Can't decide on boys name in twins

[Thunderbear89]

We're currently expecting b-g twins and are struggling to agree on a boys name.

We have a son named Torben (which is Scandinavian), though one of us is English and the other Welsh and we live in Wales.

We've pretty much settled on the girls name being Eira (pronounced aye-rah) however, we can't agree on the boys name.

One of us likes Gideon, and the other likes Aneurin (pronounced an-eye-rin) as our prefered options, for different reasons.

We've considered loads of other names but nothing really stands out to us, so wanted to test the water which what other people think might suit better?

Eira isn't pronounced Aye-ra and Aneurin isn't An-eye-rin. Said properly, they are nice names.

I’d go for aneurin (presumably the Welsh parent is pronouncing it correctly!). I’m not keen on Gideon personally

@BungleandGeorge , given the pronunciations given, I'd say not.

Eira is the Welsh word for snow, and is EY-ra (Short Ey) but the name also gets said as EYE-ra in South Wales.
Aneurin is harder to transcribe because the 'eu' has no equivalent sound in English.

If they are in North Wales, the locals won't be saying Eye-ra and An-eye-rin

Re Eira, I think the way I've written out the pronounciation may come across as incorrect, it is Ey-ra as you've put.

Re Aneurin, the only two ways we are aware of saying it are the American way An-yur-in (which we wouldn't use) or the Welsh way as written above (as u is pronounced as an i so would be the ei sound).

Appreciate its not straightforward to explain the pronouncations, but how else would you be saying Aneurin?

u isn't pronounced as an i by Welsh speakers.

I've had more of a look and presume you may be pronouncing it A-neigh-rin? If it is, then that isn't how we would like to pronounce it, so that is just personal preference. Other threads about the name pronounce it predominantly as An-eye-rin, and it would be helpful if you could have provided more explanation as asked but nevermind.

In any case, for clarity for anybody else to give their views we would pronounce them as:

Eira (Ey-ra)
Aneurin (An-eye-rin)

Would still appreciate thoughts between Gideon and Aneurin!

I think Eira and Aneurin is harder to say than Eira and Gideon, so if it's between these two, I would go with Gideon.

@Thunderbear89 , I didn't describe the 'eu' as it has no English equivalent.
I don't say A -neigh-rin or An-eye-rin or An-yur-in

The Ei in Eira is a very short sound, much shorter than in Ava.

eu is saying e and u very close to each other so that it's a new sound
the e is like the e in 'egg', the u is like the i in 'this'. The e+u is one syllable.

Something like An-IRRin, but there is a short 'eh' before the 'i'.

If you are in South Wales, your pronunciations will not seem unusual.
If you are in 'Y Fro Gymraeg' they will probably use the Welsh pronunciation.

I think aneurysm when I see that name

Can't you see the problem you would handing to your child having to spell and correct pronunciation for the rest of their life. Just reading this thread makes my brain hurt

I think Eira and Aneurin ( and I’d pronounce them as you do ) are too similar and difficult to say together , a bit of a tongue twister
Having said that , I do like them both !
Evan / Efan ? and Eira
Gideon and Eira are good

I like Aneurin but not in combination with Eira.

I can't stand Gideon, sorry.

I'd choose a completely different boy name if you're set on Eira for your baby girl.

Gideon!!!!!!!!!!

I was desperate for this for dtwins, Torben was also on my list so I'm consider myself an expert on what matches haha. DH would go for Gideon and we ended up with Ezekiel

I think aneurysm when I see that name me too
I can't stand Gideon, sorry. I'm not keen on it. Gideon Bible.
Nye & Ira too tongue-twistery.

I love Gideon! Not keen on second name, I always feel confused by it.

Love Eira. I would pronounce Ey (hey) ra
aneurin I would pronounce a bit like a neigh rin but the eu isn’t really an eigh sound. Can’t describe the ‘u’ sound because it’s how you move your mouth to make it. Anyway I think it’s a bit of a mouthful with eira. i also don’t like Gideon at all and think it’s a bit random with Eira

i think Eira and Aled would be lovely together

Aneurin, largely on the basis that it's not Gideon!

Am Scottish not Welsh, but when I was younger the name of the famous Welsh politician - founder of the NHS, to his eternal credit - was pronounced almost like 'I-now-er-in'. the two middle syllables closely meshed together. That 'sliding together' of vowel sounds is very typical of Gaelic pronounciation and - perhaps, I don't know- might be a feature of Welsh also.

Am only saying this to explore how difficult it is to find equivalent spellings of sounds from one language to another. just for example, a lovely Dutch friend of ours explained to me that certain Dutch words beginning with 'g' have a sound rather like the 'ch' at the end of the Scottish word 'loch'. But we Scots - and others - are used to that sound at the END of a word; it's surprisingly dfficult to transpose it to the beginning.

I love Aneurin - I would say it the way you do, op , and I love the nn “Nye”. I also love the name Eira and like Aneurin and Eira together too. I’m not keen on Gideon. How about Ioan if you wanted another option?

OP lives in Wales and either her or her partner is Welsh so I'm sure she knows how to pronounce the Welsh names which I think are lovely. I prefer Aneurin to Gideon

@Notmetoo , she doesn't. If she's not in a Welsh-speaking area it won't be an issue. Welsh-speakers will use the Welsh pronunciation.

@nameXname , not sure how a Scottish mispronunciation of a Welsh name is relevant. The vowels slide together to form a diphthong.

ae, ai, au, aw, ei, eu, ew, ey, iw, oe, oi, ou, ow, uw, wy, and yw are diphthongs and most of them don't have English equivalents.

The Dutch g sounds a bit like Scottish or Welsh ch but not exactly the same

I think the pronunciation issues highlighted in this thread are important to consider and the combination of the two preferred are quite difficult to say imo. I also see aneurysm unfortunately! What about Eira and Avalon?

@bravotango , Avalon sounds more suitable as a house name.

Ha - fair enough! I actually know a little Avalon which is why I suggested it. It's not really to my taste but I think it goes better than the other one.

It's Afallon in Welsh. Avalon is listed as a girl's name on Darkgreener.

I like Aneurin but I don't know any under about 70.