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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Think very hard about giving your baby an Irish name unless you live in Ireland!

213 replies

sunnydelight · 25/03/2008 04:10

DD is called Aoife. I am Irish and my mum died when I was pregnant so giving her an Irish name seemed very important to me even though I was living in the UK (as well as giving her her grandmother's name as a middle name). Five years later I want to scream. No, she is not called EeTHa, or A-o-fie. I have a smile permanently pasted to my face explaining that of course I wouldn't expect anyone to know how to spell or pronounce such a strange name, but it is pronounced Ee-fa. I even write it phonetically in brackets when I fill in forms now. I remind her swimming teacher (with a smile on my face) every week, ditto the guy who runs the gym club. I am glad that I am not allowed to watch her ballet class so I don't have to listen to what they call her. We have just had a friend around (first Aussie playdate so every excited) and her friend's mum called her EeTHa throughout. I have already explained how to pronounce it so resorted to the usual "mirror it back the correct way" every time. No deal. Don't do it to your babies, please don't do it

OP posts:

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Buda · 25/03/2008 04:14

Oh dear!

And it is such a lovely name.

Mind you - my DS is called Matthew. And certain members of my very Dublin family can't pronounce that! He is Ma-CHew!

arfishy · 25/03/2008 04:27

Oh dear. And some Irish friends of mine in Sydney are newly pg. There is no chance that their new DC won't have an Irish name.

I can't really comment though, as DD has a Dutch name (causes no end of confusion too!).

ninedragons · 25/03/2008 04:52

One of the midwives in the hospital in Shanghai at which I gave birth was called Mhari. I think she fell over with shock when I first rang and asked to speak to "Vari" - I don't think she gets the correct pronunciation here much.

I have heard of some little Aussie "Niamh Rhymes With Liams" running around.

lulalullabye · 25/03/2008 05:26

My dd is called Niamh and we do get the 'm' pronounced quite frequently. A doctor at the hospital once didn't even bother and called her by her middle name !!!

dejags · 25/03/2008 07:19

Agree with the OP!!

DS1 is Caelan (like Kevin with an L). DH's grandparents were Irish and he wanted a name that reflected his heritage.

We did initially have problems with people giving him the girly pronunciation (KayLin). Since DS has gotten a little older it's much better though - he is not shy to correct people's pronunciation. He is also frequently referred to as Cael (Kell), so no longer such an issue.

DH is Torien - Tor-yee-in. He has had issues with pronunciation his whole life but he loves his name and wouldn't change it.

We went for much simpler names with DS2 and DD.

smallwhitecat · 25/03/2008 07:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

aGalChangedHerName · 25/03/2008 07:28

I am not Irish or living in Ireland but my dd's are Niamh and Eilidh.

Most people get the dd's names right but if they don't i correct them,and people generally say it right from then on.

Doesn't bother me tbh,i like their names and bugger anyone who can't be bothered to say it right

saadia · 25/03/2008 07:33

I think if people keep mispronouncing even after you've corrected them then they must be a bit idiotic. I have a name that has been mispronounced all my life so gave dss easy to say names.

Flight · 25/03/2008 07:40

Oh it's lovely but sounds like hard work. Have you considered using an anglicised spelling for less formal documents/everyday use?
Perhaps spelling it Eva (though it's not said quite the same) might save some hassle. What a shame though.
I hope it gets easier as she grows up. It's a beautiful name.

Flight · 25/03/2008 07:41

My mother's name is Karin, which is German, but she got so fed up with people calling her Car-en and Korrin and all sorts, despite repeatedly correcting/explaining - this is close family and friends, not even strangers! - that she eventually gave up in her fifties and tells everyone her name is Kay now (dd used to call her K so it's not too weird for her).

Flight · 25/03/2008 07:42

dd should say Dad

Flamesparrow · 25/03/2008 08:10

Same goes for Welsh I should add.

I never thought that Emrys would be that hard to pronounce (Em - ris), but we seem to constantly have an extra e in there so he is emerys

GooseyLoosey · 25/03/2008 08:19

The dcs both have Irish names. Yes, no one who is unfamiliar with them can read them, but I expected this. To English eyes, the spellings are bizarre and I knew I would have to be fairly sanguine about pronunciation. I have to say, once I have explained what they are to people, I have almost never had any problems and the dcs also now know how to patiently explain what their names are.

CatIsSleepy · 25/03/2008 08:25

tbh I would have had no idea how to pronounce Aoife if I hadn't seen it on this thread
it is not a name I am familiar with at all
would probably remember after being told once though!

bozza · 25/03/2008 08:35

Thre is an Aoife in DS's class. DS pronounces it correctly. Not sure how he is on spelling it, mind you.

dejags · 25/03/2008 08:40

Yes - agree with Welsh names too. Our DD is Carys (Ca-ris) not difficult - we get many people who think she is named Paris...

Arrgh - can't win.

fishie · 25/03/2008 08:42

i think it must depend a lot of where you live. i am in a very diverse community so almost all the children have unusual or foreign names and we are all used to asking how to spell or pronounce properly.

often things get anglicised too, look at caitlin. interesting really when we can cope with sean and even siobhan.

blueeeyore · 25/03/2008 11:32

I've been very lucky with DD's name she's also a carys,( as dejags has already said how to pronounce it) as most people say it right after the 1st time they hear it, although my father in law could never remember what it was and called her by her middle name. My dd1 has a friend at school called naryce (na-reece) who i thought for a while was a reece

ChickenSoupDragon · 25/03/2008 11:46

Why would they pronounce it with a TH in the middle when it clearly has an F?? It's the least ambiguous part of the name!

belgo · 25/03/2008 11:53

how do you pronounce Eilidh?

FAQ · 25/03/2008 11:57

Isn't Eilidh (Ay-lee) Scottish??? not irish

dustyeastar · 25/03/2008 12:04

I have a welsh first name and, until i got married, a dutch surname. I spent my childhood spelling out my names for others and correcting their pronunciation. I can't say its ever really bothered me, either as a child or as an adult.

DS has a common English name that is spelt the Dutch way and people are always adding an h to his name as this is the usual English spelling. It only bugs me when family members continually get it wrong - even the ones on the Dutch side of the family. I also make a point of emphasising the different spelling to his school and to professionals involved with him.

mustsleep · 25/03/2008 12:13

owww

i was thinking of aisling for my next dc if its a girl and please tell me i am correct in assuming it's pronounced ashling?

Idobelieveinfairies · 25/03/2008 12:19

My dd2 is cerys....a lot of people have called her cerise-as in the colour pink!...

there is a lovely irish lady that comes to our playgroup, her 2 daughters have beautiful names. One is Aoife..the other i keep forgetting ....something like meab??? anyone??

micegg · 25/03/2008 12:23

I have this problem with my own name. Hence why DD is called Hannah!People still call her Anna though.

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