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Original poster

Bram: Gaelic speakers please advise - what does it REALLY mean?

31 replies

PallasCat · 23/10/2015 14:48

I like Bram, so does DH. It's not top of our list for a boy, but lead contender for middle name, or was until a few minutes ago...

Here's the thing: several baby name websites (MN included) give raven as a meaning for Bram, usually attributing it to Gaelic (Lovely! We like ravens). I wanted to test this with a Gaelic dictionary, and have tried a few online (Scots and Irish). None have given me raven. Some gave me nothing. Two have given me fart.

Does Bram mean fart in Gaelic?

If so, I think it's off our list.

We're definitely talking Bram: Abraham is not on our list. Bram is an established and popular Dutch name, and I have (now somewhat distant) Dutch heritage, if that matters to anyone. We both, but especially DH, are Bram Stoker fans. But I don't think I want to call my child fart.

On the other hand, can anyone give me a credible source that it actually does mean raven? I'm reluctant to trust name websites alone.

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villainousbroodmare · 28/10/2015 14:55

The average Irish dog is Daisy or Harry, like a MN child. Grin

hebihebi · 28/10/2015 14:54

I don't know but the average MN dog is called Dave apparently.

MitzyLeFrouf · 28/10/2015 13:27

What's the average Irish dog called these days?

villainousbroodmare · 28/10/2015 13:08

I suppose it's because it was the name of one of Fionn MacCumhaill's legendary wolfhounds (the other being Sceolán) that it has that connection in people's minds, then was used for the dog in those lift-the-flap books.
(I'm an Irish vet and have never met a dog called Bran. Nor indeed a Fido or Rover. The days of roving dogs are over. Smile)
I still love it.

MitzyLeFrouf · 28/10/2015 12:59

I do like Bram though.

MitzyLeFrouf · 28/10/2015 12:59

Bran is the equivalent of Spot/Fido/Rover, etc. in children's textbooks in Irish.

Yes I can't get past the dog connection. I'm picturing the Ann and Barry readers right now!

villainousbroodmare · 28/10/2015 08:23

I think Bran is lovely. Not common, with a lovely warm feel to it, no difficulty in spelling or pronunciation.
It seems to me like the name of a person who would be good-humoured and kind.

hebihebi · 28/10/2015 04:25

Bran is a character from Game of Thrones so you might get a lot of people asking about that. Unless you are planning on living in the Outer Hebrides then I think Bram is a great name. I'm also a fan of Bram Stoker.

mathanxiety · 28/10/2015 04:20

Broc is badger in Irish. Pronounced Bruck.

Alisvolatpropiis · 27/10/2015 15:43

Bran is Welsh.

Bram can be short for Bramwell, which is also Welsh, incidentally.

Blueturquoise · 27/10/2015 04:08

If you re looking for a Celtic name Braoc (I think meaning badger) one I have heard recently that sounds slightly similar to Bram,

mathanxiety · 27/10/2015 04:02

Bran is the equivalent of Spot/Fido/Rover, etc. in children's textbooks in Irish.

Original poster
PallasCat · 26/10/2015 17:45

Maybe Bardolino, but since we have a few other options that we're equally happy with now, including Bran, there's no great motivation for sticking with Bram. We had a few options already, so it's more a case of Bram having been knocked off the top spot because of the meaning... we're already down to another three favourite mn candidates. Smile

OP posts:
Bardolino · 26/10/2015 17:24

Don't want to be too cynical, but not that many folk actually speak Gaelic in the Highlands, so don't assume everyone will know what it means! As you say, Bram is a recognised name from an area you personally have connections with and you have the Bram Stoker reference, which I would suspect would be more recognisable than the Gaelic meaning. Plus, if it's a middle name, how often will it actually be used?

Original poster
PallasCat · 26/10/2015 17:08

Thank you Remus!

That's true Chrome, but DH and I have the long-term aim of moving to the Highlands, where it is spoken. No doubt thousands of names mean something embarrassing in some language somewhere, but since we're hoping one day to live in the one place people will know this one means fart, it just seems a bad idea!

Thank you everyone for your input, Bran is now on our mn shortlist, with a few others... 6 months to go (and it may not be a boy anyway) but I'm glad I checked this before DH and I set our hearts on Bram!

OP posts:
chrome100 · 26/10/2015 15:06

I know a Bram but he's Belgian.

I really wouldn't worry what a word means in Gaelic. It's not exactly a massively spoken global language.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 25/10/2015 13:08

No idea what it means, but it's a brilliant name.

MaisieDotes · 24/10/2015 14:36

I'm Irish and speak some Irish and never heard of the word "Bram".

Bran is the name of Spot the Dog in the Irish versions of the Spot books

myotherusernameisbetter · 24/10/2015 11:02

I blame Explorers :) I have to pick up at half 9 on a Friday night so no longer get to have a wee unwinding "welcome to the weekend" wine with dinner on a Friday.

florascotianew · 24/10/2015 10:53

Smile in return, MyOther. Thank you! I was worried that I'd been too blunt and was blaming Friday night tiredness, as well!!

myotherusernameisbetter · 23/10/2015 20:48

Doh! so it was flora - i never thought that through - i blame Friday night tiredness :)

florascotianew · 23/10/2015 20:40

Brahan is really a place name/the name of a castle, not a personal name.

The seer's name -if he existed (and it is doubted, though possible) - was Kenneth MacKenzie/Coinneach Odhar.
This thesis explores the creation of the legend: digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU206015
So does this BBc site: www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/scotland/western/article_3.shtml

myotherusernameisbetter · 23/10/2015 20:07

There is also Brahan in SCotland as in the Brahan Seer:

www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-Brahan-Seer-the-Scottish-Nostradamus/

Original poster
PallasCat · 23/10/2015 15:40

Ace references - thank you Flora I shall check them out.

This'll teach us for smugly thinking last night we had a boy's name totally sorted!

OP posts:
florascotianew · 23/10/2015 15:35

This might also be of interest -it has good references. It's about a different Bran (from Ireland)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voyage_of_Bran

You might also like to look at Miranda J Green Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend Thames and Hudson 1997

Am not an expert, but SFAIK modern Scottish Gaelic for raven is fitheach (I hope I have the spelling correct).