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Baby names

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

Original poster

Tadhg or Paxton

162 replies

MarjorieX · 29/10/2020 19:38

I'm pregnant with a boy and I quite like these two names. Tadhg is a name we have previously considered for our other sons but we didn't go for it. Paxton would be after my grandad. I'm so indecisive and my baby is due in a month so I'm really not sure on what name to choose. What are your opinions on these names and do you have any middle name suggestions for them? Thank you

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OchonAgusOchonO · 31/10/2020 18:42

@MarjorieX - We've decided on the first name being Tadhg, now we are deciding on whether to have Paxton as the middle name or something else.

Great choice. It's a lovely name. I'm not a major fan of Paxton. It sounds a bit harsh for my tastes.

OchonAgusOchonO · 31/10/2020 18:40

@coronabeer - If your son is going to be growing up I the UK, I think it's a bit mean to subject him to a lifetime of explaining how to pronounce/ spell his name.

Or maybe you could recognise that there are people living in the UK who have cultures and heritages that aren't anglo-saxon?

Viviennemary · 31/10/2020 17:58

I don't like either of them I'm afraid. Are there any other names you like. I haven't heard of Tadhg and wouldn't have a clue how to pronounce it.

Original poster
MarjorieX · 31/10/2020 17:55

@Ritascornershop Yes, grandad's first name was Paxton.

@Greyhoundgirly Thank you!

Thank you everyone for the information on the name Tadhg! It's very helpful and useful. We've decided on the first name being Tadhg, now we are deciding on whether to have Paxton as the middle name or something else.

OP posts:
Ritascornershop · 31/10/2020 14:29

Was your grandad’s first name Paxton? I really don’t like last name first names, so I’d go for Tadhg (though he’ll be educating people on how to spell it).

Greyhoundgirly · 31/10/2020 14:23

Both strong but prefer Tadhg! Good luck with everything xx

SeanCailleach · 31/10/2020 13:25

Idk. Does the OP have enough stuff on Tadhg now?

OwlOne · 31/10/2020 10:09

Are you Irish @SeanCailleach
You are very interested in Irish names clearly but sometimes get pronounciations of commonly used names wrong. I can't match it up.

SeanCailleach · 31/10/2020 08:07

@mathanxiety Dineen's dictionary says:
"Teig, Teague or Thady, Tady (=Thaddeus) and equated with Timothy ..."
I think this means the Irish name was pronounced all those ways. Both Thaddeus and Timothy were used as English alternatives.
In my family Tadg was pronounced Ted or Tady in Irish, with Tim as the alternate.

So Tady is not an Anglicisation. Linguistically, for O. Ir. Tadc to split into Tadhg and Tadgh is natural.

OwlOne · 31/10/2020 07:38

I know a Thady 'taydee' and his real name is Thaddeus. I like that.

mathanxiety · 31/10/2020 04:23

@lavenderlove
I'm confused as I have a friend called "Tadhgh" and he pronounces it "Tay-Dee" and is called "Tad" for short. Is this a completely different name with the extra h?

Thady (pr. Taydee) is sometimes used as an anglicisation of Tadhg.

In older official documents (pre-Independence) it was common for people to have their everyday Irish name and an 'official' name (i.e. an acceptable English or anglicised name) that was an approximation of the Irish name, or a translation, or something completely different with maybe a very tenuous link, like Deborah for Gobnait.

Thady is also used as a nn for Thaddeus.

SeanCailleach · 30/10/2020 22:51

Was wondering what words in Modern Irish relate to Tadhg. Apparently it's from Proto-Celtic Tazg(j)o. There are several but the most interesting is "taisce" which means treasure, store, repository. Before writing poets stored knowledge and history.
Taisce is pronounced Tashka.

OwlOne · 30/10/2020 22:10

Tadhg

Paxton is so bad, but i like Pax. Pax is latin which is cool and the meaning is peace which isca great meaning for a name

lavenderlove · 30/10/2020 22:07

@BorderlineHappy his parents are from Cork but he was born in England

MadeForThis · 30/10/2020 19:38

Tadhg was on my shortlist for a boy. Loved it.

Had 2 girls tho.

@chasingshunshine taig and Tadhg are pronounced differently. In N Ireland anyway.

Taig sounds like tayge. Totally different vowel sound.

tadhg is like tiger with no er

Sausagedog1 · 30/10/2020 19:18

I love Tadhg and don't like Paxton. We have a son with a slightly difficult to pronounce Irish name and I'm so glad we stuck with it.
Tadhg is really easy once you know how to say it and is is very cool!

TillyTheTiger · 30/10/2020 19:09

Tadhg is absolutely gorgeous. I was tempted to use it for DS, but we're about as English as you get and I didn't want to appropriate anything. Still love the name though.

MikeUniformMike · 30/10/2020 19:04

Tadhg Paxton Surname.
Job done.

BorderlineHappy · 30/10/2020 18:29

@lavenderlove wheres your friend from?

SeanCailleach · 30/10/2020 18:27

@lavenderlove it is the same name. Irish is a massive language and the name is ancient. We have three native dialects, two learner dialects, and names tend to evolve in their own way also.

lavenderlove · 30/10/2020 18:21

I prefer Tadgh a lot more!

I'm confused as I have a friend called "Tadhgh" and he pronounces it "Tay-Dee" and is called "Tad" for short. Is this a completely different name with the extra h?

TheNavigator · 30/10/2020 17:40

I prefer Paxton, I have family in the Scottish Borders & it us common to use the mothers maiden name as the sons first name, so surnames as first names sound fine to me. In my extended family we have a Kerr, Campbell, Pringle and a Milne.

VioletSunset · 30/10/2020 17:36

I would go with Tadgh :)

ZebraKid71 · 30/10/2020 17:34

Definitely tadhg, I know two little tadhgs (one is 3 and the other is 1)and it's becoming more well known in my area so I wouldn't let the spelling /pronunciation issues put you off.

user1493494961 · 30/10/2020 17:23

I think Tadhg Paxton goes well with his brothers' names.