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Baby names

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

Original poster

Does anyone speak Gaelic?

33 replies

waitingforbedtime · 14/07/2010 19:13

There are a few scottish gaelic names which I would love to know how to know how to pronounce.

TIA

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foreverastudent · 19/07/2010 21:41

ciorstaidh
seonag
raghnaid
ceit
ceiteag
iseabal
sine
peigi

Original poster
waitingforbedtime · 19/07/2010 17:50

I really dont suppose my child will think much of it, they wont have known any different and I can imagine the likelihood is they'll live in scotland at least until they're 18 or so.

OP posts:
ThatDamnDog · 19/07/2010 17:48

I have a name which is now quite familiar to most people around here but was unusual when i was younger. I spend most of my life spelling it out to people, being called various things which are poor attempts at pronouncing it and politely tolerating people who when introduced to me assume it is actually an entirely different name and that they know how to pronounce it better than I do.

I don't hate my parents

seeker · 19/07/2010 17:30

Are you sure your child will thank you for a name that very few people will be able to pronounce or spell? Particularly bearing in mind that she may not spend the rest of her life in Scotland?

Carrie06 · 19/07/2010 17:24

I don't think you need to live in a gaelic speaking area to have a gaelic name. In Ireland, there are only a few gaelic speaking areas but a lot of people have gaelic names that one wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce unless you knew the basics of Irish/gaelic.

However, although I grew up in N.Ireland, I now live in London and my son is called Aidan spelled the "english" way, not Aodhan (gaelic variation) because we didn't want him to grow up with everyone not knowing how to pronounce his name just for the sake of having a Gaelic spelling. I think the situation is different if you live in Scotland/Ireland (gaelic speaking area or not) where most people have a better idea on how to pronounce the local names.

Original poster
waitingforbedtime · 19/07/2010 09:30

I dont live in a gaelic speaking area, no. We do live in Scotland though.

Ds has a Scottish (not gaelic) name, most people pronounced that wrong at first, I dont care. The main thing is that we pronounce it right iyswim?

Will have a look at that list, thanks.

OP posts:
KristinaM · 19/07/2010 08:40

here's a list of babies first names given in Scotland in 2009 from the Registrar General

You can also download lists by region, although the numbers for Eilean Siar are quite small

KristinaM · 19/07/2010 08:33

unless you live in a Gaelic speaking area ( which i guess you don't) , then you will need to accept that most people will not pronounce your child's name correctly. Unless its a well known name such a Mhairi or Eilidh

Why not go for a Scottish name instead? ie an English [language] name commonly used in Scotland as opposed to a Gaelic name

earlyriser · 19/07/2010 08:27

How about Morven? Easy to pronounce and spell.

Original poster
waitingforbedtime · 19/07/2010 08:20

thanks guys.

OP posts:
providentielle · 19/07/2010 00:51

I'm not good at spelling things phonetically but Ealasaid is pronounced El-uh-sedh, with a kind of soft rather than hard ending.

How about Erin?

Carrie06 · 19/07/2010 00:37

Saoirse is pronounced sear-sha - Irish for freedom....bit of a political name in n.i. anyway

Trying to remember the names of girls I went to school with..

Maeve/Meadbh
Caoimhe -keeva
Bronagh - bro-na
Maire - this is my aunt's name and is pronounced Moira
Grainne-grawn-ya
Mairead - is pronounced mar-ade

Too late to think of any more

CaptainNancy · 19/07/2010 00:34

Fiona and Florence are easy for people to pronounce.

WhereYouLeftIt · 19/07/2010 00:27

What about Mhairi - pronounced Va-ray?

at Senga being a "colloquial term for a certain kind of girl in parts of Scotland." Senga is indeed just Agnes backwards, but in my part of Scotland, it was for the kind of girl who found Agnes a little too old-fashioned for the 1950's. Fell out of fashion pretty quickly I believe.

I always liked :
Kirsten/Kirsty
Moira (Moy-ra)
Aileen (Ay-leen) - I think Aisleen may be pronounced that way too
Fiona
Shona
Isobel
Janet
Jeanette

These may not be specifically Scottish names, but they were all popular when I was little, lots of schoolfriends had these names.

CoraBear · 18/07/2010 21:39

Cailin is not a girl's name. It means girl. Thats like calling your son Boy.

ThatDamnDog · 18/07/2010 11:55

WFT you're in the same boat as me.

DP vetoing everything I like. The names he likes are almost all definite no from me.

Hoping like hell it'll be a boy!

PlumBumMum · 18/07/2010 11:26

actually c-ear-sha that should be

PlumBumMum · 18/07/2010 11:24

zenoushka Saoirse is pronounced sear-sha

Original poster
waitingforbedtime · 18/07/2010 11:21

Thanks guys. Its only girl's names we need, should have said.

Have already vetoed most of the names mentioned, or rather dh has!

Getting bit stressed as am over 32 weeks now.

Really like Elspeth but have realised it doesnt go with our surname.

It doesnt have ot be gaelic, just Scottish really, maybe even Irish.

OP posts:
ThatDamnDog · 17/07/2010 20:06

Senga's not Gaelic, i don't think. AFAIK it's just Agnes backwards. And, more importantly, a colloquial term for a certain kind of girl in parts of Scotland.

foreverastudent · 17/07/2010 20:05

Blair
Caristiona
Cailin
Dara
Donalda
Fiona
Malise
Malvina
Morag
Morven
Muriel
Rossa
Rian e
Senga
Sheena
Shona

Adair
Alan
Angus
Argyll
Atholl
Baird
Boyd
Brae
Cailean
Craig
Da lziel
Diarmid
Douglas
Eideard
Ellar
Euan/Ewan
Forbes
Guthrie
Lauchlan/Laughlin/Loughlin
Len nox
Malcolm
Mungo
Murdoch
Sholto
Strahan
Tavish

meala · 17/07/2010 19:43

Last few I can think of are Marsali and Maire (pronounced Moya)

Nyx · 17/07/2010 17:50

Mai-th-ard is how my mum pronounces Mairead (Western Isles)

Original poster
waitingforbedtime · 17/07/2010 17:29

Thanks meala.

Any other gaelic name suggestions anyone???

We are really struggling!

Mairead - Im not keen on that pronunciation, same with Ealasaid.

OP posts:
foreverastudent · 17/07/2010 17:24

I've heard it pronounced 'Sorsha' but don't know if that's correct.

And I knew a Rhuairidh who pronounced it 'Rory'