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Baby names

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Original poster

How would you pronounce Oisin?

66 replies

soapnuts · 10/09/2012 05:41

I know all the books say Ush-een (which I don't like - sounds like a girls name to me) but I've known a couple of people with the name who pronounce it Osh-in - which I love!

DH is Irish and pronounces it the first way but agrees with me that he loves it the second way. All our family is in Ireland (though they will pronounce it the way we tell them!) but we live abroad (in a very international community) and our son is likely to not be living in Ireland as well. DS1 also has an Irish name that is pronounced slightly differently than it is spelt (though much closer and it wasn't intentional!) and it's never been a problem.

So how would you pronounce it? If you wanted it to be Osh-in, how would you spell it? Or are we just storing up problems for ourselves and DS?? We're really struggling with other names we agree on!

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7to25 · 10/09/2012 07:55

The only problem with Oisin is that the een at the end will make people think it is a girls name.
This is the reason I have avoided it in my collection of 5 Irish boys names

newmum001 · 10/09/2012 07:55

I read it like hoisin too.

aufaniae · 10/09/2012 07:48

The Welsh and Scottish versions are spelt Osian and Ossian (respectively)
and are both pronounced Osh-an I think.

Beautiful name :)

It has some great stories attached to it too.

Maryz · 10/09/2012 07:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BustleInYourHedgerow · 10/09/2012 07:42

Ush-een here. The fada (accent on the i, can't do it on my phone) means the emphasis is on the i. I know Oisins from Dublin, the NorthWest and the South and had never heard it pronounced any other way.

FarelyKnuts · 10/09/2012 07:37

Its Uh sheen here in the west of Ireland but if you aren't in the country people will probably just pronounce it however you tell it

whatthewhatthebleep · 10/09/2012 07:36

thats how I saw the name...but I'm just someone thats never heard this name before...purely on spelling this is what jumped out for me....

whatthewhatthebleep · 10/09/2012 07:33

it's like hoisin sauce without the H isn't it?...that's what came to me...sorry

KenDoddsDadsDog · 10/09/2012 07:32

O-shin for my NI relatives. It was my name for DD had she been a boy. But the Kerry clan say Ush !

newby2 · 10/09/2012 07:30

I'm English and I would pronounce it Osh-een, defo not Ush-een. I would remember to put the accent over the last i. I think thats nice.

Flimflammery · 10/09/2012 06:52

I have Irish friends with son called Oisin. Originally I'm sure they told us it was 'ush' as in 'push' - een. But later they started pronouncing it 'ush' as in 'rush' -een. But not osh-in, sorry.

DolomitesDonkey · 10/09/2012 06:48

I would pronounce it O-sheen based upon knowing a Roisin and my basic knowledge of gaelic.

Original poster
soapnuts · 10/09/2012 05:56

oh yeah!! I was expecting everyone to say Ush-een. I think we're going to go with Osh-in (or Osh-un is fine too!) and I would prefer it spelt the traditional way. DS1 is spelt the gaelic way (though some suggest that is pronounced slightly differently too!!) and I've got a name that I have to spell and "teach" people how to pronounce (though it's pretty common!) so he won't be the only one anyhow.

..... now just got to work on a middle name!!

OP posts:
twolittlebundles · 10/09/2012 05:49

my friend called Oisin always pronounced it Osh-in, which I like. I would spell it the traditional way, myself, but I prefer traditional spellings.

Having said that, my DP has an un-pronounceable and un-spellable name (it is Welsh and he has never actually lived in Wales) which he has to spell out and explain to people every day of his life. Which is fine if you're outgoing and confident as a child, but a problem if you are prone to shyness!

trumpton · 10/09/2012 05:48

Osh-un here in the Isle of Man . Our friend in Wales has a DS with the same name also pronounced the same way . Somewhere between Osh-un and Osh-in anyway . Lovely name . Good Manx song called Hie Finn as Oisin . Might be on interweb by The Mollag Band if you can find it .

StuntNun · 10/09/2012 05:47

I think there are different pronounciations depending on which Irish accent you have. Certainly the similar girls' name Roisin can be pronounced Rosh-een, Row-sheen, etc. by different people. Oisin is a lovely name (I would say O-sheen with a very short O but I'm English so what do I know!)