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Baby names

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

Original poster

Celtic girls names

61 replies

threeleftfeet · 07/08/2012 01:51

bump is tiny, but thinking about names already!

She / he will be part Welsh, Scottish, Irish and English.

We like the more unusual names - to give you an idea, boys names we like include Inigo, Oisín and Taliesin.

I'm a bit stuck on girls names, I'd be grateful to hear any ideas!

TIA :)

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LaVolcan · 08/08/2012 12:21

Fo-eeb and Penny lope? Only easy because we have bothered to learn how to say them.

squoosh · 08/08/2012 12:19

I hear ya MaryHansack. I have a surname that has to be spelt out 10 times a day. On grumpy days it can get a bit wearing.

MaryHansack · 08/08/2012 12:15

could be annoying for the mum too having to hear people say...what? what?
Anger -ad?
I am purely speaking on a practical level.

MaryHansack · 08/08/2012 12:13

I am certainly not going to rule out names solely because some English people might have trouble with them!
I wasn't taking a political stance, I just meant that years of mispronounciation of this lovely name Angharad might be a total wind up for whoever was called it, if one were living in England.
Two of my sisters have lovely Celtic names but did suffer in school, not least from the teachers......

Phoebe and Penelope are easy to say.

LaVolcan · 08/08/2012 09:19

I agree aufaniae, as an English person who grew up in Wales. Were the English names of Janet, Susan etc. really 'better' than Carys or Bronwen?

The English do manage to get their tongues round Greek(?) names e.g. Phoebe, Penelope, so why can't they make the effort with Welsh?

I agree the ll can be tricky for many, like any sound which doesn't appear in English, unless you learn it as a child. But Aranwen - how on earth can that be seen as difficult?

Original poster
threeleftfeet · 08/08/2012 08:02

I am certainly not going to rule out names solely because some English people might have trouble with them!

It saddens me greatly that it's a consideration for so many when choosing names. Because if we only choose names which the English have no trouble with, then that's the death of Welsh / Scottish / Irish culture in action.

There were whole generations of Welsh children who had their mother tongue beaten out of them (literally) by the English, not so very long ago. See Welsh Not.

Why should I pander to the English now when choosing names?! I'd love to honour our Celtic heritage and that might mean choosing a name which the English have difficulties with.

The English have learnt to cope with Niamh, Sian and Siobhan. Why not Angharad, Aranwen and Gwenllian next?

DS1 has a beautiful pre-Christian Celtic name with a rich story attached to it. It's slightly difficult for English people to spell, but I'd much rather him have a name which reflects our heritage than go for Mark or Peter - nothing wrong with those names in themselves, just wholly inappropriate for my family.

Sorry for the rant, but it's something I feel strongly about!

OP posts:
MaryHansack · 08/08/2012 00:21

oh please do not be huffy, I just know how some English people can be with any name that is remotely 'tricky' to say. Grin @ 'the prang had'

hellymelly · 08/08/2012 00:13

Well if you can say "the prang had a disasterous effect on my car", which I would imagine any English person without speech problems can, then Angharad is not a problem.

MaryHansack · 08/08/2012 00:01

It's pronounced as it looks - Ang-ha-rad. - maybe that looks simple to a Welsh person, but the stressed middle syllable and soft gh could make it annoyingly mispronounced in England.
how about Aoife?

GnocchiNineDoors · 07/08/2012 23:57

Morag

Cerys

Original poster
threeleftfeet · 07/08/2012 23:53

Aarg! Bloody iPhone!

Unusual names not makes!!

OP posts:
Original poster
threeleftfeet · 07/08/2012 23:53

You think I should name a baby girl Mark or Peter?! Wink

I'm all for unusual makes, but that's a step too far, even for me! Grin

OP posts:
LineRunnerSpartanNaked · 07/08/2012 22:48

What about those lovely (biblical) Manx boys in Team GB?
Mark
&
Peter

rezzle · 07/08/2012 22:46

I too would say Ay-lee (think Hayley without the 'H').

trumpton · 07/08/2012 21:44

say dammit !

trumpton · 07/08/2012 21:44

We would ay Ay-lee.

mybootsaremuddy · 07/08/2012 20:38

rezzle Thunksheadontable how do you pronounce Eilidh? I think Ay-lee but dh thinks Ee-lee or Ee-li-th.
It looks realy pretty

YeahBuddy · 07/08/2012 20:31

Had they been girls, my twins were going to be called Caoimhe (pronounced Keeva) and Saoirse (pronounced Seersha). But no, I had to go and have two boys who messed up my gorgeous name plans Wink

Original poster
threeleftfeet · 07/08/2012 20:27

I absolutely love Sian but can't use it for family reasons.

OP posts:
Boggler · 07/08/2012 17:08

What about Ffion, Sian or Tegan. All good Celtic names.

Original poster
threeleftfeet · 07/08/2012 14:37

Grin TéàmGB

OP posts:
rezzle · 07/08/2012 14:22

This website is good, some of the names are a bit dubious though!

Original poster
threeleftfeet · 07/08/2012 14:11

I did used to really like Cerys / Carys but getting a bit popular now.

I like Sioned and Aoife best so far I think.

I'd love to hear some more Welsh and Scottish names though.

OP posts:
LaVolcan · 07/08/2012 12:10

Unpronouncable - no, Gwenllian and Llinos are pronounced exactly as they are spelt!!

Naff? Matter of opinion, but no worse than the Tilly, Milly, Evies which are around just now.

How abour Carys or Dilys?

thunksheadontable · 07/08/2012 11:43

Aoife
Aoibhinn (Eve-een)
Aoibh - Eve
Siúin (Shoon, or more really Shooin)
Ériú Ay-roo (but this means Ireland so might seem weird to you if you're not Irish)
Sadhbh - Sive
Muireann - Mwirren
Róisín - Row-sheen
Fia - fee-a (means deer)
Aisling - Ash - ling (means dream or vision)
Iona
Eilidh
Sorcha - Sur-a-ka in Ireland, Sorsha in Scotland (I think)
Anwen
Bronwen