See the results of this poll: Is Neve (pr neev) a REAL name?
Respondents: 50 (This poll is closed)
- Definitely : 29 (58%)
- Definitely not : 16 (32%)
- Definitely maybe: 5 (10%)
To me it is an anglicized version of the Irish [name_f]Niamh[/name_f].
The only [name_f]Neve[/name_f] I know pronounces it nay-vay (and spells with accents on the e’s) because she was named after a mountain in the area, so it’s a weird one for me because of my association. I don’t think her name is made up, but it’s separate from [name_f]Niamh[/name_f]/[name_f]Neve[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Niamh[/name_f] is a little more internationally known now, but would still have issues in [name_u]North[/name_u] [name_u]America[/name_u]. Most people know [name_f]Neve[/name_f] [name_u]Campbell[/name_u] though.
Of course it’s a real name! It’s an anglicization. Because languages that use the same letters often use them in different ways, it’s not uncommon for the spellings to change between languages. I wouldn’t call that made up- it’s still got a long history and the spelling change is a part of that history.
I wouldn’t put money on [name_f]Niamh[/name_f] becoming popular. There are a great many Irish names that have become popular in [name_u]America[/name_u], but very few of them have an extremely Irish looking spelling- think [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Aidan[/name_u], etc. Other names have become popular with the anglicization, like [name_m]Kevin[/name_m] (instead of Caoimhin), [name_f]Bridget[/name_f] ([name_f]Brighid[/name_f]), and [name_u]Kieran[/name_u] ([name_m]Ciaran[/name_m]). I think if [name_f]Niamh[/name_f] becomes more popular, it will be with the [name_f]Neve[/name_f] spelling.
I love [name_f]Neve[/name_f] and would definitely go with this spelling. I think it will get more popular just as ‘[name_f]Eve[/name_f]’ has become more popular recently. I think it’s a great name!
I knew the name [name_f]Neve[/name_f] years before I knew the name [name_f]Niamh[/name_f]. I don’t think it will be an issue :).
No, I wouldn’t say that [name_f]Neve[/name_f] is made-up name. It’s just a respelling of the traditional Irish name [name_f]Niamh[/name_f]. Both spellings work fine for me, though I do slightly prefer the traditional Irish. I think [name_f]Niamh[/name_f] is one of the most accessible Irish names-most people know how to pronounce it.
Although I personally prefer the spelling [name_f]Niamh[/name_f], I do think that [name_f]Neve[/name_f] is just as legitimate a spelling, as it does have a history of use as the anglicised form of [name_f]Niamh[/name_f]. I would go for the spelling that you prefer.
[name_f]Neve[/name_f] is beautiful and definitely a “real” name.
I wouldn’t call [name_f]Neve[/name_f] made up any more than, say, [name_u]Kieran[/name_u] or [name_u]Shawn[/name_u]. It’s just an anglicization, which isn’t a bad thing at all. [name_f]Niamh[/name_f] is pretty, but would definitely cause spelling/pronunciation problems that a [name_f]Neve[/name_f] wouldn’t have to deal with.
It’s definitely NOT!
In Italian [name_f]Neve[/name_f] (Névé) means snow. If you look at the Latin roots, it comes from Nivem/Nivicare and the ablative Latin form is Nive (pronounced Neev).