Message: "Mhairi" - Behind the Name

[Opinions] Mhairi

by Canielle

6/12/2020, 12:20 PM

Mhairi pronounced va-Ree WDYT?

I love the name and where I live it is completely usable

Siobhan pronounced Shi-von and Shi-vaun where I live. WDYT?

The names are from different but similar languages.

Hoping for
Ian Howard James William
Edward John Theodore Lionel
Carys Rhiannon Laura Rose
Caroline Felicity Annie Rebecca

#Mhairi

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- Scotty +3

6/14/2020, 4:12 AM

I love the name Mhairi (but I’ve only ever heard it with the emphasis the other way - VAH-ree), it’s one of my best friends’ names though so completely unusable for me. If you’re in Scotland it’s absolutely usable but a lot of people even here will mispronounce it MAH-ree so be prepared for that (it’s a problem my friend has a lot).

I’m not a fan of Siobhan, no problem with the pronunciation here everyone knows how to say it but I just don’t like it. It’s definitely not as pretty as Mhairi.

- Canielle

6/15/2020, 1:41 PM

I live in city in Scotland and both Mhairi and Mairi are used here as separate names. I cannot answer for areas that speak Gaelic though. It tends to be mostly the western isles that speak Gaelic. Lowland Scots tended to speak Lallans rather than Gaelic. Like Gie it laldy or You’ll have a drouth on ya.

This message was edited 6/15/2020, 1:44 PM

- Anneza +1

6/14/2020, 7:21 AM

Scotty, do you know if Mairi is used in Scotland as well as Mhairi? I know I read somewhere, long ago, that Mhairi is the vocative form and so a girl would be named Mairi and then if you called her, you'd say Mhairi. Does it work like that in practice? Or only if you're actually speaking Gaelic?

- Scotty

6/14/2020, 10:00 AM

Yes, Mairi’s definitely used here too. Couldn’t tell you about the Gaelic unfortunately, I don’t live in an area where it’s spoken to a great extent so I didn’t actually know about that! Interesting! I guess it might work like that in the islands or somewhere Gaelic is spoken widely.

- Anneza

6/13/2020, 12:01 AM

I like them both and don't find the pronunciation an issue at all. But I wouldn't use either, any more than I'd use Ayesha and Jamila.

- Bex +1

6/12/2020, 3:21 PM

I know two. The emphasis is put more on the VA-rhee.

The younger one got affectionately called myhairy by her friends. I don't mind it

- Canielle

6/12/2020, 3:25 PM

My colleague emphasises the end. I guess it works either way.

- Kerilyntaryn21

6/12/2020, 2:38 PM

love Siobhan, Mhari is ok too

- Amparo

6/12/2020, 1:52 PM

It is lovely. I envy you if you live in an area where it is usable!

- Bear

6/12/2020, 1:39 PM

Visually Mhairi is intriguing, but I think I prefer the sound of Mairi more.

If Mhairi is usable where you live then go for it. Gaelic names are so charming and this one is stellar.

Siobhan is gorgeous. It would have been my niece's name if my BIL had his way. My sister won and she is Clare Siobhan, born in the 1980s. We live in the U.S. At the time Siobhan was unheard of. So I think my sister made a good, if safe, choice. :0)

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