So I love the name [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f]. ( It is pronounce Ay-lee) So is it too weird to leave it in its original spelling. Or should it be changed? I have had some people suggest Aylee as a spelling that is more American. Any other pretty spellings that arent oo weird? Thanks for your help and opinions!!
I’m usually all about original spellings; especially Irish ones! I think it really depends on where you live; if you’re in the US as much as I hate to say it, but changing the spelling may be a better idea. I really like [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] but I could see issues with it in the States.
Aylie
Ailey
Ailee
I’d keep the original spelling, it’s beautiful!
I too almost always love original spellings- but I think you might have to explain this one for the rest of your child’s life! I think it’s just so unrecognizable.
I agree, unfortunately. I adore the original spelling of this name, but here in the US it’s just too unrecognizable… way beyond even the usual different spellings.
Sad. I would say either Ailey or Aylee, preferring Ailey (I really have a tough time with the letter ‘y’ in the middle of a name. [name_f]Pet[/name_f] peeve!)
Good luck!
- [name_f]Aggie[/name_f]-
I think respelling it is like the various Sh’Vawn/[name_f]Chevonne[/name_f]/Shvaughn mess that happens to [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f]… generally very ugly.
Aylee etc. just looks like a mutant form of [name_f]Kylie[/name_f]/[name_f]Kaylee[/name_f]/[name_f]Haylee[/name_f]/[name_f]Bayleigh[/name_f] to me and none of those are pretty.
I like [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] but I don’t like, say, Seersha.
I’d weigh up whether I wanted to use it, [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f], itself, directly, or skip the whole thing and find another pretty but easier Irish-flavoured name.
I don’t think you should change the spelling. [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] is beautiful but that is lost when you spell it Aylee/Ailee/Ailey etc, it doesn’t have the history and you can’t tell that it is a Scottish name (as far as I know it is actually a Scottish gaelic name, not Irish). So what if people don’t know how to spell/say it? I have always had to correct my name but it’s not that big of a deal.
Yep, all of this. Leave Scottish [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] as it is 
People will get the hang of it.
I would change it. People would always mispronounce her name if you left it the original spelling. I have a top 50 name from my birth year, spelled the most common and straight forward way, but half the time when my name is announced somewhere it is mispronounced. It’s a pain. So please spell [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] a more straight forward way! Personally I’m not a fan of Aylee however, it looks trendy. I wouldn’t spell it Ai- either because then you would get people pronouncing the first syllable “a” rather than “i”. My favorite spelling would be Aylie. -ie looks less trendy than -ee and Ay- is more obviously pronounced “i” than Ai- is. However there is one more option. What about spelling it Eilie? Keep most of the original spelling, just replace the tricky -dh with an e? To me Ei- is obviously pronounced “i”, so Eilie is pretty straight forward while still maintaining most of the original spelling. Eilie is still connected to the original, where as Aylie only sounds the same and most people aren’t going to connect the two at all if they see Aylie and [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] written side by side.
I would always go with the original. [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] is very cute.
I would advise you to keep the Scottish spelling of [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] and correct people if necessary. The name loses its charm and is no longer Celtic if you change it. [name_m]How[/name_m] are Americans (or any other nationality for that matter) going to know how to spell anything if people get spooked and spell every unusual name phonetically? The more a name is kept in its original form, the more people will become familiar. The spelling of [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] is part of what makes it special so be brave and leave it as it is.
I’m so torn on this. I love Irish/Celtic names in their original form and I agree that many of them completely lose their charm when you change the spelling. However, realistically, assuming you’re in the states, you and your child will always have to correct people on the spelling/pronounciation. On the other hand, that may still be the case with a handful of other, more common, names so… I think I’ve decided that if you love the name you should stick with the original, beautiful spelling 
I like [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f], granted I am a berry lol…but I am in the states, and I don’t think people would question it, although it would definitely call for an explanation now and again!
I do love the original, and it’s a shame that you may have to change it; but I understand completely. Gaelic isn’t intuitive at all to us Americans. I like the idea of keeping the spelling as close to the actual name as you can; say Eilie or Eilee/Eilea. You could also use [name_f]Aurelie[/name_f] as the formal name and just nickname her Aylee. It may save your daughter from being called eye-lid half the time and meeting a questioning glance the other : )
I’d just look for something similar but easier to spell. [name_f]Eilidh[/name_f] is lovely but I wouldn’t be able to change the spelling.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] seen this, & had to reply. I’m usually all for keeping traditional spellings too, but have you thought of Aelie? [name_f]My[/name_f] mum is an Irish [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and has always gone by this - spelt this way it seems easier to pronounce without looking overly made up…