My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

Malachy?

52 replies

natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 16:22

We already have a Niall (DH's mum's side are Irish) and really struggled to decide on that one but we love it now and DS is 2. We are expecting DC2 and DH's family are ALL boys for generations so I want to get thinking. I really like Malachy (pronounced Mal-a-kee) but saw that the meaning is 'God's servant' or something which put me off a bit (we're atheist, ha!). I could definitely ignore the so-called 'meaning' though I think. My other favourite is Flynn but my DH said his mum's family had poodles called Flynn so we're not allowed! What do you think? We need Irishy but not whacky/hard to spell or pronounce...

OP posts:
Report
natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 16:23

P.S. I'm livid at bloody One Direction! Grin

OP posts:
Report
Beegey · 10/12/2013 16:34

I think it is really lovely. I also like the Hebrew and Arabic spelling Malachi. I would use it myself but unfortunately it rhymes with our stupid surname.

Frank McCourts little brother in "Angela's Ashes" is Malachy if I remember rightly.

Report
natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 16:37

Ooh good one vote! Keep them coming - need to win DH round...

OP posts:
Report
natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 16:38

I though it would be quite nice for them to be called 'Mal' for short too.

OP posts:
Report
coffeeandcream · 10/12/2013 16:41

Sorry to say my first thought was it sounds very similar to 'maladie' (sp?) which means sickness

Report
natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 16:44

Oh bugger. As a French teacher I didn't even pick up on that! Ha! I taught a Malachy once and that never occurred to me when I said it out loud but written down you may have a point...

OP posts:
Report
BunnyLebowski · 10/12/2013 16:46

As an atheist Irish person I really don't like it.

It's a very culchie name in my experience and the religious overtones put me right off.

Flynn is lovely

What about.....

Fionn
Odhran (or Oran for easier pronunciation!)
Dara
Eolann
Lochlan
Rory

Report
natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 16:49

Bunny - the meaning did make me flinch to be honest but I'm really gutted because I do like it. I love Flynn. Some on your list would just cause us misery as nobody over here would be able to say/spell them, although I agree they are lovely. It's nice to hear an Irish person say they like Flynn. Perhaps the generations of poodles can be forgotten...Rory I liked but I've recently taught a right nutter called Rory so that's ruled it out.

OP posts:
Report
ZingSweetPea · 10/12/2013 16:51

I vote for Malachi instead of Malachy.

and I wish I had been brave enough to name DS3 Malachi or Micha instead of Michael!

Report
Middleagedmotheroftwo · 10/12/2013 16:53

H think it should be pronounced Mal-ak-eye, but I love it.

Report
loisismyhero · 10/12/2013 16:55

I went to college with an obnoxious bloke called Malachy/Mal so I'm turned off it but it's a nice enough name I suppose.

Flynn is a surname not a first name imo.

If you're looking for Irishy but not difficult how about:

Finn (not a million miles from Flynn)
Conor
Liam
Cormac
Senan
Oscar
Sean
Dara
Aidan
Peadar
Pascal
Oisin
Setanta
(Ok the last two mightn't fall into the not difficult category, but I like them and wasn't allowed use them!)

Report
natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 16:58

Oh jeeze why are boy's names so bloody hard?! We had about 5 girl's names lined up but the chance of us having a girl are very slim, ha! Thank you for the suggestions so far, keep them coming. One of DH's cousin's just called her little boy Cuan. I'm a bit annoyed I didn't pinch it first as I think that's lovely. Grin

OP posts:
Report
cantheyseeme · 10/12/2013 16:59

Lovely name Grin

Report
BunnyLebowski · 10/12/2013 17:00

I've only ever met one Cuan!

What about Ciaran or Cian?

Report
BunnyLebowski · 10/12/2013 17:02

And I agree about boys names!

I'm hoping this baby is a girl as I have 4 names I'd happily use!

The only boys names I have are my granda's names! I don't like any others!

It's hard work this baby naming craic Grin .

Report
natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 17:02

Ooh maybe you know her Bunny, ha! Those two names are lovely but the English versions are classic 'naughty names' at school so again I've been put off them... Could I apply for the meaning of Malachy to be changed? Surely they won't mind changing the history books for me??

OP posts:
Report
loisismyhero · 10/12/2013 17:09

Olan
Dermot
Cillian
Seamus

Report
BunnyLebowski · 10/12/2013 17:09

Yeah Cian is a definite naughty name. Ciaran isn't but Kieron is in my mind!

Caolan is gorgeous, one of my favourite Irish boys names but again probably too tricksy in the pronunciation department.

Fergus
Fergal
Finbar
Dillon
Cillian
Conal
Conan
Shay (naughty kid territory possibly)

Report
natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 17:12

Shay is possibly the naughtiest child I have ever taught, ha! Ooh Conal...worth a thought. May have a look at the list of Irish boy's names and run a couple past you - I'm paranoid I'll name him not realizing the name has some awful reputation in Ireland for some reason and he'll end up being laughed at!

OP posts:
Report
BunnyLebowski · 10/12/2013 17:14

Ha! I had a suspicion Shay would be a no go for that very reason Grin .
Conal is lovely.

Report
ofcoursethisisanamechange · 10/12/2013 17:15

donagh- my favourite Irish boys name

Report
natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 17:19

Ok, I quite like:

Anlon
Donal
Farron
Gil
Lorcan
Oran
Quinn

Thoughts? I'm in no doubt at all that DH will hate all of them but worth a thought.

OP posts:
Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

natwebb79 · 10/12/2013 17:20

Donagh is lovely but my very immature family (love'em really) would call him 'doughnut'. The buggers.

OP posts:
Report
BunnyLebowski · 10/12/2013 17:22

Anlon - I've never heard of this name.hmm. Not keen. Sounds like "a while hanlin" which is N.I. for a bad occurence Grin

Donal - Lovely

Farron - Again, never heard of it. Not sure. Sounds a bit American and Falcon's Crest-y

Gil - Love! What about Gus?

Lorcan - LOVE it!

Oran - Love too. What about Oisin?

Quinn - depending on your surname could be great or could be awful.

Report
malymoo · 10/12/2013 17:22

I have a Malachy. We wanted an Irish name and thought of Flynn, but I'm sooooo glad we went decided on Malachy. I'd read it meant 'my angel' which I love. I was worried that it sounded like a 'naughty boys' name, but now it's just my little boys name and it suits him so well. I've never met another one!

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.