Keeva- What do you think?

[whit32]

I have recently started to like Keeva. I know that isn't the original spelling, but my area is largely Spanish speaking, so the original spelling would never be pronounced correctly. I like the meaning of it, and the sound, but I'm not sure if there are issues with it that I should be aware of. I don't keep up with celebrity nonsense or pop culture a whole lot. I do watch some tv but it is mostly reruns on netflix (we can't afford satellite ;-) I saw that some actress named her child that, but I don't know if that is a big deal or not. If you have any opinions or insight on this name I would love to hear it! Thanks!

[daisy451]

Caoimhe/Keeva is a difficult name for me. I think it has a beautiful sound and I like the original spelling. However, your concerns about spelling and pronunciation are definitely valid; an American child named Caoimhe would probably have quite a bit of trouble with her name. At the same time, I think Keeva takes away most of the grace and beauty that Caoimhe has on the page. It looks awkward and invented, and certainly not classic. For that reason, I'd just avoid the name altogether and relegate it to a guilty pleasure list, or assign Caoimhe to the middle.

[mischa]

I would spell it Kiva instead of Keeva if you prefer not to use the Irish Caoimhe spelling. I think your Spanish neighbors would pronounce it properly because the i's are pronounced like "ee".

[gblondie]

I like it...just keep in mind that a kiva is a Pueblo Indian ceremonial structure that is usually round and partly underground

[ummokayyeah]

I like it, but prefer Kiva spelling too.

[alzora]

I thought I would drop a comment to recommend the name Kinza, which was in a children's novel I read in elementary school called Star of Light (Kinza was a blind baby girl who was going to be sold to beggars until her big brother ran away with her to rescue her--sweet story line). Loved the name from reading the book. This website says it's just a variation of Kinsey, but it's actually an Arabic name, though I don't know its meaning. Another name you might like is Kira, an Indian name meaning "light," that also seems to be Greek, Russian, and English, from what I can find.

[hayley88]

I agree with @daisy451, the name does lose a lot of it's beauty with the more phonetic spelling. I wouldn't spell it Kiva either. I would say Ky-va rather than Kee-va instinctively.

[whit32]

Thanks everyone! @daisy451 and hayley88, I agree that the original spelling is much nicer. Around here though, if people see an unfamiliar name, the first instinct is to pronounce it like you would a spanish name. So Caoimhe would be cah-oh-ee-may, or if you smoosh it cow-ee-may. Somewhat less pretty ;-) I am in west Texas, and we have a large hispanic population. Just about everyone around here knows some Spanish (it's required in high school). I just think Caoimhe would be way too confusing, for my daughter and everyone around her.

@Mischa and ummokayyeah - I do like the Kiva spelling also, but like gblondie said, it is a word name around here. I spend a lot of time in New Mexico, and I've actually been down in a kiva in Mesa Verde and Bandelier. I just feel like it would be strange for me to use that spelling. Thanks for the suggestion though!

@alzora- Kinza and Kira are both interesting. Thank you for the suggestions!

[agirlinred]

I'm one of those picky purists who says you shouldn't butcher an ethnic name to make it suitable for you. Seeing Caoimhe as Keeva or Kiva just makes me cringe. I understand your intentions, but I feel like it'd be better left as a middle name if pronunciation will be an issue.

[reeljagkb]

um just putting this out there but it sounds like queefa to me....and NOBODY wants that nick name I am sorry but I just think of hs and how even joking kids could come up with that real quick...