Keeva for a girl

[shuz1980]

Whats people's opinions on Keeva? I love Irish names and like that Keeva looks like it sounds unlike other Irish names. Whats peoples opinions?

That well know brand! 😆

@Classica

So if I named DS Kevin and said it was an irish name, it wouldn't be accurate would it.

Well I'd consider it an Irish name.

And we've already established how reliable your opinions are.....

And we've already established how reliable your opinions are.....

You are feeling grumpy today.

Go tell the many thousands of Kevins living in Ireland that their name isn't Irish. I'll be intrigued to hear their responses.

Love the Irish name, hate Keeva though. Just sounds like slang for street food. Keeva Kebab, Keeva naan. Maybe I’m just hungry though

@Classica, I woudn't. I would consider it an anglicised Irish name.
That it is used as a boy's name in Ireland doesn't make it irish, or George, Daniel, Jack, etc would be irish.

@KirstenBlest
Kevin originates from Ireland though?

That it is used as a boy's name in Ireland doesn't make it irish, or George, Daniel, Jack, etc would be irish.

George, Daniel, Jack don't have an Irish origin. Would you consider Conor an Irish name even though that spelling is very far from the original?

Are you a native Irish speaker?

And Caoimhin is said as Kweevin.

I'm guessing you're not an Irish speaker if you think Caoimhín is pronounced Kweevin

Do you get a kick out of picking fights @Classica?

@Classica

And we've already established how reliable your opinions are.....

You are feeling grumpy today.

Go tell the many thousands of Kevins living in Ireland that their name isn't Irish. I'll be intrigued to hear their responses.

People generally feel "grumpy" when they are repeatedly called liars by someone who can't even follow their own conversation.

I won't be telling any Kevins anything, see my comments above on the (obvious) differences between talking about abstract names and actual people.

@KirstenBlest

Do you get a kick out of picking fights *@Classica*?

I wasn't picking a fight. Just stating that you equating Kevin with George doesn't make any sense.

But thanks for telling me, an Irish person, what constitutes an Irish name.

@Classica, I doubt that anyone could tell you anything. You seem to think you know it all.

In my part of Ireland we don't use the W sound so Keeva sounds fine to me and I have no problem with the anglicised spelling.

Kevin is from Cóemgen.
cáem = dear, precious, beloved; belonging to the family; fair, beautiful, lovely; a friend, a relative, a good person
gen = a smile, a laugh;

St Kevin of Glendalough the son of Coemlog and Coemell (probably their names mean valuable friend and delightful friend) was born in 498 and lived 120 years.

Kevin is an Irish name, from Irish speaking Ireland.

The pronunciation Kee-van is so much nicer than Kevin.

Never seen it spelt Keeva before and I think it looks quite ugly. I like it as Caoimhe though. I think it's known enough to use the Irish spelling - I have met a Caoimhe in England.

Kevin is an Irish name, from Irish speaking Ireland.

That references a point worth remembering too - unlike Kevin, many of the better known Irish language names are really of foreign origin. Names like Máire, Siobhán, Seán or Séamus, for example, are all just Irish versions of international names (cognate with the English Mary, Joan, John and James in the above examples). Which would be considered more Irish? An ancient name only recently anglicised? Or an Irish language name of foreign origin which underwent gaelicisation sometime in the past?
If asked to explain the names - in the case of Keeva, I'd call it an anglicisation of the Irish name Caoimhe, whereas I'd call Seán the Irish form of John.

It doesn't do to be too precious about names but then languages deserve respect too - it's a bit of a balancing act .

Why not spell it correctly?
Totally unclear what the attraction is to mis/unique spellings of baby names

@TatianaBis

The pronunciation Kee-van is so much nicer than Kevin.

Who pronounces Kevin like that, though? No one in Ireland in either language. Caoimhín is the Irish form. KweevEEN in my neck of the woods.

I’ve no idea, I’ve only been to Ireland once. Reading through the fisticuffs on the thread - Keev and Kweev seemed equally correct. I wasn’t sure who was right about fada or no fada on the I.

@TatianaBis

I’ve no idea, I’ve only been to Ireland once. Reading through the fisticuffs on the thread - Keev and Kweev seemed equally correct. I wasn’t sure who was right about fada or no fada on the I.

Your contribution is invaluable, is that case.

I think you need to hang an Irish only sign on the thread then and ditch the OP.

@TatianaBis

I’ve no idea, I’ve only been to Ireland once. Reading through the fisticuffs on the thread - Keev and Kweev seemed equally correct. I wasn’t sure who was right about fada or no fada on the I.

The Saint Kevin was Cóemgen. No fada. Modern Irish Caoimhín is a subtly different name. It's "caomh" with a diminutive ending.

I take the view that the anglicisations indicate authentic old pronunciations, and that basing pronunciations on modern spellings is spurious.

@TatianaBis

I think you need to hang an Irish only sign on the thread then and ditch the OP.

It's such a shame that a thread on a name that OP says is Irish is infiltrated by Irish posters.

It's such a shame that a thread on a name that OP says is Irish is infiltrated by Irish posters

Yeah. The cheek of those Irish people having opinions on Irish names and the Irish language. Shut up and let the British people talk!!