Message: "Eilidh" - Behind the Name

[Opinions] Eilidh

by E.Tracy (TABS)

9/14/2011, 6:40 PM

Is it not a beautiful name! With a very pretty meaning to boot I am hoping that I can come to grips with the most terrible spelling!

My son is Killian because Cillian was not going to cut it in the US

would Ailidh help Eilidh any or is it just has bad? I do not want to butcher its spelling to Aylee or Ayleigh but I am just so in love with the name help!!

PS I also think its a great way to honor my father's side of the family as it is a scottish name which is their heritage and the baby will be born in April which is also the birth month of my father and grandfather.

#Eilidh

This message was edited 9/14/2011, 6:40 PM

Replies

- Pie +1

9/15/2011, 3:26 PM

I honestly think that people would get used to Eilidh! But if you really don't think so, then Ailie has been used for a long time over this side of the pond as an English version of Eilidh, and I actually came across it first on a Canadian. To me, it looks a lot less trendy than Aylee etc., and does have some history as a name.

- E.Tracy (TABS)

9/16/2011, 6:36 PM

Thanks for your response that makes me feel so much better!!!

- Gracie (YMPvt)

9/15/2011, 6:03 AM

I think just leaving it was Eilidh would be fine honestly. I had a friend named it in elementary school (she was Scottish actually) and she got on fine though she was happy when her English 3rd grade teacher didn't need help with her name. I don't like Ailidh as much, maybe I'm but not used to it but it makes me want to say AIL-ee instead of AY-lee. I think if you love it go ahead, while recognizing it will have to be spelt and pronounced every time. Aylee would have to be spelt every time though, so it really wouldn't save you much.

- insane romantic

9/15/2011, 1:10 AM

If you don't think Cillian would work then Eilidh definitely won't work.

- Malk

9/14/2011, 11:02 PM

Oh, don't change the spelling. It's gorgeous and the spelling isn't that hard.

- Norah Namenerd +1

9/14/2011, 10:10 PM

I like Eilidh, but I do think the spelling would freak some people out. I'd maybe compromise and spell it Eili or Aili. Maybe Eilie. Ailie would be the most ay-lee spelling, but people would probably automatically see it as Allie.

- E.Tracy nsi (guest)

9/15/2011, 6:13 AM

I do love the Ailie spelling the most and I guess correcting from Allie is better then a pronunciation everytime for Eilidh

- Kiskadee (akaZsa) +1

9/14/2011, 8:19 PM

If you didn't think Cillian would fly I wouldn't even touch Eilidh personally. That is just setting you up for more frustration than Cillian would have ever given you, IMO. Ailey could be a workable alternative spelling. But in all honestly, unless there is absolutely no other name you could possibly use I'd leave Eilidh on the shelf.

- E.Tracy nsi (guest)

9/15/2011, 6:15 AM

Nope I really do love Eilidh that much! It is just so beautiful and different.

- Marie (Tawnee)

9/14/2011, 8:09 PM

I don't like it. I know it's wrong, but whenever I see this name I think 'eyelid.'

- Elena

9/14/2011, 7:15 PM

I like Eilidh but agree the spelling is problematic. Still, dumbing it down wouldn't work because it would come across as a variant of Kaylee (especially if you changed the spelling to Aylee). I think I'd keep it like this. If Siobhan can work, then Eilidh can. BTW, in our local paper, there was an article in there about a family (not sure what it was about) and all of the children had Scottish names. One of the girls was named Eilidh. I thought that was really cool.

- abbasdaughter

9/14/2011, 7:10 PM

Think I knew 1 in high school... It's nmsaa, but has the positive point of not being overused.

- humblebee +2

9/14/2011, 6:52 PM

Eilidh is a tough one. It is so pretty, and so doomed to be mispronounced in the U.S. I agree that Aylee and Ayleigh butcher it and rob it of all its character, but I don't think Ailidh would make the pronunciation any clearer. If the name is worth the hassle, it's best just to stick with Eilidh.

Killian and Eilidh are terrific for a brother and sister.

- E.Tracy (TABS) +1

9/14/2011, 6:58 PM

I am sadly coming to the realization that either way it will be doomed. I do think it is beautiful and it really works well with Killian it has a similar characteristic while both being very individual and unique

- Lily (Destry)

9/14/2011, 7:07 PM

If you like it, use it. I have several friends with spellings that don't match the pronunciation including one named Caoimhe. They don't have many problems. Usually they have great conversations about their names. People who will care about her will learn how to spell it and the others won't really matter. She'll have to spell it out a few names but it won't be that bad.

- Lily (Destry) +3

9/14/2011, 6:42 PM

I actually think Cillian would have worked in the US. It also looks less like "Kill Ian".

I like the look of Ailidh better, but it would cause just as many problems as Eilidh would. I like Ceilidh, but prefer Kaley (it also has a seperate meaning, though). Just spell it Eilidh and do the explaining. People will get it.

- E.Tracy (TABS) +2

9/14/2011, 6:48 PM

It would have never flown in my neck of the woods, by it I mean Cillian. MY husband persisted in pronuncing it with an "h" Chillian and my mother would pronunce the C as an "S". I did not name him Sillian or Silly Its Killian. My mother said the Kill Ian thing and you know what I get a lot more like the beer then I ever get Kill Ian. He is now 3 and I still love it just as much.

I personaly have no opportunity to use Ceilidh or Kaley even if I liked it. we already have Caela, Kyla, Kendall, Kailyn, Kristy, Kimmie.... I am not doing any more K like names!

- Lily (Destry) +1

9/14/2011, 6:57 PM

Eilidh is really pretty. I also don't mind Ailie, but Eilidh is still better :)
I'd never have thought of Chillian. Some people might have said Sillian but some people say KEE-ra for Kyra and some say KY-ra, some say SAI-ra some SAH-ra (Sara) so I think it would have been just fine. Killian probably makes it easier, though.

- E.Tracy (TABS)

9/14/2011, 7:23 PM

I do like Ailie as well that might be a contender for me to persuade the DH!

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