See the results of this poll: How do you pronounce Eira?
Respondents: 58 (This poll is closed)
- EYE-ruh : 33 (57%)
- AY-ruh : 19 (33%)
- Other: 6 (10%)
EYE-ra isn’t a legitimate pronunication. Sure you can say it that way if u like, but it’s incorrect. [name]Eira[/name] is the Welsh word for snow and to me it would be like me using [name]Snow[/name] as a name but saying I want to pronounce it like SNA-w. I mean, I can if I want, but it’s not legitimate lol 
Sorry, I probably butcher names from other languages regularly without meaning too so I mean no offence, but I speak Welsh and can assure you, the only way to pronounce [name]Eira[/name] correctly is AY-ra. I think it’s lovely.
I also like Aneira, [name]Eirian[/name] and Eiriana.
Good luck
Actually, [name]Eira[/name] is also shown to be derived from the Irish word ‘[name]Eire[/name]’ so therefore is also pronounced EYE-rah, like [name]Eire[/name]. Another origin of [name]Eira[/name] is also from [name]Eir[/name], the Norse [name]Goddess[/name].
Of course the most common and most well known pn is AY-rah because of the Welsh word for snow, however it isn’t it’s only origin or pronunciation.
i also live in [name]Wales[/name] and i have heard people pronounce it both ways
I default to EYE-ra, but I like AY-ra too.
Eye-rah makes it sound too boyish. [name]Ira[/name] for a girl? Not my style. Ay-rah is prettier, but before I heard either of those pronunciations I thought it was [name]Air[/name]-rah.
It’s a Finnish place name as well and it’s pronounced air-rah here. I prefer that prn.
Eye-rah is too similar to [name]Ira[/name]. Ay-rah is ok.
Generally by non Welsh speakers who pronounce many Welsh words like people from [name]England[/name] or [name]America[/name] etc. My mum is a non Welsh speaker and pronounces [name]Dewi[/name] wrong no matter how many times I try to teach her lol. And so many people round here have used names like [name]Lowri[/name] and [name]Seren[/name] on their children and yet pronounce them incorrectly. [name]Just[/name] because a Welsh person pronounces it a certain way doesn’t mean it’s right since only about a quarter of Welsh people can speak any level of Welsh, and most of those who can’t (my mother and partner included) have no idea how to pronounce Welsh words correctly by sight.
As for the connection to the Irish [name]Eire[/name], think of the Welsh [name]Nia[/name] and the Irish [name]Niamh[/name]. [name]Both[/name] are shown to come from the same root since at one time all Celts spoke the language Brythonig which eventually evolved separately in to Welsh, Gaelic and Cornish. However [name]Niamh[/name] and [name]Nia[/name] are pronounced differently and are different, as are [name]Eire[/name] and [name]Eira[/name]. I don’t know about [name]Eire[/name], but [name]Eira[/name], if you’re using it as a Welsh name meaning snow, is correctly pronounced AY-ra. Of course you can say [name]Eira[/name] is a version of [name]Eire[/name] you’ve made up and pronounce it as you like, that’s your choice.
On doing a little digging, I have discovered that the Irish [name]Eire[/name] is actually from the name of a Gaelic goddess Eriu, and no relation to the Welsh [name]Eira[/name]. Therefore how [name]Eire[/name] is pronounced actually has no bearing on how [name]Eira[/name] is pronounced. I also discovered that [name]Eira[/name] is a Finnish place name, not sure how it’s pronounced but you could obviously legitimately use that pronunciation and say that it is a place name of a different origin to the Welsh word 
I’d do Ay-ruh since it’s most similar to the Swedish pronunciation of an old Norse goddess:)
I have voted Eye-ruh before reading further, and its a little off putting to hear that this pronunciation might not actually be legit.
I agree with this–I’ve always pronounced it [name]Eira[/name] and though I have never really known much about it dozens of people assured me that that was how to say it. I don’t really see the appeal of AYR-ah, but I hate pronouncing something wrong just because I like it better…
If we’re talking about legitimacy as in usage, then I’m fairly certain EYE-rah passes as it’s clearly the most well-known pn and I [name]DO[/name] know lots of Welsh people (granted, not necessaries Welsh speaking) who pronounce it that way too. I do fully understand your point, though, and I had actually been pronouncing it AY-rah until I realised there were other pns ([name]Eira[/name] has been a favourite with both pns for so long!)
So I’m still pretty much undecided on which I prefer! Thanks for all your help anyway, and of course I’m still open to further opinions.
Ear-ra/ air-ra- That’s how I would prounce it. This is my first time coming across this name though. I don’t like Ay-ruh.
I think Ay-ra (where the “ay” is like in “hay”) is so beautiful - go here to listen to a Welsh person saying the name [name]Eira[/name], along with many other Welsh names: BBC Wales - Living in Wales - Names
Maybe that will help everyone as it’s hard to explain pronunciations in writing I think.
Behind the name lists two seperate [name]Eira[/name]'s, one the Welsh for now, and one a Swedish/Norwegian form of [name]Eir[/name]. Someone in the comments on the Welsh name [name]Eira[/name] has stated that Ay-ra is the pronunciation in [name]North[/name] [name]Wales[/name], and EYE-ra is for South [name]Wales[/name]. The only reason I think someone would say that is that [name]North[/name] [name]Wales[/name] has far more Welsh speakers and is considered very “Welsh” whereas South [name]Wales[/name] has far fewer Welsh speakers and is considered more “Englishy”. So it’s the people who don’t know much about the Welsh language who are pronouncing it EYE-ra, I can guarentee that. I live in South [name]Wales[/name] but I am a Welsh speaker. I often pronounce things incorrectly, even though I know how to say them correctly, because it is the “norm” around here, so I do understand.
Therefore, yes you may meet many people here who say the name EYE-ra, but I can guarentee if you were learning Welsh, the only pronunciation you would ever be taught would be AY-ra when learning about the weather (snow) etc.
Pretty name, EYE-ra just makes me think of [name]Ira[/name] :S
AY-ruh is the welsh pronunciation
So [name_f]Gwyneira[/name_f] is gwen-ay-ra? I swear I was told gwen-eye-ra… ffffff… panic[/off-topic]
Sorry OP I’m no help at all.