Should I call my daughter Aoibhín in England?

[lovebeingmuma]

Will my daughter hate me for calling her a name no one can pronounce?

Yes, this. And it's usually spelled Aoibhínn. Without the fada, it's pronounced EE-ven.

The AY-veen pronunciation is, I think, more common in the north of Ireland.

In any case, Aoife and Aoibhin (however spelled or pronounced) are too similar for sisters.

Where we live DD’s primary school was very multicultural, lots of names from all different cultures all over the EU and globally, and the kids and teachers just got on with learning how to pronounce them. If you’re in an area which is only full of Avas and Isabellas then maybe you’d have some cause to worry about it being too unusual, but lots of the country has a wide variety of names at school now, and the kids are perfectly used to it.

It seems on odd decision to call your girls such similar names.

Otherwise go for it , provided you and she are happy to patient about having to spell it every time she or you give her name, and for every person who reads to be unable to pronounce it.

Use the name. Life is too short to restrict yourself because other people might mis-pronounce or be unable to spell a name. (I would have guessed eevin, but obviously happy to have been corrected!)

I have a very well known/common name, and it's still mis-spelled probably 50% of the time at least if I don't spell it, and a foreign surname that is continuously miss-pronounced/spelled.

I don't mind it, and have no desire to change either of my names.

Am curious if you and your husband are called Alex and Kate or similar …

On the plus side you will never be nagged to buy a mug or door plate with her name on it at a theme park!

I have a DD called Aoibhlin living in London and she goes by Evie because it's easier. Obviously no one can pronounce it spell her name. In her class there's a girl called Caoimhe. Another name no one can pronounce or spell in London.

I wish I'd gone for an anglicised spelling to be honest.

It’s a beautiful name!

Name your child whatever you want - don’t worry about what other people might think.

Irish names are lovely.

No-one can pronounce? There's no wierd sounds though - once you've been told how to pronounce them, then you just keep doing it no?

And you just learn to spell it if you need to - like Siobhan, or Saibh, or any other non-english name - it's only a few letters.

My daughter has a pretty standard Scottish name which is pronounced exactly as it looks but people in England get it wrong all the time, which drives her mad (she is on the autistic spectrum). She scours Christmas and birthday cards to see if anyone has made a mistake!

My sister in law has been spelling my very popular name wrong for 40 years now. I think she's being passive aggressive, anyway, people make mistakes with names all the time. With an Irish name I think you need to be realistic and accept that it will often be spelled wrongly.

Calling Aoife and Aoibhinn might be too similar? Call her Leonie??

School have to use her birth certificate name for official purposes, so an alternative spelling will give her yet another layer of explaining to do. For those saying it's easier in London, what if she moves outside London? Why not just keep it as a middle name?

Go right ahead. It will give her a clear link to her Irish heritage. Yes people will say and spell it wrong, but that’s really not a big deal. If you love the name then that’s the only reason you need.

A lifetime of misspelling and mispronunciation! Poor kid!

how do you say it? to me it looks/sounds like - I, owe, bin

so no.

Surely it’s much too close to her sister’s name?

I'm already familiar with this name but I have an Irish husband. I think it's a beautiful name. Would you consider a phonetic spelling?

If she’s going to grow up in England I’d use it as a middle name and give her a first name that is easier to spell and pronounce, I say that as someone who has a name that 50% of people spell/pronounce incorrectly.

I’m sure most people would be able to pronounce it, but on reading it I guessed at Ay-oy-bin. But really had no clue how to even attempt it.

Pronounced EEveen - AOI is always a long E sound in Irish.

(Taoiseach, Aoife, de hAoine)

I love it and know how to pronounce it but I actually think it's too close to Aoife. What about Niamh as a similar alternative?

I think London's a very multicultural place anyway. There are 3 Caoimhes in my niece's class! (In London)

I guessed it as Avvin which isn't too far off? I think it's ok, people soon learn.

As you're all Irish, then yes, I'd go ahead. If you weren't, I'd say no!

I have a name that 99% of people spell and pronounce incorrectly, but I think OP and her DH should be proud of their Irishness and still use an Irish name (I know you didn't say not to use Irish, but let's face it, many people struggle to spell & pronounce Irish names).

On the one hand I would not purposefully give a child a hard to spell or pronounce name but on the other I am called Rachel and you would not believe how many spellings of that I have had over the years