Thoughts on Fiadh

Thanks AuntDympna, that's very interesting. I know nothing about Manx, but that really shows how related it is to Irish. The modern Irish Hail Mary is a bit different as Furzebush says. It starts 'Sé do bheatha, a Mhuire, atá lán de ghrásta, but here is the start of an older version I (just) found which is closer to the Manx version -

Go mbeannaítear duit, a Mhuire,
lán de ghrástaibh...

@alexdgr8
Hopefully, there aren't too many interviewers who can't cope with names in languages other than English, and who would discriminate accordingly?

@caoraich
I think Fiadh sounds like fear to those with non-rhotic accents, as they don't really pronounce the r in fear.

I'm in Scotland. I think it's lovely. There's one in the Irish bit of my family.

Can't figure out how it sounds like fear at all

no.
unpronounceable.
don't burden a child with a lifetime of explaining/spelling. tedious.
could even put people off hiring them, as associated with making interviewers feel stressed, not knowing how to say it.

The Hail Mary in Manx:

Dy bannee dhyt, Voirrey,
lane dy ghrayse,
ta'n Çhiarn mayrt.
Bannit t'ou uss mastey mraane,
as bannit ta mess dty vrein, Yeesey.
Voirrey chasherick,
voir Yee, guee er nyn son ain,
nyn beccee,
nish as ec oor nyn maaish.
Amen.

In Irish

Beannachtaí duit a Mhuire,
Lán de grás
Tá an Tiarna leat
Beannacht atá tú as na mná uile
Agus beannacht atá mac do bhróin, Íosa.
A Mhuire naofa
Máthair de Dhia
Guí ar ár sinne,
Ár bpeacaí,
Anois agus ag uair ár mbáis.
Amen

The Irish feels ungrammatical, I've tried to translate the exact words so you can compare the spelling.

Thanks very much for the link AuntDympna.

Im irish, have lived in England and America, and if i am not sure how to spell or pronounce a name, I ask. I try to pronounce it properly and spell it properly, it's not hard!
I only know one Fiadh, shes 15. Despite rumours that it is the new Orla or Ciara!

This page has Voirrey as a version of Mary:

www.isleofman.com/welcome/manx-language-symbols/manx-first-names/female-first-names/

For comparison, the Isle of Man is itself called "Ellen Vannin". (CF Irish Oileán Mhanainn).

Is Varry used as a name on the Isle of Man though AuntDympna? I'm just curious as Mhairi isn't found in Ireland, for example, and I always thought the name was particularly Scottish (with the spelling mistakenly based on the vocative, iirc)

Varry is an authentic Manx spelling. Manx is a Gaelic language written using English phonics.

For people wanting a more substantial name than Fìadh, and to avoid it sounding like Thea or fear, here are some ideas:

Fiadnat, Fiadhnait, and Fianait are traditional names used in mediaeval Ireland. There are two saints with this name, which is Fìadh plus the feminine diminutive -nat. Like Aodhnat, Gobnat, Damhnat.

Similar girls' names include Fial, Fiamuin/Fiamain, Fíne, and Fithir.

Reminder ftaod that you don't need a fada for the i in ia, as it is a dipthong.

@celestebellman
No, I don't like that either, though I guess I understand why people feel the need to do it. I'm in Ireland so it's easy to use the authentic spellings here, for first names at least. Of course, most surnames, placenames etc have long been anglicised here, often phonetically as you describe (and with varying levels of success at matching the original Irish sounds).

@LizzieAnt I didn't realise Fia is an accepted modern Irish spelling - still prefer Fiadh though. What I really don't like is names spelled in non- standard phonetic ways which removes their charm - eg Neave, Allie (I guess the latter is ok, but a bit bland) or the worst I have seen Varry (instead of Mhairi).

A small bit of background into the rise of the name Fiadh is given here OP -

www.thejournal.ie/readme/the-irish-for-2-5024546-Mar2020/

Fiadh has overtaken Emily and is now at number 2 in the 2020 lists.

I just went to google translate and where Fia is Irish for Deer, Fèidh is the Scottish for Deer. Is that pronounce Fay? I like it.

I’m not Irish or Scottish and I know how to pronounce it

I think it’s a lovely name but in my accent ‘fear’ is ‘fee-a’ so I wouldn’t use it sadly

Just reiterating the name is Fódla not Fola, especially if the siblings are Scáthach and Fianna

Lovely

@loveisanopensore I wouldn’t say I get in a flap about names, and I am bilingual.
What I’m clumsily trying to say is that if the name being misspelled or pronounced wrongly would upset op, that might be a factor to consider.

I live in Wales and met a friend of a friend with a baby named Fiadh , and I thought
A that’s a daft spelling and
B she’s going to be correcting the spelling all her life
( the Mum is American , Dad from Scotland )

I think any connotations with the name Saoirse must depend on where you live (or when) Atla? I don't think there are any republican associations with the name where I am (in the south of Ireland) now.

Fiadh has shot up in popularity in the last 10 years in Ireland, but IrishFarmer is right, there's a much bigger pool of names being used now.

I think it's a lovely name. It is no 2 in the Irish top 10 names, but there still can't really be that many. 55,959 babies were born in 2020, take approx 50% to be girl, only 366 of those were called Fiadh.

It's not like top 10 names back in the day, you can check the records back to 1964 where Mary was the top name and 3471 girls were given the name that year!

I’m from England, live in Wales and I wouldn’t have the foggiest how to pronounce it if I saw the name written, or his to write it correctly if I’d just heard the name said.
As you’ve said how to pronounce it, it’s pretty but I’m sure I wouldn’t be alone with my difficulties so it really depends where you live I think