Irish names

I get your point, but I wouldn't.

When I was little, names like Kevin and Siobhan were quite cool (yes, I'm that old), then names like Ryan, Conor and Liam became popular (teacher friend said bad boy names), Sinead became popular after Nothing Compares 2U. ...

Niamh has been popular in the UK for quite a while, but I think that is because it sounds a bit like Eve. Aoife probably popular for the same reason. Nola - maybe because it is similar to Lola, Luna, Nova, etc.
Orla - again another vowely name with only an L sound - cf Isla, Lila etc

The names are nice enough, if you like it use it.

I tell a lie, Nola isn't. But also wasn't 20 years ago either.

Fair enough, @mikeuniformmike, but all the names OP mentions are in the Irish top 100, and higher in the Irish charts than the England and Wales charts. If she was thinking of calling a baby Siobhan now, you might have a point.

I wouldn't worry about it OP, the united kingdom is welsh, english and scottish, northern Irish and scots gaelic is very similar. surely it's all usable. it's not like using a japanese name, or a korean name with ''no link''. The LINK is you're part of a united kingdom of england, scotland, northern ireland and wales.

@MikeUniformMike It's true that names are often not used in synch with the cyclical patterns in their own country of origin. Eg, Sylvie is fashionable now in the uk and ireland (in my opinion) but Sylvie is like Maureen or Breda in France

Orla, Niamh, Maeve, these names are very mainstream in the UK

if you use a name like Fraoch or Siun you might encounter more raised eyebrows. But who cares.

I love Maebh. I was going to call my DC1 clodagh Maebh but ...... long story short, I was living in the UK at the time and in laws thought it sounded like claddagh ring.

The Irish probably have trends in names.
If you take a name from another culture, it is likely to be a name that you heard on adult.

Names like Siobhan and Sinead were popular as baby names in the UK when they had declined in popularity in Ireland.

I think if your DP has an Irish link, that's completely fine.

Personally I don't think a name like Orla would even need an Irish link! It's more mainstream than that.

No idea why they'd seem dated...? At least, no more than any other kind of name.

The names will probably seem very dated when your DD is an adult.
Depending on the name, there may be spelling or pronunciation issues.

I think if you have any Irish heritage then it’s fine. Although it’s better with a Gaelic nation surname ( Irish, Scottish, Welsh).