Enid, pronounced the Welsh way as "enn-id"

[Cwningen]

We'd like the name Enid for our baby girl, pronounced the Welsh way as "enn-id" rather than the English way "ee-nid". We live in an area of Wales where around 40% of people are Welsh speakers including myself, and we want a Welsh name but one that is not unpronounceable to non-Welsh speakers. So what are your opinions on Enid? Thank you.

Love it.

So beautiful

Your pronunciation is so much more appealing and if most people where she'll grow up will pronounce it that way I'd say go for it. I personally would hate (as in really, really, hate) to be called Enid with the more commonly known pronunciation and I think it's inevitable she'll get a fair amount of that throughout her life. But if that's not a big deal to you then it's not an issue.

Pronounced the Welsh way it's fabulous - simple and strong and I love it.

The English way, not so much - frumpy as anything.

I’m Welsh and a Welsh speaker and I’m not familiar with this way of pronouncing Enid. It may be a north/South thing.

@LovelyBranches

I’m Welsh and a Welsh speaker and I’m not familiar with this way of pronouncing Enid. It may be a north/South thing.

I'm surprised to hear that. I'm from the North West of Wales, where it is not uncommon to find girls called Enid (pronounced the Welsh way). Are you from the South?

@DramaAlpaca

Pronounced the Welsh way it's fabulous - simple and strong and I love it.

The English way, not so much - frumpy as anything.

I agree the Welsh pronunciation sounds so much nicer. Where we live, the Welsh pronunciation is heard more than the English. However, outside of Welsh-speaking areas of Wales, that would probably not be the case. We'd prefer she doesn't end up being frequently called by the English pronunciation but I don't think it would stop us choosing this name for her.

I think both versions are lovely (I may be biased, as my mum was called Enid)

Lovely! I'm from the same area as you and am also a Welsh speaker, but I've worked in south Wales and have only ever heard it pronounced your way by Welsh speakers.
Enw hyfryd!

I’m fluent Welsh from South Wales and I’ve never heard it pronounced like that either. If I saw her name I would probably pronounce it the English way, although I can pronounce it the Welsh way.

My son has a Welsh name that can be pronounced in two different ways, it’s not a big deal. I let people go with their accent (including my own mum who has a different Welsh speaking dialect to me!!).

@FlumpyPoodle

Your pronunciation is so much more appealing and if most people where she'll grow up will pronounce it that way I'd say go for it. I personally would hate (as in really, really, hate) to be called Enid with the more commonly known pronunciation and I think it's inevitable she'll get a fair amount of that throughout her life. But if that's not a big deal to you then it's not an issue.

p.s. I meant to quote your post in my last reply, but it still works as a reply to DramaAlpaca's post :)

It seems from the rest of your answers that in the Welsh-speaking areas of South Wales, you typically hear only the English pronunciation of Enid, which I'm a bit surprised by. In Welsh-speaking areas of the North, Enid pronounced the Welsh way is not an uncommon name.

Valleys girl here.
I'd say Ee-nid. I've not heard of En-id.

I’m Welsh. Our pronunciation of it is gorgeous I agree, but I think you need to be realistic in that a few, far larger number of people will call her by the more common English version. It’s going to become very frustrating for her very very quickly to have to spend the rest of her life correcting people.

I love that pronunciation, why don’t you spell it Ennid?

I grew up in rural Welsh speaking South Wales where it was always pronounced the Welsh way. I prefer that to the usual English pronunciation and you/ she will only have to correct people the first time they mispronounce it. If you love it, use it.

I'm from Cardiff and I know an Enn-id. Nice name.

I'm from Wales and would pronounce it Ee-nid mainly because I think of it as an English name so would read it as such, not in a welsh way. Sounds softer with Eee personally, but so long as you don't mind it being pronounced two different ways, especially if she moves away, I would go for it.

Tbh in Wales though, I think I'd just go for a Welsh name, seems odd to avoid welsh names in the hope they can get pronounced out of Wales but then pick a name that has potential to be mispronounced by the Welsh and English, at least the former would be pronounced right at home!

A beautiful pronunciation. So much nicer than Ee-nid. Go for it.

It's a very old Welsh name, @namechange90832.

This illustrates what happens when a welsh name become known by an anglicised pronunciation. A beautiful name gets ruined.

Enid is a lovely name. I'd use it but insist on the Enn-id pronunciation. You only need to tell each person once.

I think both pronunciations are beautiful; it's my 4mo daughter's name so I'm a bit biased.

We are in England and use the English pronunciation, though told her Welsh family they were welcome to say it however came naturally to them. They've all used the English way so far but they're in the South so reading the responses here that may be it?

It is a bit of a Marmite name (perhaps less so in Wales) but we've had so many compliments on it so far... if anybody thinks it's horrible they've been kind enough to keep their mouth shut! (And I'd probably find their favourite names horrible so 🤷🏻‍♀️)

It’s a lovely name.
I’m Welshbut would say the English pronunciation.
You will probably spend a lot of time correcting people.
NB I know of a few Sians in England that get called Cy-an

A bit off track but I knew a baby girl named Meredith. It was pronounced the usual English way of Merry-dith. Her mother was told by someone that the correct pronunciation was Mer- Ed- ith so she promptly started calling her daughter that. Child was about 12 months old at the time. No idea how she got on as I lost touch.

Where I live the pronunciation Enn-id would be the default. If you wanted the English pronunciation it would keep getting mispronounced. Lovely name.