I’m [name_m]Irish[/name_m] and my wife’s American, we live in [name_m]Utah[/name_m] where the spelling of names, really does take the cake for most bizarre… I’ve expressed to friends that we’re going to use the [name_m]Irish[/name_m] spelling for our children and they’ve advised against it, saying they’ll be constantly correcting people.
I grew up with a last name that I had to spell out/correct every time someone tried to say it and it never bothered me. I’m also trying not to be rude by pointing out their ignorance when it comes to respecting my country, culture and heritage overall.
I guess I’m just trying to make sense of how spelling a child’s name Mackaeleigh is perfectly acceptable, but [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] or [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] is not?
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I think it depends on the name? Something like [name_f]Fionnabhair[/name_f] I don’t think would be usable outside of [name_f]Ireland[/name_f], as much as I love it, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] or [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f]! I guess the difference is that something like “Mackaeleigh” is pronounced the way it looks in [name_f]English[/name_f], unlike, say, Éabha. But I don’t think that should stop you from using the names you love! Especially ones that don’t have a common anglicized spelling – I could see the benefit of using [name_m]Finn[/name_m] instead of [name_m]Fionn[/name_m] and [name_f]Fia[/name_f] instead of [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] (I’m saying this as someone whose name is also in a language where diphthongs are pronounced differently that the [name_f]English[/name_f] norm, I think it’s worth avoiding those issues when you can), but when it comes to something like [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] and [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] I think sticking to the original is 100% the way to go!
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I think you’re absolutely right - while it can be well meaning, there is definitely a bit of ethnocentrism in assuming that alt spellings of [name_f]English[/name_f] names are all fine and good, but minority languages are “too confusing” or a burden. I see this a lot in the way my biracial nibling’s names are mispronounced/questioned compared to their white cousin’s names.
Also, and I know I’m kind of preaching to the choir, but [name_m]Irish[/name_m] names are spelled the way they are for a reason. It is annoying how many people see a language that they aren’t familiar with, and rather than being curious about why it’s that way, they just dismiss the entire language as “weird”.
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Whoever told you that Mackaeleigh is fine but your name choices are not is being kind of hypocritical imo.
Since [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] and [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] are traditional names, I’d say they’re actually more likely to find someone who’s heard of the name and knows how to say/spell it than someone with an invented or strangely spelled name would. I wouldn’t worry about it. Everyone has to correct their name to other people at some point.
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For me, I only wanted to have to spell one name. I’ve got a hard to spell last name so I gave my kids easy to spell first names.
I really appreciate your feedback, thanks so much for taking the time to respond!
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That’s exactly my thought! Everyone has to correct someone about something at some point in their lives… it’s not the end of the world?!
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Thank you!!! It really is irritating that no one acknowledges [name_m]Irish[/name_m] as it’s own language, it’s not just an accent 
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Once upon a time, someone handed me their driver’s license at work and their name was spelled something like Ceightlynne. Not even joking. I might be mixing remembering the bizarre spelling perfectly as this was many moons ago, but either Ceightlynne or Caightlynne or something equally ridiculous.
As an American, I think [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] and [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] look different in the sense that they are clearly from another culture. And I think many Americans would have heard of [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] by now.
Things like Ceightlynne and Brynneleigh are different in the sense of, “Oh, your parents were trying really, really hard to be different.”
[name_m]Utah[/name_m] is notorious for the “alternative spelling” of names… some I’ve seen are eye roll worthy, but I’m glad there’s enough who recognize that [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] and [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] are from a different language/culture.
(And I agree, [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] is well known over here, thank god! Hahaha!)
Oh, no way?! See!! There’s like an epidemic going round of crazy spellings and unfortunately [name_m]Utah[/name_m] is notorious for the “alternative spelling” of names… some I’ve seen are eye roll worthy, but I’m glad there’s enough who recognize that [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] and [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] are from a different language/culture.
(And I agree, [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] is well known over here…
Like @tallemaja says, it depends on the name, but I think there are plenty of traditional [name_m]Irish[/name_m] spellings and names that can work internationally - and maybe my perspective is skewed a bit by living in the UK in a pretty diverse area, but there are so many names that I wouldn’t instinctively know how to spell, but you just learn?
People often react with a ‘nope’ to things they’re not familiar with, and [name_m]Irish[/name_m] spellings might just appear that way, whereas Mackaeleigh or McKaeyleiy or Mickailee are still recognisable as a popular US name, if that makes sense?
Still, of the ones you listed, I think there’s been some famous enough Saoirses and Aoifes that they work?
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I’m also Irish. I’d think the main difference between Aoife and something like Mackaeleigh in America is that Aoife is foreign to Americans and clearly from a different culture, while Mackaeleigh is still a recognisable American name despite the unusual spelling.
I think xenophobia, either consciously or unconsciously, probably factors into why people (people in general, not just Americans) tend to have a less favourable view of foreign names.
I guess in an Irish context, you might compare it to something like Arkadiusz vs Neeve, where Arkadiusz is clearly a foreign (in this case, Polish) name while Neeve is a non-standard spelling of a local name.
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I think that for me, the difference is that something like Aoife is not an English name and doesn’t follow anglicized phonetics, so it would be inherently harder to American people with no grasp on the Irish language to pronounce them correctly on the first go than something like Mackaeleigh, which makes a little bit more sense in terms of its use of English sounds. So it’s not that one is more acceptable than the other, but just that one has a better chance of being said correctly.
However! I don’t think that that means that using an Irish name in America is an issue in and of itself or that using the Irish spellings of the names you love is somehow less valid or acceptable of a choice, not in the least because you should never name your child to please other people. It literally doesn’t matter if some people would struggle to pronounce or spell these names initially!
Almost every single name can and will be mispronounced, misspelled, or misheard at some point. For example, I’ve heard someone read “Anne” as “Annie” because of the “-e” at the end of the name, so not even the simplest of names are immune!
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Oh [name_m]Utah[/name_m] 
spell the names the way you want. We have a surname that always must be spelled out as well, and even though my oldest daughters name follows [name_f]English[/name_f] pronunciation its unusual so everyone asks for clarifying when spelling it. It really isnt very burdensome.
I would say the only downside would be in Kindergarten when trying to learn to spell your name. But the truth is [name_f]Aoife[/name_f] would be just as tricky to Kindergarteners as Aaliyah/Mckenleigh/Knox etc. Since all of those also cannot be ‘sounded out’ using basic english reading skills.
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Mackaeleigh looks like Macka Eleeg
The Kae is the confusing part to me, I’m used to Leigh. I prefer Mae to May so I’m fine if it’s short
Also Mackaeleigh would be mispronounced by lots of kids, even my own short name British people can’t pronounce. They can’t pronounce the H in my name, it’s like H doesn’t exist in English