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.

Llongyfarchiadau!

It's a lovely name and I much prefer the Welsh pronunciation. Not that it's relevant to your decision any more, but I worked in Cardiff for years and knew several Enids pronounced this way so I'm not sure it's a North/South thing.

Where I live now you'd have more trouble getting people to use the English way!

I prefer the English pronunciation - it’s probably next up for revival. As long as you don’t mind if some people pronounce it like that, go for it I guess. But I think there are much prettier and more distinguished Welsh girls names around.

@SeanChailleach Thanks. I looked up the name Aodhnat. Its not related to the name Enid, although they do sound similar, which I guess must just be coincidence.

@stuntbubbles Thanks, and I agree that Enid is a nice name said the English way too. And yes its a slightly unusual name, but not too unusual.

@KirstenBlest Diolch am y cywiriad. Cymraeg yw fy ail iaith, a weithiau dwi ddim yn siwr beth yw'r ffordd gorau o ddeud pethau.

'Swn i ddim isio i'r enw Enid ddod yn boblogaidd iawn, ond jyst i dyfu ychydig mewn poblogrwydd. Mae wedi tyfu ychydig yn barod dros y degawd diwethaf.

@FreezerBird Thank you. Earlier in this thread some people said they'd not heard Enid pronounced the Welsh way in the South. I'm happy to hear that you knew several Enids pronounced the Welsh way in Cardiff :)

@Luredbyapomegranate, the english pronunciation is not right though and ugly to welsh speakers. The name is a very old one and from the mabinogi.

It's a pretty name. I think I've only known two.

@Cwningen, I'm a pedant. It is good that you speak Welsh and I love your username.

I always assumed that Enid is pronounced
En-id. And not Eenid

I don't like it sorry OP! It's such an ugly word written down regardless which way you pronounce it. I love Bethan though (pronounced the Welsh way).

It is. Ee-nid is an anglicised version. Cf. Dylan (Dillun), Alun (Alan), Eira (Eye-ra), Rhys (Reece), Huw (Hugh), Angharad (Ann-harrud), Llio (Cleo), Olwen (Olwyn), Bronwen (Bronwyn), Bethan (Bethun), Seren (Serrun), Efa (Ava) etc All of them are horrible although most of the names are nice when pronounced properly

Love it. I know several Enids pronounced the Welsh way. I'm in mid Wales.

@OverByYer I know a Sigh-Anne too.
Spelt Sian.
Her mother said ‘we went for the traditional pronunciation: Sigh-Anne.’🧐

@KirstenBlest Thanks. While I do prefer the Welsh pronunciation, I don't find the English pronunciation ugly. I just don't like it as much as the Welsh pronunciation. Most other Welsh names I also tend to prefer to their Anglicised versions. Are you a first language Welsh speaker (just curious)?

@Blubells The Welsh pronunciation is the original. Ee-nid is the Anglicised version, which I don't personally think sounds quite as nice.

@PattyPan No problem. I disagree but its nice to have a variety of opinions. And yes Bethan is a lovely name which in our case was a close second.

@JemimaMuddledUp Thanks. Out of interest, what are the ages of the Enids that you know. Are most of them elderly women, or are some younger women or children?

Yes. I really dislike the anglicised versions, in case you hadn't noticed.

I really can't understand why someone would give their child a name then say it in a different way. It goes for any name from a language they don't speak e.g. Ottilie, Niamh, Amélie, Rhian, Anaïs etc

I see it differently. If I am speaking Welsh, i would pronounce Rhian or Dylan the Welsh way for instance. But when I am speaking English it sounds like I am taking the piss. There's no problem with Enid.
In an Irish sentence I would say the names differently again. All my life, when English people hear my real name, they often repeat it with an Irish accent and it never ever feels like it's coming from a good place. I can understand you might feel differently but it's hard to disentangle the situations

@SeanChailleach, it's not about accent though, it's about making an effort or otherwise to say a name properly.

It's the equivalent of calling someone named Mhairi Marie or someone called Grainne Grayn

@Cwningen the majority now are of primary school age or younger, but I know a few who are of my parents' generation (so 70+) and knew several who were my grandparents' generation.

It seems to be one of those names that crops up more and more amongst competitors at the Urdd Eisteddfod!

[quote JemimaMuddledUp]@Cwningen the majority now are of primary school age or younger, but I know a few who are of my parents' generation (so 70+) and knew several who were my grandparents' generation.

It seems to be one of those names that crops up more and more amongst competitors at the Urdd Eisteddfod![/quote]
Interesting. I'm glad to hear that the majority of the Enids you know are primary school or younger. I wasn't sure if a lot of people would think of Enid as an old lady name. According to statistics, Enid has increased a lot in popularity in the UK during the last 15 years, so clearly it is coming back into fashion.