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Baby names

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

Original poster

Neasa, Cara or Emer?

32 replies

working9while5 · 12/02/2012 11:29

Interested in opinions for these names to go with Brendan. Don't know if having a girl or a boy yet!

Neasa - pronounced nassa or NASA
Cara - as it looks
Emer - pretty much as it looks: Ee-mer

We are also thinking of Orla and Sive and have an O'Something name.

Thanks!

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pinkladyslipper · 14/02/2012 08:26

Cara is lovely. I think Neasa could be pronounced Nessa by people reading her name, have come across that issue before!

mathanxiety · 14/02/2012 05:29

I love Neasa and Sadhbh.

I think Cara sounds quite American. In Irish it would be pronounced Corra (meaning 'friend') but when used as a name it is usually Cah-ra, and sounds unIrish, more Italian or Italian-American. (Irene Cara, Rafaella Carra)

Beibhinn is lovely and you wouldn't have that problem with the R inserted before the O' surname.

Other names ending in consonants:
Maebh (or Maeve)
Niamh
Liadán
Caoilfhionn
Aoibninn
Eilís
Róisín
Doireann
Éinín (modern name; means 'little bird')
Muireann
Mairéad
Sibéal

Ailbhe and Siofra might work too even though they end in a vowel sound. (I think. Maybe I'm too optimistic).

TheParanoidAndroid · 14/02/2012 00:51

I don't think of Cara as a name, I think of the Aer Lingus magazine, or the craft shop, or even the nanny agency!

Have to agree with happy on the vowel run, with an O' name I'd be picking something with a consonant at the end.

BlueChampagne · 13/02/2012 16:13

Cara or Ciara

PopcornBiscuit · 13/02/2012 12:27

Cara

HardCheese · 13/02/2012 11:56

OP, I woluldn't associate Cara with Irish Americans at all. That for me is reserved for Erin and Shannon (which say 'Soup Brand' and 'Industrial Estate and Airport' to me), and the eternal Caitlin pronounced Kate-Lynne. And don't even get me started on the American cousins who anglicised a mispronounced version of my Irish-language first name and gave it to their daughter...

Happyasapiginshite · 13/02/2012 11:20

I have a name that ends with 'a' and an O'Surname and I hate the run of vowels. You have to stop after the first name before saying the surname or it sounds garbled. I'd stay away from a vowel surname so on that basis would choose Emer from your list.

midlandsnightnannybabysitter · 12/02/2012 23:37

Shona (or Irish spelling if there's another way to spell?)

PercyFilth · 12/02/2012 21:52

I always used to think Emer was a variant spelling of Emma Blush

Original poster
working9while5 · 12/02/2012 21:50

I know! But it is used a lot by Americans.

OP posts:
AJH01 · 12/02/2012 21:30

Cara means "friend" in Irish

Dee03 · 12/02/2012 21:15

I like Cara...but what about Carli Smile

Original poster
working9while5 · 12/02/2012 20:54

Where are you from SoupDragon? People in Lancashire and Cornwall as well as parts of Scotland pronounce 'r's too. Technically it's not so much "oh" as "o-eh" but English accents in general are non-rhotic e.g. there is no pronounced "r" word-medially or word-finally.

Cara is proving popular with most people I ask, but I do worry it sounds a bit "American". I don't think I've really found a name I love yet.

OP posts:
cashmere · 12/02/2012 15:44

Cara is lovely. Shaunna?

Mumfun · 12/02/2012 13:36

I love all the ara names -Cara, Tara, Lara

Also like Orla

Dont like Sive.

Think Emer is fine but agree it would cause trouble with spelling, pronunciation

SoupDragon · 12/02/2012 12:57

I would never pronounce Orla Ohla Confused

SoupDragon · 12/02/2012 12:54

Orla or Cara

Original poster
working9while5 · 12/02/2012 12:51

Verity it's almost unavoidable though... Aisling would be one that it isn't but then no one can read that. Grrr. I hate girls names to be honest with you. More "English" ones I like have been used up by family - Sarah, Catherine, Rose, Anna. Like Maggie too but live oop North so not in Thatcher's lifetime.... I know what you mean about Nyasa but don't think anyone here would do that.. We used to have a teacher at school would would say Siwawn for Siobhan, can be a pain with Irishy names.

Watching, that's shocking! Yikes. It seems so.. phonetic to me!

OP posts:
Ample · 12/02/2012 12:51

Cara or Orla.
Both are simple and sweet.

I wouldn't overcomplicate the spelling of a name. It will come back to bite you and your dc in later life.

kilmuir · 12/02/2012 12:49

None, at a push Cara

WatchingTheClock · 12/02/2012 12:46

They did I promise. They pronounced it as 'Amir' 'Eem-Eer' and Emer,like Elmer sans the L,anything but Eem-er. It drove her crazy.

HardCheese · 12/02/2012 12:08

Those are all lovely, OP. My favourite is Sadhbh, which would have been one of our top choices if our baby to be had been going to be a girl. I agree with you about 'Orla' being mispronounced due to English habit of dropping r sounds, and I could see myself not choosing it for that reason, unless you like the sound of 'O-la'.

I honestly fail to see how anyone could conceivably mispronounce 'Emer' spelled that way, though....

AnEcumenicalMatter · 12/02/2012 12:01

Cara would be my choice too.

WatchingTheClock · 12/02/2012 11:58

Cara is beautiful.That'd be my choice.

WatchingTheClock · 12/02/2012 11:58

I wouldn't go with Emer if you're in England. I have a friend named Emer and almost noone seems to be able to say her name,no matter how often they hear it.