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Baby names

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

Original poster

Irish girls names- easy to spell

53 replies

lakehouse · 17/08/2018 13:55

I love Celtic names, particularly Irish names, but they're so hard to spell. Living in England I don't want to give her a lifetime of people not being able to pronounce/spell her name. Any ideas for beautiful Celtic names which are simple?! Thanks!

OP posts:
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pouraglasshalffull · 19/08/2018 11:00

I also really love Aoife or Ffion or Fia

CherryBlossom23 · 19/08/2018 09:47

@mathanxiety good list, except Finola is Finnoula, Alvy is spelled Ailbhe and pronounced Alva for a girl and Dervla/Derval is Dearbhla/ Dearbhal/Dearbhaile.

Eily is Scottish and spelled Eilidh.

Can't say I've ever heard of Devnet, sounds like a web development company Grin

AnotherRubberDuck · 19/08/2018 09:41

Orla
Ciara
Aoife
Caitlin
Roisin

Those are the only ones I would know how to spell off the top of my head. And I'm sure I will learn Saoirse and Aisling as they become more popular in England.

mathanxiety · 19/08/2018 07:54

Some fairly well-known Anglicised names and names associated with Ireland - spellings may be easier:

Finola
Nessa
Enya
Alvy
Bridget
Dervla or Derval
Devnet
Nora, Honora
Mella
Morna
Alannah
Brona
Rona
Darina
Eily

Pangur2 · 19/08/2018 07:33

Haha soloula, you beat me to it. I was about to post that video!

soloula · 18/08/2018 09:59

Saw this thread just after I watched this on FB. Very apt. 😁

anyhue · 18/08/2018 09:48

Warning about "Orla".

Many years ago in college I shared a house with an Irish girl called Orla. It became a running joke to refer to her as "Oral", instead or "Orla". But I heard she lived up to it Grin

Seriously, people today are much more open to different names, spellings, etc than in the past. Many of the Irish & Welsh names are really nice, but stay away from Orla!

dinosaurkisses · 18/08/2018 09:36

Exactly CherryBlossom23.

If someone wanted to call their DD Hermyoknee instead of Hermione they’d be told to wise up and use the actual spelling.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s almost arrogant to say you like Irish names, but you’ve made up your own “better spelling” - not aimed at you OP, there’s plenty of Irish names that fit your brief without bastardising the spelling.

CherryBlossom23 · 18/08/2018 09:24

God, please stop misspelling Irish names! That's taking away the whole point of them being Irish!
OP, go with an accepted shortening like Fia, Cara, Orla, Dara (traditionally a boy's name spelled Darragh but I've seen it as Dara for a girl). Please don't call your daughter Doireann and spell it Dirrin. The Irish language has suffered enough at the hands of careless anglicisation. Angry

BasiliskStare · 18/08/2018 05:57

Ciara or Tara - though I do think Orla is a great name.

AhoyDelBoy · 18/08/2018 05:54

I don’t know why you’d take an extremely well known Irish name like Ciara (I know three and have never been anywhere even remotely near Ireland) and spell it Keira, blergh. Some beautiful Irish names around I’m sure you’ll find a lovely one. I personally like Derval (a friends name, easy to spell and pronounce and not common).

SuperstarDJ · 18/08/2018 05:18

Emer/Eimear
Maeve
Cliona
Clodagh
Sinead
Bronagh

junebirthdaygirl · 18/08/2018 04:19

Cara is lovely and its easy to manage.
Doireann...Dirin
Muireann...Murin
Deidre
Treasa...lrish for Teresa.Trasa
Eibhlin...I/lean

RavenWings · 18/08/2018 01:57

Riona (ree-ohna)
Laoise (leesha)

moredoll · 18/08/2018 00:08

Maev

chocbisc · 17/08/2018 19:49

Ciara spelled Kiera
Caoilfhionn spelled Keelin
Aoibh spelled Eve
Aoibheann spelled Eavan
Éabha spelled Ava
Éadaoin spelled Aideen
Fia (fee-ah)

Original poster
lakehouse · 17/08/2018 19:12

Thanks. I like Orla and Una but husband is not so keen. Any other thoughts?

OP posts:
TatianaLarina · 17/08/2018 14:26

Iseult

Annabelle4 · 17/08/2018 14:09

Saoirse (also not easy, but Saoirse Ronan has made it 'known')??

Annabelle4 · 17/08/2018 14:08

Cara
Tara
Orla
Orna
Una
Aoife
Riona
Caoimhe (not easy, but popular(ish)

SaturdaySauv · 17/08/2018 14:05

Clodagh

Fatbelliedgirl · 17/08/2018 14:04

Tara.

SaturdaySauv · 17/08/2018 14:03

Sinaed

pouraglasshalffull · 17/08/2018 14:02

I really like the names Aisling and Aoife, although if you didn't know the names you may not know how to spell them if you was hearing it for the first time

pouraglasshalffull · 17/08/2018 14:01

Una, Roisin, Orla, Dara

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