Girl's name
Caoimhe
“KWEE-va (Munster KEE-va)”
IPA: /ˈkiːvʲə/
from caomh, 'gentle, beautiful, precious'
Why it is said that way
Ao gives ee and mh gives v: KWEE-va, or KEE-va in Munster. Both are right — the dialects genuinely differ here.
- bh, mh → v — or w in the middle of a word
- ao → ee, or ay in Munster
The story behind the name
The feminine counterpart of Caoimhín (Kevin), and one of the names that came roaring back in the 1990s after centuries of quiet. Both descend from caomh, an old word for what is dear and worth protecting.
Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z