Comments
Meaning
Usage
Pronunciation
Famous
Impression
Other
Too difficult to pronounce. Otherwise fairly striking.
0
0
I love how this looks! I love the spelling of most Irish names too, they look quite pleasing to the eye.
6
6
My friend is called Caoimhe. I think it is a beautiful name and she often goes by the nickname of Kiwi.
5
5
It's pronounced KWEEVA!
It's beautiful because everyone who is named Caoimhe is luvly and is good lookin' :)
-2
It's beautiful because everyone who is named Caoimhe is luvly and is good lookin' :)
-2
I know a baby here in Wales who has recently been given the name Keiva Marie which is a more anglicized version of this name but with the same meaning. I'm personally not overly keen on the name and it’s extremely rare here in the U.K. in general and I personally had never heard of it before now. Although I think it has the ability to be used a lot more as these more unusual Celtic names become more well known as Irish mythology and history seems to be gaining more interest among the British and American public.
3
3
That's the beauty of Gaeilge, the beautiful language that once lilted across the Irish hills with regularity a couple hundred years ago. Gaeilge is a dying art form, as is Scottish Gaelic. Cymraeg (or Welsh for the uninitiated) is very commonly used in Wales, so it lives on. The thing I've noticed about these languages is the use of dipthongs. For example, with Caoimhe, there's a dipthong in there that few notice, unless you've learned Gaeilge, and that dipthong is "mh", which is pronounced with a very soft v sound. Caomh is Gaelic for peace and it is conjugated somewhat to create Caoimhe.
4
4
Well my name is Caoimhe,
But everyone spells it differently and I hate it so much. But as I've gotten older I have thought about it and said to myself I'm Irish and this is my name, but I'm proud to have an Irish name. Not everyone has heard of this name because the spelling of the name. I pronounce it as KEE-va. That's not the way it's said down south of Ireland they pronounce it as KWEE-va. I love the name and wouldn't change it for anything. But I think more people should call their children Caoimhe, it's just a really pretty name. Also they will love it but if you want to and your child is a boy you could always call it Caoimhin.
7
But everyone spells it differently and I hate it so much. But as I've gotten older I have thought about it and said to myself I'm Irish and this is my name, but I'm proud to have an Irish name. Not everyone has heard of this name because the spelling of the name. I pronounce it as KEE-va. That's not the way it's said down south of Ireland they pronounce it as KWEE-va. I love the name and wouldn't change it for anything. But I think more people should call their children Caoimhe, it's just a really pretty name. Also they will love it but if you want to and your child is a boy you could always call it Caoimhin.
7
An Irish coworker told me she was going to name her baby girl "queefa" (she said "queeva, but in the middle of a word, F and V often sound the same. I was so shocked, I think I barely managed to keep my jaw from dropping, made a recovery and said something like, " Oh... how nice..." Probably the slang word "queef" does not exist in Ireland (ok, I'm certain that it doesn't, because if it did, nobody would name their kid that!) I feel so bad for those kids in America who have this name when they go into high school. Hopefully for their sake the use of this slang term will disappear, but just check out urban dictionary to see the meaning if you are not from North America and have no idea what I'm talking about (sorry about this, but I would want to know if I was considering living in North America and giving this name to my child!) This is not about Americans being ignorant or narrow-minded. I had never heard the name " queeva" before, and the word "queef" in English does not sound like any other word, so when you do hear it, it's quite shocking. It would be like naming your kid "fuckly" and then saying how ignorant people were to immediately associate a curse word with the name. It's a gut reaction stemming from decades of hearing a unique word used exclusively with one derogatory connotation.
3
3
Pronunciation: http://forvo.com/search/Caoimhe/
1
1
My name is Kieva pronounced Kee-va. Occasionally I get Kiev-a (like the capital of Ukraine) but other than that, I think Kieva is a very practical spelling for English speakers, due to the ie = ee phonetic rules a la chief, priest, shield etc.
1
1
Honestly my name is Caoimhe and I moved from Ireland to America when I was 10 but I love my name. It was a tad annoying growing up and I don't recommend you naming your child Caoimhe anywhere apart from Ireland and maybe even the UK, unless you are prepared to explain to them when they are a pre-teen that American people are not the smartest and although their name may phonetically resemble the word queef but for the child to then explain the history and that their name is cool and in another language. That was the only hard thing but I love my name and everyone thinks it's rad.
4
4
I love the name Caoimhe. It is very popular in Ireland and we have always pronounced it as KWEE-VA. It is a name I would love to use and it has the same root as the name Kevin (Caoimhín KWEE-VEEN), which is my father's name.
I am very confused as to how there are so many comments on here saying that Americans/Kiwis would find this name too difficult to pronounce. I have met many people on my travels (including the States) and I am yet to meet an American or anyone else incapable of learning something so simple. If it is a name you love, then go for it.
It may be changed with regular use however; Caitlin, for example, is now pronounced like Kate-Lynn but was Caitlín (cotch-eh-leen) which is Irish for Kathleen but that has been anglicised over time to have become a new name.
5
I am very confused as to how there are so many comments on here saying that Americans/Kiwis would find this name too difficult to pronounce. I have met many people on my travels (including the States) and I am yet to meet an American or anyone else incapable of learning something so simple. If it is a name you love, then go for it.
It may be changed with regular use however; Caitlin, for example, is now pronounced like Kate-Lynn but was Caitlín (cotch-eh-leen) which is Irish for Kathleen but that has been anglicised over time to have become a new name.
5
My name is Keva and I live in the US. My great-grandparents were Irish and my mom remembered they only spoke Gaelic. People still mispronounce it a lot and I don't know why. It's not difficult. I have brown hair and brown eyes and people ask me if it's Hawaiian or Middle Eastern. Some Americans can't believe that someone like me of Irish descent can have dark hair and eyes. They think Irish are all pale redheads. Drives me crazy.
0
0
Lovely name. I just wonder if all Aussies and Yanks are as narrow-minded and ignorant as those who posted here.
2
2
Hi I'm from Philippines. I named may eldest daughter Caoimhe, because of its meaning. We decide to pronounce it as "KYO-MEE" rather than Kweeva or Keeva. She's now turning 7 and hasn't been complaining about her name and how to spell it. She also has nicknames as CAI CAI, or Cail, coz she still has a 2nd name after Caoimhe. Some barely pronounce it correctly, and ask us why we chose to have that name. We wanted to have unique names and with the best meaning.
-5
-5
My name is Caoimhe too and while I do like it while I'm at home in Ireland it caused a lot of hassle when I worked abroad- my co workers ended up calling me Q! The spelling makes perfect sense if you have any familiarirty with the Irish language but I do feel it is very off-putting for those who don't, and it has been common for people to pronounce it kai-ome/kai-oh-mee. So, to save children a lifetime of having to repeatedly explain the name, I would definitely advise using it as a middle name or else anglicizing the name to Kweeva or Keeva, although I think it loses some of its charm when not spelled the traditional way.
2
2
My name is Caoimhe and I absolutely love it! I get so many complements on it and lots of people say it is a very unusual and gorgeous name. I do get frustrated though because people always call me different things like Cow-me, Kyomei, kay-o-im-he, shamei etc. It does get funny though.
AND NO ONE CAN SPELL IT PROPERLY IN AUSTRALIA! Hahaha
And my nickname is the weirdest ever! I get called Kiwi-fruit or Keish!
1
AND NO ONE CAN SPELL IT PROPERLY IN AUSTRALIA! Hahaha
And my nickname is the weirdest ever! I get called Kiwi-fruit or Keish!
1
I know a girl with this name. Substitute teachers always ask, "Is Kayomee here?" and then Caoimhe has to say that it's pronounced Keeva and half the time they question her again. Then she finally has to explain that it's Irish. And one time the sub fired back and said, "Well I'm Irish (probably famine-immigrant descended; both of Caoimhe's parents are from Ireland) and that's no Irish name!" Choose something like Erin if you want to give your child an Irish name. Yes, Caoimhe has a nice sound but it's impossible to pronounce to most Americans, and Keeva is just very refined, and there are a bunch of way better names out there.
-2
-2
Sounds nothing like it looks of course. Actress Alyson Hannigan named her youngest daughter Keeva. That would be a better spelling if you live anywhere other than Ireland.
3
3
The pronunciation is pretty (although personally I think it suits a dog more than a person) but the spelling is just absolutely visually unappealing.
-2
-2
How the hell is this pronounced "KEE-va" or "KWEE-va"? From how it's spelled, it should be "ca-OM-ee" (like Naomi). Why do people spell a name one way then pronounce it another?
-16
-16
In the Irish language, the diphthong 'aoi' is pronounced 'ee.' And when you add a seimhiu (pronounced 'SHAY-voo'; Irish for "lenition") to b or m, these become v or w sounds. A seimhiu is the letter h, used to soften or even silence certain consonants. In Irish, most names with a 'bh' or 'mh' are pronounced like v. But in regular words, whether they're pronounced like v or w depends on whether they're adjacent to e/i or a/o/u, respectively.
With these rules in mind, consider Caoimhe. It's both a name, and the 'mh' is slender (surrounded by i and e), so you pronounce it like a v.
C=K
Aoi=ee
Mh=v
E=eh, aa
Keeveh, or Keeva.
If the c were slender (that is, followed by e or i), it would be expected to pronounce it like 'qu.' But in some places, people pronounce it like 'qu' anyway, because it's followed by an 'ee' sound, even if it is broad (followed by a, o or u). It's a regional thing.
2
With these rules in mind, consider Caoimhe. It's both a name, and the 'mh' is slender (surrounded by i and e), so you pronounce it like a v.
C=K
Aoi=ee
Mh=v
E=eh, aa
Keeveh, or Keeva.
If the c were slender (that is, followed by e or i), it would be expected to pronounce it like 'qu.' But in some places, people pronounce it like 'qu' anyway, because it's followed by an 'ee' sound, even if it is broad (followed by a, o or u). It's a regional thing.
2
The ignorance of the above user is ridiculous. This is a Gaelic name; the spelling and pronunciation make perfect sense in Gaelic.
12
12
I don't mind most Irish names, but dislike this one because of the pronunciation. It seems like the hardest one to live with if you're anywhere outside of Ireland.
-1
-1
I think this is a very nice name, even though people might not be able to pronounce it. I wouldn't like it if it was spelled Keeva though. Caoimhe is more unique, but most people would just look at the name and be like "What on earth?" when they see the spelling. Oh well, I like Irish names.
2
2
I know a girl with parents from Ireland named this, but it is anglicized to Kieva (a good idea, considering they knew she'd be living in a place where people have never heard of Caiomhe).
People who live outside of Ireland and love this name can consider altering the spelling.
2
People who live outside of Ireland and love this name can consider altering the spelling.
2
Ugh, I hate this name! It reminds me of queefing!
-9
-9
In Scotland they also pronounce Caoimhe, Koy-vah (Coy rhymes with boy, ALMOST sounds like "Qwaver").
1
1
The meaning of this name is nice, but I don't think it's that beautiful. It looks ugly, clunky, and will not be pronounced right outside of Ireland. I think unanglicized Irish names should stay in Ireland and should not be used in the United States, but that's just my opinion.
1
1
This is my favorite female name. Absolutely adore it. I plan to use it as a middle name for a future daughter. I think in America this name is best suited for the middle name slot mainly because of how it's spelled.
1
1
Actually, the predominant meaning of "caomh" nowadays is "gentle".
2
2
My name is Caoimhe Siobhan and we pronounce it Keeva. I was born in Ireland but I grew up in the States. I love both of my names. I go by the nickname Keavy.
4
4
Love this name. Love it. I like the combination of Caoimhe Billie. Very pretty name. Pronunciation and spelling and everything. It is incredibly beautiful.
1
1
This is my middle name, and no one can pronounce it in Australia. It's a pretty name and I like it, but I'm glad it's not my first name, it causes too much grief!
1
1
I like the name Caoimhe but because it is not said the way it looks I would only use it as a middle name. I like the combo Aisling Caoimhe.
1
1
This name keeps making me want to say KY-oh-mee, not KEE-vah. And KWEE-vah is even worse.
I think 'queer', which speaks for itself. Pretty name, I guess.
-3
I think 'queer', which speaks for itself. Pretty name, I guess.
-3
I adore the name Caoimhe and its original spelling. It has been one of the top 15 girl's names in Ireland for the last three years. Although it is more commonly pronounced KWEEV-uh in Ireland, it can also be pronouced KEEV-uh.
1
1
I love the name Caoimhe but in New Zealand I wouldn't be able to use it because of the spelling, and I wouldn't want to spell it any other way than how it's spelt!
1
1
I love the name Caoimhe. I first heard it when I was in Trinidad and a guy was calle Keeva. I thought that it would sound better on a girl and I came across the spelling Caoimhe.
1
1
What, no comments? People tend to dislike this name because of its difficult pronunciation but it's really very popular where I live (Ireland).
4
4
Comments are left by users of this website. They are not checked for accuracy.
Such a interesting and beautiful language, Ireland being so close to England makes me forget how different it is! I think I'm going to try learning it soon, maybe some other celtic languages too like Manx or Scottish.