Saoirse...

D4 = Dublin 4 postcode = upper middle class

Was just thinking of Song of the Sea! It's the most beautiful film. I seriously thought about it for DD2 for that very reason.

I'm Irish and don't think of it as having political connotations at all. I also have a very unusually spelled name (even to Irish eyes) but most people get it once I pronounce it- in UK and at home. Yeah it's a bit of hassle but I love having a name with heritage and meaning.

Plus the Saoirse in Song of the Sea is such a gorgeous gorgeous namesake! Do it!

I wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce or spell it. I have a foreign name and do get bored spelling it. It isn't cruel just annoying, because people in other countries (not just UK) don't know how to pronounce it. On the other hand you don't have problems being distinctive. I think it might depend on how easy your surname is. If it is also unusual or hard to spell or pronounce two names like that might make life quite hard. otherwise it just depends how distinctive you want to be.

I love it. We are in Scotland and it is my friends daughters name and it suits her. I always need to double check I have spelt it correctly though!

Oh just checked and she's a Sorcha.

I used to love the name Honor but I just couldn't do it as it's the name of Ross' daughter!

What is D4?

Yeah to me it's more D4 than political. Isn't Ross O'Carroll Kelly's girlfriend called Saoirse?

I'm Irish and I don't like it. Reminds me of Sasha, can't really say why I dislike it,I think too many 's' sounds.

I say Sare-sha, like Sarah but with sha at the end.

There's also the whole D4 Saoirse on the dorshe connotation.

When someone first told me how to pronounce Saoirse they told me it was pronounced Sorsha (which I loved). When I found out how it's actually pronounced (Seersha), I wasn't as keen. I think for the name I like I would go for the spelling Sorsha. If you like the pronunciation as it's supposed to be said then go for it.

My Irish cousins living in England have called their daughter sorcha which is a bit of a compromise.

no it is not :) It is a completely separate name-meaning light or brightness. Pronounced Sor-ka or Sor-a-ka depending on where you are from in Ireland. It is a brilliant name - my "one that got away".

The pronunciations of Saoirse vary in Ireland depending on where you live. It is a relatively new name in Ireland- it means Freedom and wasn't a traditional name for either men or women but it does sound/look very like Seoirse (roughly pronounced shor-sha) which is a male irish name (translates usually as George).

I presume you or your dh or both are Irish, OP. I'd use what you want. it might be easier for your dd because of Saoirse Ronan.

I really like it . Would assume you were quite a staunch nationalist but doubt you would get that so much in England.

Meeep - I have been concentrating on how to say it for over a year - I would never have come up with ser-sha!

Most non english names are fairly easy to read phonetically because the letters have the same sounds but the Irish names are pretty difficult for us english as we don't have a clue about the letter sounds

i love it! it sounds romantic and old fashioned.

I think English people are more likely to pronounce Sorcha wrong, because it looks easy! At least with Saoirse people will concentrate I reckon.

It's a pretty name when said but really ugly written down.

Sare-sha lovely, looks like Sair-arse written down.

Am only familiar with the name via Saoirse Ronan, and she's awesome, so that wouldn't put me off... But do you or dh have any Irish ancestry?

It's pronounced Ser-sha.

I love it! It was on our list. We're Scottish with Irish family connections, though.

I tried it out on English people in work and no-one knew how to say it. But if you tell people they'll get the hang of it, so I think if you love it, go for it. And Saoirse Ronan has helped a bit, I think!

I do know a baby Saoirse and it really suits her.

I like it and I don't think it's that hard to spell. :)

I like Saoirse (but I'm Irish). I don't think it would be that difficult to pronounce. Maybe she would have to repeat it a few times the first time she introduced herself, but if you don't mind that then I would go for it.

I actually prefer Sorcha though, which is more straightforward to pronounce in England maybe?

It's pronounced Sare-sha or Seer-sha, depending on dialect or region.

I agree with villainous that some people in Ireland see it as having political connotations.

Pretty name, though.

My Irish cousins living in England have called their daughter sorcha which is a bit of a compromise.

Sorsha? I rather like it. It's a real name, at least..

I wouldn't have a clue how to say it. Which is what a lot of people's reaction would be.

Is it Sah-Orse?

I have to speak to the parents of a Saoirse quite regularly (due to my job) I have no idea how to say it and on the phone I always refer to the little girl as "your daughter"

I had hoped that the parent would say the little girls name but so far they haven't.