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Baby names

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

Irish girls' names - inspiration needed!

90 replies

FlipFantasia · 21/04/2014 15:40

So I'm pregnant with DC3 and looking for ideas if it turns out to be DD2!

I'm Irish, DH is American and we live in the US.

We have a Maeve.

The following are taken:
Liadan (love this)
Orla
Aoibhinn
Sadbh
Niamh
Ciara
Aisling
Aoife

Don't like the following:
Sinead
Grainne
Siobhan
Saoirse (I like the sound but it's too politically loaded for me)
Clodagh
Caoimhe (I like this but DH hates it as it sounds like a rude slang word to him, annoyingly...)
Anything Irish-Americany like Shannon or Colleen (urgh!) or Shauna or Kelly or Kerry or Caitlyn.

I really like Siomha but DH has ruled it out (half the in-laws are Jewish and the pronunciation reminds him of sitting shiva).

I really like Cliona but didn't use it on DD as we lived in the UK and English people pronounced it like cleaner. Dh isn't so gone on it, but it's back on the list.

Also like Eimear (if DS had been a girl he'd have been an Eimear but I went off it when pregnant with DD for some forgotten reason).

I'm liking Una a lot (fada over U - can't do fadas on my phone) but worried it sounds like One in a country where so many speak Spanish (though I know an adult Nada here and sounding like the Spanish for nothing has never bothered her!).

Am also liking Bridget and Nora (thinking Hanora shortened to Nora - it is an old family name that has almost died out).

So Irish MNetters, give me some help!

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squoosh · 06/05/2014 18:03

Awww Féile in Thurles, happy days!

twinjocks · 06/05/2014 18:01

Twinjocks feile will always remind me of the music festival back in the 90s - have some very fun drunken dodgy teen memories of those festivals. Lovely word but couldn't name my daughter that!

Fair point, Flip, how could I have forgotten about them!!

Annarose2014 · 04/05/2014 22:24

I once knew a couple who named their child Laoise. When asked why they picked it: "Cos we're both from Laois, of course!"

Oh of COURSE! Confused

kyla123 · 04/05/2014 19:29

Éire
Éirinn
Róise (ro sha)
Riadh (ria)
Fiadh (fia)
Ceola
Laoise (lee sha)

mathanxiety · 04/05/2014 06:30

How about Rathnait/ Ranait/ Ronit?
Ronit (which is how they're all pronounced) is a Hebrew name meaning 'song' and Rathnait/Ranait means 'prosperity' as far as the meaning of really olde Irishe names can be figured out

FlipFantasia · 04/05/2014 02:07

Squoosh you're right about lee! I guess Laoi is nicer...still no Anna Livia Wink

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squoosh · 04/05/2014 01:21

Oh I love Anna Livia, Liv for short.

Lee doesn't have quite the same ring to it! Poor old Cork Wink

FlipFantasia · 04/05/2014 01:11

Anna Livia is gorgeous! But am too much of a Corkonian to ever use it Grin

Court Faince is gorgeous! Thanks!

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Annarose2014 · 04/05/2014 00:39

How about Anna Livia? After the Liffey? It'd be easy for the Americans, and everyone in Ireland would understand the Dublin origins.

And its long enough that people probably won't bang on about the floozie in the jacuzzi that much....Wink

courtwood · 03/05/2014 19:48

Doireann..pronounced deran
Faince...pronounced fawn sha
Daimhnait pronounced dev net
Dearbhall/Dervill..same name different spellings
Caoilfhinn/Keelin..same name irish spelling more like kweelynn

mathanxiety · 03/05/2014 17:28

And I knew a Libhín ages ago in Irish college (not short for anything) as well as a Giollaíosa, normally a boy's name but that time for a girl.

mathanxiety · 03/05/2014 17:26

Éinín -- charming and unusual. There is one girl in my niece's school in Dublin with this name, which I hadn't seen before.

CaptainSinker · 03/05/2014 16:24

Love Nora.

Also like Brid though the person I know with this name is not keen.
Aine is nice too. I know a girl whose name is pronounced Kwee-lan. Don't know the spelling but think it is a lovely name. Saorla is not too similar to Orla, I think, as the pronunciation is different enough.

FlipFantasia · 03/05/2014 11:53

@squoosh good sleuthing Grin

Tara is off the list I'm afraid - to me it's an Irish American name (I have one Scottish friend called that - parents were Gone With The Wind fans - and four Irish-American friends/cousins called that, two with Colleen as a middle name for full Oirish effect).

I really like Nuala but off the list as we have a fionnula in the family already. Also already have a Finola (love Nola). And a Fiona (which DH loves). This is downside of a large family of siblings, first cousins and nieces/nephews!

@mathanxiety thanks for that. The sound is different enough but the spelling may be a thing. Such a lovely name though! Also liking Sorcha.

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Tangoandcreditcards · 03/05/2014 08:17

I was going to suggest Nuala, but someone already did. Seconding. Grin

janie2 · 03/05/2014 08:10

Tara

squoosh · 03/05/2014 02:07

Re. the child named after the 'famous' Irish river Ryland, google tells me their is a river called Reelan which is a tributary to the Finn River in Donegal. Maybe this is the inspiration.

Not exactly a Shannon or a Liffey! Probably not even a Poddle.

squoosh · 03/05/2014 02:00

I like Siún (pr. SHOO-un)

Short and pretty, I do like a short name!

thegambler · 03/05/2014 00:53

No love for Tara then ?

mathanxiety · 03/05/2014 00:51

Saorla is gorgeous. I wouldn't worry about the spelling incorporating -orla because the vowel sounds are not the same at all. Beibhinn and Aoibhinn are much more similar otoh.

FlipFantasia · 02/05/2014 23:54

Twinjocks feile will always remind me of the music festival back in the 90s - have some very fun drunken dodgy teen memories of those festivals. Lovely word but couldn't name my daughter that!

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twinjocks · 02/05/2014 23:53

Yup, just checked - it does have a fada on the first e. Féile

twinjocks · 02/05/2014 23:51

I can only think of one name to add to the extensive lists above and that's my friend's little daughter, Feile (pronounced Fay-la, not sure if she's got a fada over the e or not) - such a pretty name, and it means "party or festival".

FlipFantasia · 02/05/2014 21:44

Dustarr Finbarr is our boy choice! Love that name...love Fionn too but really love Finbarr.

What do people think of Saorla (pronounced like Searla)? Do you think it's too close to Orla in spelling? Orla is my niece's name, so off the list, and I'd worry about choosing one too close in sound/spelling (same reason Beibhinn is off the list - too close to Aoibhinn).

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dustarr73 · 02/05/2014 19:51

Finbarr or Fionn for a boy.
I love Suin for a girl really pretty and Niamh and Siobhan are very well known.But Orlaith is a beautiful name.

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