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Original poster

Irish nouns as names - like Rua?

34 replies

pandarific · 24/10/2018 01:58

Bear with me on this one... I know of a little Rua (roo-a) - it means 'red' in Irish and I think it's a lovely boy's name but it doesn't feel like 'the one' for us.

Now I know it's a bit hippy to use a noun as a name, but I do kind of love the idea as long as it's a good word and not, for example, 'spoon' or something. Grin Also something which dyslexic DH can spell, and that won't get us too many any Hmm looks when/if we move back to Ireland.

Frontrunner names which sound good with our consonant-y two syllable surname are:
Jonah
Noah
Cuan

...any thoughts from any fluent Irish speakers?

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Kinsella82 · 30/07/2019 20:52

Congrats OP! I Know this thread is old but I'm sold on the name Rua! It's top of my boys name list for this pregnancy. DH will just have to accept it 😂

Original poster
pandarific · 14/11/2018 01:41

Just to update... it was Rua in the end.

My mum and sister don't like it, but they can take a running jump. He's adorable. Grin

OP posts:
RavenWings · 01/11/2018 08:35

I really don't care if you think I'm rude, confuddeled. Your opinion and the name Cathair can go on my list of Things I Don't Care For. Cheers for the biccy, I'll have it with my tea.

mathanxiety · 29/10/2018 04:18

The name Cathair means both fighter/warrior as well as city afaik. I suspect the former meaning is what people have in mind when using it as a name.

I have seen the variant Cahir used.

confuddeledconfuddel · 28/10/2018 22:40

Oh wow @RavenWings how rude to call anyone's name stupid!  I have been saving my first ever biscuit for a very special person and that award goes to you 

mathanxiety · 28/10/2018 06:34

Lir would sound to me like lyric (with the slight buzz of the slender R), whereas Lear would have the long E sound.

mathanxiety · 28/10/2018 06:31

x-post with CubanHeels.

mathanxiety · 28/10/2018 06:31

With a fada on the U it would really be no different from coo-un, unless you wanted to emphasise the OO sound yourself.

To make it coo-awn you would need a fada on the A.

CubanHeels · 27/10/2018 19:01

I wasn’t being snide, panda, honest. I’ve just marked some undergraduate essays that were rather stream of consciousness. Grin

Lir and Lear sound completely different in my accent, too. Admittedly, the only Lir I know is female, and I think the chocolate brand would put me off.

Original poster
pandarific · 27/10/2018 18:55

See 'Lir' and 'Lear' sound totally different to me!

Grin at little Uisce! Bless her.

I always liked the story the singer Wallis Bird has about her name - apparently her dad won on a horse called Wallis, so that was her name.

OP posts:
Borttagen · 27/10/2018 18:32

What about Art? It comes from the old word for bear apparently.

Aodh is nice as well I think? If you like Éanna - similar sound?

I love Naoise but people seem to be using it for girls these days.

I think Lir is awful - makes me think of King Lear as well as the children of Lir.

Original poster
pandarific · 27/10/2018 18:19

Would you believe I once worked as an editor? Grin Yes I thought the 'awn' = from the a fada but wanted to double check.

Rían is a lovely name, but it sounds a bit odd with our second name, alas.

OP posts:
Westworld · 27/10/2018 15:57

What about Rían? It means little king.

CubanHeels · 27/10/2018 15:52

Rua is an adjective, OP.

OP, no, 'Cuan' and 'Cúan' would be pronounced identically to make the second syllable 'awn' it would have to be 'án' with a fada though admittedly I've never in my life come across a Cúan.

The names we seriously considered but didn't use for DS were Ferdia, Iarla and Lir.

I have actually taught an Uisce. On the first day I was going round the seminar checking names, she rolled her eyes as soon as I said her name, and said 'I know. My parents are hippies.' I had the impression she said it a lot.

starofwonder · 27/10/2018 13:19

We have a Ruairidh who often goes by Rua. I like it - (and do the extended family who still struggle with the full spelling!).

Original poster
pandarific · 27/10/2018 13:00

Thank you @mathanxiety! Just checking my understanding, so you would expect Cúan so 'little hound' to be pronounced 'coo-awn'? Smile

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 27/10/2018 03:24

There's no fada on cuan meaning harbour, so coo-un.

With the fada on the U it would mean 'little hound' (cu is hound, hence Cu Chulainn)

The UA vowel combo is always pronounced (as is the combo IA) so the fada would only be needed if you intended the little hound meaning.

Would you consider Luan too? Pronounced loo-un. I know someone with this name.

Original poster
pandarific · 25/10/2018 23:59

Question on the pronunciation of 'Cuan', for those of you who've heard it in person... would you expect 'Cuan' with no fada to be pronounced 'coo-un' as per the Munster pronunciation here or 'coo-awn'?

I have found it spelled online with no fada, a fada on the u, on the a, and on both the u and the a. It also seems to have two meanings, both 'harbour' and 'little hound/wolf' but I think this might vary due to fada placement?

Would it be correct to have a pronunciation of 'coo-un' spelled 'Cuan', or should this have the fada on the u, (assume none on the a as that's where the 'awn' sound comes from. And would this change the meaning?

It doesn't matter to the nth degree, just in case I'm mangling it as I've never actually met a Cuan despite being Irish!

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 25/10/2018 22:07

All lovely names.

I love Lir though it's a sad story.

Original poster
pandarific · 25/10/2018 00:53

Ooh I like Lonán and Éanna very much - thank you all! I think Rua might also have to stay on the list.

I was thinking about Lir last night too actually, but it's such a sad story... also it sounds a bit abrupt with our last name.

Liath is a lovely idea for a girl's name - we are definitely (unless sonographer has messed up) having a boy though. Smile

So potential shortlist is:
Cuan
Lonán
Éanna
Rua
Lir
Noah
Jonah

OP posts:
RavenWings · 24/10/2018 22:13

That was me attica - the name OP was on about was Cathair (city), which I was saying sounds also like cathaoir (chair).

Tbqh I still think Cathair is a bit of a stupid name, definitely so if you're not from the north where it's commonly used. Cathal is along the same lines though - means a great warrior apparently OP. Wouldn't be used as a noun these days though.

RedDwarves · 24/10/2018 22:08

I know a female Rua who is in her 90s here in Australia. She was my favourite resident at the retirement village I worked at. She was funny, artistic, eccentric, kind hearted and had the warmest, most genuine smile.

So, if I heard Rua, I would assume the person was female.

But I'm not Irish and know nothing more about the name.

AtticaRose · 24/10/2018 22:07

What was the name on another thread that someone was saying sounded like the word for "chair" or something? :-)

RavenWings · 24/10/2018 21:34

Well Cuan is a noun, that means harbour so that should tick that box. I think some of the names suggested above are good options as they mean something. A noun in use in modern Irish, like Uisce (water) or something isn't a good choice.

wtftodo · 24/10/2018 20:13

We have a Cuan in our extended family, I think it’s lovely