Eira or Iris?

[Taggys]

Hello,

We need a girls name that works in both Scandinavian and English languages. We love:

Eira
Iris
Elsa/Elsie

These names sound quite similar, but which one is nicer?

Team Eira all the way :)

Both lovely, I vote Eira because I knew a very inspiring one

Personally, not sure how to pronounce Eira. I wonder if others do/don't know and if that could be a common issue and an annoyance?
I wouldn't pick Elsa because of bloody Frozen.
Iris is nice but for some reason still feels very old lady to me (I have a Florence so not against older names), conversely Elsie to me doesn't sound old lady and is very pretty.

Iris

Eira without a doubt. Iris and Elsie are everywhere, they’re so popular. I don’t actually like the name Iris, there’s something quite harsh about it.

Iris. Beautiful flower. Is there a difference in how you say it in English and Swedish?

Elsa is nice but I don't like Elsie.

Don't know how to say Eira.

Eira ...especially if more of a Winter baby, for the association with snow. Beautiful.

Eira is my favourite 🤩

I also like Iris and Elsie.

Eira.

Really lovely and not overused.

Eira, although as far as I know it’s a Welsh name. Would that bother you?

Are you Welsh

I don't know how to pronounce Eira. Ear-a would be my assumption? Much prefer Iris!

Eira means snow in Welsh. Love it.

Eira is beautiful imo, it has such a pretty sound that I’m glad it’s become more popular (I’ve only heard it pronounced as Ay-ra personally). I love the dual meaning depending on which country you are in (Snow/ Norse Goddess) and it would be my pick for anyone who wants a name familiar in both the UK and Scandinavia.

Elsa is pretty too, has a sort of retro classic feel to me and would be my second pick. Frozen doesn’t seem to be going away, but it’s hardly that bad a thing and she might love the connection when little. Elsie is less my taste, a bit too “Victorian Scullery maid” for me.

Iris has a lovely meaning (flower and Greek Goddess) but objectively the sound is quite harsh imo so it’s my least fave of the 3. Fab song though!

Iris is by far my favourite.

Eira is beautiful.

But you say 'English' languages. If you are going to give her a Welsh name (I'm pretty certain it's not English too) you'd probably need to refer to it as Welsh or 'British languages' or the Welsh nationalists will be after you!😃

I have no idea if it's easy for Scandinavians to pronounce/understand.

In my area of Wales it is pronounced like Air-ruh (as in the air we breathe) and the r should be rolled, my husband says this name beautifully in his Welsh accent.

Would you pronounce Eira Eye-ra or Aye-ra? (I hear it pronounced both ways, my cousin used the first).

I love the name Iris, it's one of my favourite names.

Also love Elsie - my nan's name. (She always disliked it because she said it was so old-fashioned! She was born in 1907 😄)

Eira. As Iris is said so differently in the Scandinavian languages.

Thank you so much, and between Eira and Vera, which one would you choose?

Thank you! 😊 and between Eira and Vera, which one would you choose?

It could potentially be an issue with pronounciaton, but we've chosen to go with Eye-ruh in that case. Agreeing with Frozen, it's annoying as I love the name Elsa 🤨

Thank you so much, and between Eira and Vera, which one would you choose?

Yes, there is.
English: Eye-ris,
Swedish: Eee-ris
...could be annoying 😑