in Munster Irish é sounds like the English 'ay' to me. I thought Éire in the Ulster dialect sounded similar in that link I posted, but I find Ulster Irish difficult so I'm very much open to correction.
I'm sorry too OP!

Not at all Lizzie! My Irish skills are pants!! I'm sure you know more than I do!

The é on its own, just to make it clearer.

www.teanglann.ie/en/gram/%c3%a9

Sorry, I'm a language nerd too .

Language nerds rule !

Darcey Jean x

Eleanor Jean!

Darcy Jean

I’d go for 2 middle names. Aeryn Darcy Eleanor is a boss name!

Aeryn is a nice name as Erin but spelling it that way you’re setting your child up for a lifetime of misspellings and corrections. I would go with Darcy.

I think, as this thread has shown, Air-in, Ey-rin and Eh-rin are so similar said out loud, that it will get mixed up with Erin all the time. It is also an unusual spelling almost for the sake of it. OP didn't make it up but it isn't a 'gaelic' spelling as the baby name sites suggest, as it has a y in it. So it is an English or American variation on Erin, which is already an anglicisation of Eireann. All in all, it does come across as an inconvenience for the person who has to have the name. It seems to be an obscure spelling but for no "good" reason (just my opinion obviously), which would put me off using it.

I've heard worse though, but I stand by my earlier comment that it is like calling your dd Aileezabeth instead of Elizabeth! But yes, I've heard/seen worse.

Oh and Ay-rin!

Yep, @BallsToYouSue this thread has put me off the name Aeryn!

Oh wow I really really like Aeryn! Doesn't go with Eleanor or Jean at all. Aeryn Darcy maybe.