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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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Original poster
PallasCat · 23/10/2015 15:12

Damn! But grudging thanks, Stina. We're in England but have a more than passing long-term dream of running away to the Highlands. Darling little Fart, I suspect, would not thank us.

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

Thanks folks!

Bran = Raven yup, it's when I saw this as the derivation for how Bram meant raven that I started thinking I needed to dig deeper and switched from name databases to dictionaries!

As I said, we're Stoker fans, I know he was really an Abraham, but Bram is an established, stand-alone name in the Netherlands, where I have roots. (Derived from Abraham, but given as a name in its own right: I believe it's about 16th in the boys' chart there.)

Any further intel on the Bram = fart connection?

OP posts:
stinanordenstram · 23/10/2015 15:03

Braim or breim is Scots Gaelic for fart.

Bram is an alternative spelling.

So yep probably best avoided!

florascotianew · 23/10/2015 15:03

Bran = Raven (not Bram, which was popularised by Bram (Abraham) Stoker, author of Dracula)

Bran the Blessed is the hero of Welsh legends preserved in collection of stories known as The Mabinogion
www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/society/myths_mabinogion_02.shtml

Highly-praised translation of The Mabinogion by Sioned Davies publ. Oxford University Press 2007 (World's Classics Series)

MyFavouriteClintonisGeorge · 23/10/2015 14:59

It is Bran that means raven, not Bram. The pronunciation is a long 'a' as in bra, i.e. 'Brahn'. Apparently it is Welsh in origin.

I've only ever heard of Bram as a nn for Abraham.

TyrionLannistersShadow · 23/10/2015 14:56

I speak some Irish and there's no such word as Bram in Irish (modern irish anyway ). Raven in Irish is fiach dubh (fee-oc duv). Scots gaelic is different though so I know nothing about that