Marsaili, testing waters

I hadn't heard it before but it's lovely and once you've been told the pronunciation it's not difficult.

I like it. I'm Scottish and have heard it before, not just from Peter May and Outlander. Maybe depends what area you are in though. They might have to explain the pronunciation a lot, but that is true of loads of names.

I love it, but I'm another Outlander fan.

I think it's lovely, and given you are in Scotland, hopefully you won't get too many muppets going on about Masala

Lovely name!

I think it’s a really nice name. I’d consider using it myself for a dd but it’s too similar to Sally and I have an Aunt Sally (no, not the Worzel Gummidge one.)

I was at university with one and she had no issues with her name AFAIK and nor did anyone else. I really like it and the UK is so multicultural that I'm not sure children are phased by names at all these days.

It's a beautiful name. I'd definitely use it if I were you.

Most Gaelic speakers would have translated it to Marjorie in a previous generation - certainly this is the case for my cousin who is spoken of as Marsaili in Gaelic but always used Marjorie in English. Marsaili is an older name though, rooted as Marcella as someone said upthread, Marjorie doesn't go back so far. But I think this is why so many Gaelic names haven't been well known outside the Gaeltacht until now.

Same with other names, Ruairidh was Roderick. Ruairidh shouldn't really be pronounced as Roory, more as Roo-aathy. This one winds me up a bit as is my dad's name and again always used the English written but in the family is the Gaelic. So I wouldn't have used it for a boy because going too much again the flow to get it pronounced anywhere close to the Gaelic.

I'm in Scotland and haven't heard or seen it before. I would have guessed at Mar-say-lee but also would not have realised it was a Gaelic name.

@Dozer only if they try saying it from seeing it, then they remember. Mine finds it more amusing in a wry way than annoying. She does use Megan at Starbucks though!

Think beyond scotland it’s be pronounced ‘mar say lee’

That’d get annoying.

I like it, but be prepared for the regional variations to affect how people pronounce it.

Never heard it before but I like it, a pretty name

Re meaning, it's probably a Gaelic version or Marcella, a Latin name which means 'strong' or 'warlike'.

It's just possible that there was an earlier Gaelic name that sounded like Marcella, and the two became combined, but it's not terribly likely. Though no-one knows for sure.

After all, there are many similarities between Gaelic and Latin (they both belong to the same language family). For example, the Latin for man is 'vir' (veer); the Gaelic for senior man is 'fear', which is pronounced in a very similar way. The Latin for ox is 'bos/bovis'; the Gaelic for cow is 'bo' etc etc etc.

stuff here [[https://www.foramnagaidhlig.net/foram/viewtopic.php?t=2786

I really like it. It's really pretty. What does it mean?
Am also a massive Outlander fan.

It's nice, but I can't stop my mind connecting it with the word marsupial.

I am Scottish and tbh I was unfamiliar with Marsali unti I watched Outlander.

I have to say that I love it. Really beautiful.

I love it!

(I also love the character Marsali in Outlander, amazing strong female character.)

@wombatsandadoor

I've had a wee name change for this as pretty outing.. my oldest is called Marsaili - it's actually got a 'sh' sound in the middle (we're of native Western Isles speakers) - so like partially but with M at the start.

We love it, after nearly 20 years, and more to the point so does she. She always knows when they reach her name in a list as there is a pause first then they say it as Mar-say-lee. But most people remember it once they've heard it, and no kids had any trouble with it. She gets shortened to Mars sometimes, and nicknames of Marshmallow, Mars Bar and Parsnip (no never liked that!). We live in England btw.

It was first suggested to me by a lovely woman in another online community, who I've just heard has passed away this week, so I'm feeling rather warm and fuzzy about it at the moment. It completely nailed all the things we wanted in a name (pfb!) and wouldn't have found it without Duve. A wee tribute there, I hope you don't mind.

I've not heard it before but it reminds me of marsala wine. It's ok but I don't love it. Definitely better than Wednesday!

Very nice name. Not Gaelic in origin, but the Gaelic version of Marcella or just perhaps Marjorie. Marsailidh is a modern invented fancification.
medievalscotland.org/scotnames/gaelicgiven/women/marsail.shtml

I asked neighbour - aged 90s, native speaker, born in west Highlands - and they said Mahr-seh-lee. That's how I've always heard it, as well.

The 'sh' sound may perhaps be used on the outer islands, of course, where sounds tend to be softer. Depends on local accent.

Outlander fan by any chance?