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Baby names

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

Original poster

In Scotland Wales and Ireland (UK bit)

287 replies

JazzAnnNonMouse · 10/09/2016 07:55

Is it more common to have a very scottish Welsh Irish name or a more English easily pronouncible one in a say a class of kids?
Does this depend on areas eg close to borders are more anglicised? Or just those with english connections (family possible moves etc)
There are so many names that are so beautiful that I'd never heard of before reading them on here but theyre almost never pronounced how I expected Grin

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JemimaMuddledUp · 10/09/2016 15:09

One Carys should have said Cerys but was autocorrected

JemimaMuddledUp · 10/09/2016 15:08

Back to the original question - we live in West Wales and speak Welsh as a first language. My DC are educated in Welsh medium schools. The majority of their friends have Welsh names, as do they.

Names common amongst their friends include:
Rhys
Aled
Iestyn
Steffan
Owain
Tomos
Llyr
Sion
Ifan
Ioan
Gruff
Rhodri
Carys
Carys
Catrin
Tirion
Mari
Gwenno
Elin
Fflur
Haf
Seren
Sian
Lleucu
Elan

SamBob · 10/09/2016 14:55

Maud, what you've said about the name simply isn't true, I hate that it is constantly stated on here as fact. The constitution states that the name of the state, in English, is Ireland. That's it, nothing more, nothing less.
While the Republic of Ireland is a description of the state it is not the name.

Eigg · 10/09/2016 14:44

Maud every day is a school day on MN. Smile

SteviebunsBottrittrundle · 10/09/2016 14:40

X post francis!

MaudGonneMad · 10/09/2016 14:36

Ah don't worry Eigg Smile

Irish people never use Éire in my experience. I always associate it with a 1940s BBC newsreader-style voice.

SteviebunsBottrittrundle · 10/09/2016 14:35

I'm from NI and I would call the island of Ireland "Ireland" in passing conversation. I consider myself Irish first, not "Northern Irish" or an Ulsterwoman or British (though I am all of those things). I would be a bit upset if someone told me I wasn't allowed to identify as "Irish" because I am from NI and not ROI.

I think spindel has hit the nail on the head when they said it is a complex political / sociological question. Some people in NI still refer to NI as "occupied Eire" or "the North of Ireland".

Eigg · 10/09/2016 14:31

Maud I apologise.

FrancisCrawford · 10/09/2016 14:29

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FrancisCrawford · 10/09/2016 14:25

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MaudGonneMad · 10/09/2016 14:23

Presumably you also know that Eire is a very outdated term and almost guaranteed to raise hackles...

Eigg · 10/09/2016 14:21

Apologies autocorrect has gone mad on that last post "S Irish" was meant to be "Scottish"

I know the difference between Eire and Northern Ireland

Eigg · 10/09/2016 14:19

I'm a little confused about your idea that there are parts of Scotland that are "Anglicised" or subject to "English influence through families".

I would suggest that you start visiting different parts of the U.K. In your next holidays because you seem to have e done very odd ideas.

There are all sorts of names in my children's school. From all over the world.

A large number of the names you no doubt consider "English" are biblical names so have been used all over the world for a long time. So for example;

Elizabeth
Sarah
Ruth
Hannah
John
Matthew
Andrew
James
John
Thomas
Daniel etc etc

People in Scotland might also use some Gaelic versions of these names eg

Ian for John
Hamish for James
Elspeth for Elizabeth

But John, James and Elizabeth have also be standard names in Scotland for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Not all of Scotland was ever Garlic speaking btw large parts of the country spoke Scots instead.

Yes there are lots of S Irish names you might not know how to pronounce, but I'm sure there are also French names you don't know how to pronounce. Spend a bit of time in the country concerned and you'll learn.

Spindelina · 10/09/2016 14:13

I've heard it called 'the island of Ireland' quite a lot, and wondered if that was the correct term rather than just a bit of clarification to avoid confusion with 'Ireland' in the sense of ROI.

I'm guessing that which one you think of when you hear the word 'Ireland' is a complex political / sociological question.

Spindelina · 10/09/2016 14:06

Just checking! Thanks.

MaudGonneMad · 10/09/2016 14:03

Yeah the OP is technically correct.

The island of Ireland is partitioned into the Republic of Ireland (a sovereign independent state) and Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom).

In practise many people use 'Ireland' to refer to the Republic of Ireland.

titchy · 10/09/2016 14:03

'I don't know what countries are in the UK cos I was never taught at school' Jesus... Google it ffs and don't blame someone else for your ignorance.

Spindelina · 10/09/2016 14:00

So OP's phrase 'Ireland (the UK bit)' is correct in as much as it refers to the bit of the island which is in the UK? And the shock is that she doesn't know which bit that is?

Stevefromstevenage · 10/09/2016 13:54

Spine the island is Ireland.

Stevefromstevenage · 10/09/2016 13:53

In Irish schools the 'non UK part' there is a mix of English/Irish children's names. The number of Irish names rises and falls as trends change but I think there are probably always more English names outside of all Irish speaking schools.

Funny how pages and pages of the Irish curriculum, primary and secondary school, are devoted to the lead up to partition and what followed. Maybe some of this knowledge would have been useful when voting on Brexit.

Spindelina · 10/09/2016 13:47

This is off topic, but what is the correct term for the island comprising Ireland and Northern Ireland?

Ginmakesitallok · 10/09/2016 13:41

It's not irish history- it's basic geography!

eachtigertires · 10/09/2016 12:25

It used to be taught as part of GCSE history - the conflict in Northern Ireland was part of the coursework section when I did it (at an English secondary school). That would have been in about 2007/2008.

FrancisCrawford · 10/09/2016 10:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
JazzAnnNonMouse · 10/09/2016 10:24

I'm really sorry if I offended anyone.
Thank you for clarifying gruffalo. .

Irish history clearly needs to be taught in england!

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