Fiadh or Aoife in the UK

[Jacketandbeans]

I started another thread looking for a name to go with our two Irish boys names.
We had pretty much written off the Irish girls names due to spelling issues with the ones that we like.
However I can't help feeling like she might wonder why she was the only one without an Irish name. Just wondered what people's thoughts are on these two
Aoife - Eefa
Fiadh - Fia (like Mia or Tia but with an F)

They both have beautiful meanings and I think Fifi would be a cute nickname for both of them. We live in England, interested to know if people would know how to pronounce them over here and thoughts on the names.
Thanks!

It's fine. Most people will know how to pronounce them in England.

I like both names but I would go with Aoife in England. A lot of English people pronounce Fia(dh) identically to "fear" - teasing potential?

I would know how to spell and pronounce Aoife but not Fiadh and I reckon most people would be the same. Also it sounds like Thea said by someone who can’t pronounce their ‘th’s.

I have to spell out my name and I really wish I didn't. I'd reconsider.

You’ll have no problem with Aoife, as others have said, in many accents Fiadh will sound like fear.

Mia, Tia, Ria, Fiadh all rhyme with fear in my accent for example.

but I tend to say fear more like 'smear' so less emphasis on the ee-a being two separate syllables if that makes sense.

I'm also near London and that's how I pronounce Fear. I'd pronounce Fiadh with distinct syllables: Fee a

Fiadh is now the number 1 girls name in Ireland, it was just in the news today! I would go with Aoife as I can see how Fiadh could be prounanced fear with an English accent.

I’m English and know how to pronounce both of these names - I think they’re both fairly popular/mainstream.

Agree that Fiadh sounds the same as fear to a lot of accents, and the same as Thea for others - which isn’t ideal.

Literally no-one will know how to pronounce Fiadh

"Literally no one" really? 😂

I love Aoife!

My friends just had a baby Fiadh and she’s Irish living in Scotland. It’s a lovely sounding name and easy to pronounce once told. I have to spell out my fairly common surname all the time and it’s no bother really.

Both are lovely. I've a Ria (in London) and no-one pronounces it to rhyme with rear (Fiadh and fear...). Also have a Niamh that many people here couldn't pronounce initially, but no big deal once they were told.

I love the name Aoife. I think there are a fair few in UK now, so plenty of people will know how to spell it. I would shy away if your surname begins with an E though as it will sound a bit sesame street: E for Ellis.

I love Aoife, i much prefer it to Fiadh

Both names are fine but there will be pronunciation and spelling issues with both.

Fiadh will get spelt Thea, Fia etc and will be said as Fie-adh ...
Aoife will get all sorts, maybe Efa (pron Evvah), Eefa, ...

It should be ok if once you correct someone but it's a lifetime of correcting people

I know Aoife is Ee-fa but I wasn't sure about the other one. I thought of Niamh so tried Feev, then Feed-uh then have up and read the comments to find the answer. I'm in the south east. I'd definitely say it as fear with two syllables.

Adore Aoife

Lovely names.
On this board people focus on reading the name. In the real world you will be saying the name a lot. Here in South East England "Fiadh" will be heard as "Thea" quite a lot, and "Aoife" as "Eva". Really no big deal, both easy to say.
My DD has a Méabh, a Caoimhe and a Naoise in her year. (Not a Catholic school). Naoise does answer to "noise". The other two are used to a variety of interesting guesses. Fiadh will just get a d on the end and Aoife will get Effie which isn't a million miles away. In a Catholic school with more Irish kids/teachers i imagine all these are well known

I went to school with a Caoimhe and a Saoirse in the early 00s and people quickly learned how to pronounce both.

I think Aoife is probably more well known in the UK than Fiadh, especially in London. But both are easy to learn.

The popularity of Mia and how well known Nia, Tia, Pia and Zia are, mean people will get used to Fiadh.

Slight preference for Aoife for me as I live somewhere where Fiadh would get called fear - I know a Nia who gets called near. They're both beautiful names though.

I know how to pronounce Aoife but not Fiadh. Prefer Aoife because where I live people say 'F' as a 'Th' so if I only heard 'Fia', I would assume her name was 'Thea' and I'd do an inward judgy eye roll!

@SeanChailleachean, if you are in a multicultural area the names will be mixed with many different names like
Naevaeh
Naomi
Naoko
Naoise

it might get tricky

I wouldn’t use Aoife just because it blurs with the 3 million Eve/Eva/Evie/Ava/Evelyns

Fiadh I do think will end up as fear

I wouldn’t with these two, but not because of the spellings.

Aoife not uncommon.

The other one I haven't heard of and don't know how to say!

I love these threads they always boil down to a number of people saying essentially “no English people will be able to say the name at first reading so don’t bother”. Is everyone supposed to abandon names from their own (or spouses) culture in favour of Oliver and Olivia so lazy people don’t have to make the effort to pronounce different names correctly?

I’ve known several Aoife’s over the years, and know how to pronounce it, but haven’t come across the name Fiadh before, and would have to ask.