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Baby names

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

Original poster

Irish names

60 replies

Pineapple30 · 23/08/2020 08:27

What's everyone's thoughts on Irish names if not Irish?! Having a little girl and really like some Irish names such as Aoife, Orla, Nola. DPs grandma was Irish so there is an Irish link in the family albeit possibly somewhat tenuous... I suppose its a bit like French names e.g. Margot becoming popular...

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Wolfgirrl · 24/08/2020 20:23

@Indecision2020

How long have you been on MN? The raison d'être of many posters is to moan about inequality, whilst propagating said inequality by casting snobbish aspersions on baby names & keeping a little 'pool' of acceptable names so they can weed out unsuitable playdates.

Indecision2020 · 24/08/2020 20:14

@Inching

Teachers teach many pupils, and will notice if every Dylan and Lili-Mae is a PITA. Some names scream out the child's socio-economic background.

And, pray, does the choice of an Irish name tell a teacher about a child's socio-economic background? Hmm

And in fact, does socio-economic background tell a teacher about a child‘s intelligence/behaviour??
Wolfgirrl · 24/08/2020 20:08

@Muser314

Terriblecustomercervix if you go back a page.

Oh and just thought of another - Teaghan. I mentioned on here I had it in mind for another DD and got so many snobby replies though Hmm

Inching · 24/08/2020 20:00

Teachers teach many pupils, and will notice if every Dylan and Lili-Mae is a PITA. Some names scream out the child's socio-economic background.

And, pray, does the choice of an Irish name tell a teacher about a child's socio-economic background? Hmm

IHaveBrilloHair · 24/08/2020 19:55

I have absolutely no Irish connections and a 19yr old Niamh.

Nannyamc · 24/08/2020 19:53

Fiadh Finnoula or Siabh (Sive) are lovely old irish names

JaneJeffer · 24/08/2020 19:52

Just ignore @Wolfgirrl. She sees the word Irish and has to wade in spouting crap.

I have no problem with Irish names being used by any nationality.

Muser314 · 24/08/2020 19:49

I do think it would be odd to use a Korean name or a Japanese name or a Ugandan name though. Just cos. But I'd still be interested.

Muser314 · 24/08/2020 19:47

@Wolfgirrl who are you speaking for? I think everybody in the UK should feel they have free rein to use an Irish name!

MikeUniformMike · 24/08/2020 19:44

Teachers who think any Irish name is a bad boy name and verbalise that theory strike me as small town paedestrian Hyacinth Bouquets.
Teachers teach many pupils, and will notice if every Dylan and Lili-Mae is a PITA.
Some names scream out the child's socio-economic background.

Wolfgirrl · 24/08/2020 19:42

@TerribleCustomerCervix

Lol. I just don't get why the irish think their history and culture is so sacred that it has a different set of rules to everyone else's. Every country has been oppressed by virtually every other country, but we use names from a wide variety of cultures now, which I think is a lovely testament to appreciating each other.

Use whatever name you want OP, nobody 'owns' a name. Mine is Hebrew, I have zero links to Israel!

I think my favourite irish girls name is Aisling. I knew an Aisling growing up and she was very outgoing & fun, so probably positive associations! Also knew a Mairead, which is pretty and reminds me of 'mermaid'!

TerribleCustomerCervix · 24/08/2020 19:34

Unless she was alive from the 1700s through to the early 19th century, then no that’s unlikely.

My issue isn’t with an English person using an Irish name. It’s with those individuals who don’t see that it’s not a simple case of Irish people previously choosing English names because they liked them or they were fashionable, rather that it being forced upon them.

SoManyActivities · 24/08/2020 19:33

Oh would you give it a rest @Wolfgirrl - you have already spent the last several days slagging off the Irish on another thread!

Wolfgirrl · 24/08/2020 19:26

@TerribleCustomerCervix

Did OP stomp on 'your' cultural traditions?

TerribleCustomerCervix · 24/08/2020 19:25

@Wolfgirrl

The Irish use English names without a second thought 🤷‍♀️ why is this any different?
There’s a fairly complex history of Irish people because forced to anglicise their names, forbidden to speak their mother tongue and cultural traditions being stomped out. It’s not a natural trend in the same way that Italian or French names have become well used in the U.K.

It’s not quite as simple as “Well they use English names!”.

TerribleCustomerCervix · 24/08/2020 19:22

Just don’t go with Fiadh, it’s really exploded in popularity and seems like every other baby girl’s name since 2017.

MikeUniformMike · 24/08/2020 19:17

@Muser314, er, Juliette is French, Isabella Italian etc.

Muser314 · 24/08/2020 18:32

Yeh, I dont see why any English person would cringe at using an irish name!
Juliette, isabella, i could go on and on

Wolfgirrl · 24/08/2020 18:28

The Irish use English names without a second thought 🤷‍♀️ why is this any different?

Muser314 · 24/08/2020 18:26

Teachers who think any Irish name is a bad boy name and verbalise that theory strike me as small town paedestrian Hyacinth Bouquets.

Jj2431 · 24/08/2020 03:09

if there is Irish heritage then it is fine but otherwise I'd cringe.

TakeMeToYourLiar · 23/08/2020 18:50

Depends on your surname.

Our surname very Irish, but we aren't, so an Irish first name would be too much

loveisanopensore · 23/08/2020 18:17

It's fine.
I have an Irish name. I've met London kids with my name.
Just don't go changing Siobhan to Shivaughan.

Motivationalpastry · 23/08/2020 18:11

I'm Irish and I've actually never heard of the name Nola. I like Aoife and Orla. Also, agree it's fine using names from another culture as long as they're pronounced properly.

DramaAlpaca · 23/08/2020 17:26

The Irish probably have trends in names

Yes, they do, and Aoife and Orla are slightly dated now here. They were most popular around 25 years ago. You do still hear them on babies, but not as much as you used to.

Sinéad and Siobhan you can date to the 70s, there were so many of them then.

I occasionally see Nuala suggested on here. That is such a granny name, very old fashioned. As is Nola, though that's quite sweet.

'Modern' Irish names are popular now, Fiadh being one example.

As for using an Irish name if you're not Irish - just fine as long as you can pronounce it properly.

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