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Baby names

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Original poster

Irish girls' names

55 replies

Keyperfect · 07/04/2020 14:16

We have narrowed our girl's name choice down to two - Saoirse ( pronounced Seer-sha) or Saorla (pronounced Sair-la).

Which one is better, do you think? Please don't tell me neither!! For info, we are Irish living in UK. Our other DCs have Irish names, and we haven't experienced any issues with pronunciation - generally just explain once.

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HarrietM87 · 11/04/2020 20:57

Yeah that’s balls about Elizabeth...I know loads of catholics called that.

MikeUniformMike · 11/04/2020 19:28

Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist.

HarrietM87 · 11/04/2020 09:51

@mathanxiety what do you mean by the next Sinead? Popularity-wise? I’m actually considering Sinead for my next baby on the basis it’s less common at the moment. There were always a couple in my year at school but haven’t heard of any baby Sinéads born recently!

mathanxiety · 11/04/2020 09:01

I would choose Saorla. (It's not at all like sailor).

I fear Saoirse is the next Sinead.

Saoirse7 · 11/04/2020 07:35

I said unlikely not that it never happened.

It is generally uncommon though (from what I have experienced in my generation) for Catholics to be named with 'royal' names.

Tinkhasflown · 11/04/2020 05:52

unlikely to have a Catholic called Elizabeth
I don't know where you get that idea from, I went to school with three!

In past NI times only Republicans would have used the name Saoirse, but that isn't the case anymore....

buckeejit · 09/04/2020 11:35

Saoirse is more popular

buckeejit · 09/04/2020 11:35

I like Saorla best just because Saoirse. I'm NI not that it's relevant Smile

Original poster
Keyperfect · 09/04/2020 11:22

Luckily, I don't think this would be an issue in England, where we are.

My concern about Saoirse is it becoming more popular/ common, which would bother me a bit I think.

My worry about Saorla is how it might be pronounced - does it sound like Sailor in an English accent?!

OP posts:
MissMarks · 09/04/2020 11:09

People in republican areas might no but definitely the vast majority of Protestants wouldn’t see it as anything other than an Irish name. I also have friends with Saoirses and they definitely aren’t republicans.

HarrietM87 · 09/04/2020 09:34

Ok @Saoirse7 so you do know it’s a political issue then. You can say people who think like that are small minded and ignorant (and I agree) but sadly it still happens and not liking it doesn’t change that.

You must be a lot younger than me - and lucky you if somehow this has all
managed to go over your head. It’s not the case for children born today, but in my generation only hardline republicans called their children Saoirse. I grew up in a very deprived Catholic area and there were a few around. The same isn’t true for the name Saorla because it’s less common. This is just a fact. Maybe ask your parents if you’re not convinced.

Saoirse7 · 09/04/2020 09:06

I am from NI Harriet. The only people who politicise the language are small minded and ignorant. The language has been here long before the people.

Everyone in NI knows you usually 'tell what someone is' (how sad is that) by their name is true (eg unlikely to have a Catholic called Elizabeth or a Protestant called Caoimhe). However, to say the names Saoirse and Saorla have provo connotations is a load of crap quite frankly.

HarrietM87 · 09/04/2020 08:13

please don’t politicise the Irish language LOL!!!!!

I take it you’re not from NI? It’s massively politicised...it’s one of the main reasons we didn’t have a government for years.

Since this baby will be growing up in GB it’s not really relevant though.

MissMarks · 09/04/2020 00:31

I knew Saoirse meant freedom but having googled it, it was popular around the time of partition but has absolutely nothing to do with the provos.

Saoirse7 · 09/04/2020 00:16

Fwiw, saor means free in Irish. Saoirse I'm sure means freedom,

I would be fairly well up on my Irish politics and didn't know the name of the SF newsletter, in fact I just googled it and couldn't find anything on it. The dissident group in Derry took a name from the language to call themselves.

Just because BNP/EDL use certain words in their names don't mean those words are just associated with them. Please don't politicise the Irish language.

Saoirse7 · 09/04/2020 00:06

The notion 'Saor' has IRA connotations is frankly a load of bollocks Confused Literally no one I know thinks like this.

MissMarks · 08/04/2020 23:30

I live in Northern Ireland and am from there- I no idea Saor names had republican connotations and I know none of my friends would know either. I am Protestant and just assumed they are all Irish names.

babynamelover · 08/04/2020 23:24

Saoirse :)
Also love Caiomhe, Orla, Finola/Nola 😊

DramaAlpaca · 08/04/2020 23:22

Saorla would be my preference.

babbi · 08/04/2020 20:26

Saorla is lovely !

hubblebubbletoilandtrubble · 08/04/2020 20:22

I have a Saoirse. We aren't Irish, we just loved the name but we get so many compliments on her name. Spelling and pronoun is toon wise it's been fine, a lot of the time people have heard the name before and get it right themselves, the rest of the time they ask once and then remember. I agree that it's slightly less rare now thanks to Saoirse Roman. My daughter loves having a relatively unusual name and has been able to spell it herself at top speed since the age of 4 Grin

MikeUniformMike · 08/04/2020 20:15

Saorla. Saoirse will be popular because of Little Women

HarrietM87 · 08/04/2020 19:26

Another one from NI here and Saoirse definitely has political connotations. I think Saorla less so just because it’s less well known.

TerribleCustomerCervix · 08/04/2020 19:07

Those names bear no more 'connotations' than any other Irish name would.

It’s literally the name of Sinn Féin’s newsletter. There’s also the terrorist organisation from of Derry called Saoradh.

It’s a nice name, but it’s misleading to say that it’s viewed the same as any other Irish name.

Blursula · 08/04/2020 18:56

Saorla is lovely - never heard it before!