Irish Boys Names - Donnacha or Conor

28 replies

SquealyB · 18/12/2012 15:39

DH and I are expecting DC1 in January. We don't know whether we are expecting a DS or a DD.

We have a girl's name we love but we are struggling a bit with our potential boy's name.

I am Irish but live in London, DH is English and we are keen to reflect our baby's Irish heritage. DH loves the name Conor but I am concered it is a little over used. We both like Donnacha (pr - Don aka) but I am concerned this might be a bit too unusual and am not sure what people will make of it in London.

Any thoughts??

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shoobidoo · 18/12/2012 16:04

I'm not keen on Conor/Connor, sorry.

Donnacha sounds lovely, is an interesting name, has cultural meaning for you and can be shortened to Don. Great choice, imo.

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SquealyB · 18/12/2012 16:01

Thanks LondonElf.

I agree London is more forgiving to the unusually named (I also have an uncommon Irish name).

Conor is definitely less common in the UK than in Ireland (top 5 names for the last few years). Just keen to avoid our DC being one of 5 kids with the same name in his year group.

We like Donnacha as can be shorted to Don (which just makes me think of the incredibly cool Don Draper from Mad Men!).

We also liked Lorcan and Rory. I love Tadhg by DH vetoed sigh.

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LondonElfInFestiveCheerBoots · 18/12/2012 15:53

It will work better in London than elsewhere - I have a reasonably uncommon Irish name in London and you just have to tell people how to spell and pronounce it, people are used to names they are not used to iyswim. Conor is more common but is still a lovely name, and there aren't that many around. Donnacha is gorgeous but he will have to spell it out, and will probably get a few 'Duncan??s.

What about Finbar, Declan, Sean, Diarmuid, Conrad, Tadhg, Lorcan, Aiden, Killian or Rory? Easier to spell than Donnacha but less common than Conor?

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