Unusual Name Issue?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-16-2006
Unusual Name Issue?
5
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 11:09am

I have a couple of problems!

My dh and I live in Scotland, he's Scottish and I am half Scottish. Except for two uncles on my mother side (and of course all the couisons that come with that) my family lives in the US.

We have fallen in love with the name Aoife, its the Celtic version of Eve and is pronounced Ef-fa, like Eva but with a soft f sound. We are thinking of either Elise, Louise, or Margaret (mil name) for mn. Which one do you like best??

Second problem, is this name too far out there for my parents to explain?? Its not very common in Scotland, 11 were born last year, but its rather popluar in Ireland. I am afraid that noone in the states will ever be able to spell it, and I want my Dad to be able to brag without having to say the name twenty times.

But we love the name to death!! When dh admitted he liked it I danced through the house, and we have actually started calling or little bump Aoife. What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your help, if you made it this far lol!

Mary
edd 09/16/06

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2005
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 11:31am

I LOVE the name Aoife. I think it's absolutely gorgeous.


I'm considering a few gaelic names with the original spellings/pronounciations and I've come to the conclusion that yes, you'll probably have to correct eveyone in the US once. Because most of them will be baffled if they see it on paper. But once you explain it once, almost everyone will never need it explained again. And I think that's a small price to pay for using such a gorgeous name. Also, in the US right now Eva, etc are quite popular. So I think when people hear it, they will just assume it is Eva and not think twice. And when they see it and have it explained that it's the gaelic version of Eva, they will be quite understanding. I really don't think you'll have a major problem with it.


As for middle names, I think Aoife Louise is fantastic. It flows SO well and sounds so pretty. The other choices are nice too, but I think Louise blows them out of the water. I absolutely love it!




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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-09-2005
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 11:47am
I think its a beautiful name. I'm not sure about the spelling, but Effa sounds so cute to me. I love it. I like Aoife Louise a lot. Aoife Elise doesn't seem to flow well, but Margaret is nice as well. I think you should go for it.

                             
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-08-2004
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 12:26pm

Oh, I really like this name! I don't like Elise for the middle name, but I love beyond love both Louise and Margaret! If I have to choose, then I like Margaret.

As for the spelling issue, you live in Scotland, so the spelling probably won't be that big a deal in her day-to-day life. And, your dad will only have to explain it once. I don't think he'll be explaining the name for the next hundred years or anything. And, when people ask about her name, he's not going to write it on a sheet of paper and hand it to them; he's going to say it. If they comment, then he gets to tell a story about his granddaughter's name, which just means he gets longer to brag about her!

If you like, you can mail out birth announcements that have a pronunciation guide, and a little story about the name (its origin...why you chose it...whatever). That would remove most of the confusion for your American family, I think.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2003
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 2:09pm

That's a tough one because you both love the name so much. Honestly, it WILL be pretty hard for your family to remember its spelling & it might take them a few tries before they can pronounce it correctly. And, yes, they might even be a tad embarassed when they tell their friends their new grandchild's name. I don't know what to advise you to do. If you were on the fence about the name I'd say don't use it.

As for a mn, I like Margaret the best followed by Elise.

Good luck deciding!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-06-2004
Sun, 04-30-2006 - 6:47pm
I LOVE it! Adorable, in my opinion!! I would pair it with Louise!! Congratulations :)
Melissa