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Baby names

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

Nature/happy/Irish girls’ names

66 replies

Magenpie100 · 19/02/2023 12:02

We’re having a girl in June and would love some name ideas! Her older sister is Indigo, usually called Indi. They are half Irish so new baba will have an Irish name either for first or middle (we live in England so if first must be pronounceable/well-known).

We like but not going for:
Hazel - doesn’t go with surname.
Ruah - worried about religious connotation (we are not religious) and rua in Latin/Portuguese means road.
Muireann (pronounced Mirren) - think the spelling makes it sound like Miriam.
Aoife - sounds too much like all the Evie/Eva/Avas.
Ayla - sounds like all the Layla/Isla etcs.

A longer name with a strong nickname would be great eg we considered Tazmin ‘Taz’ and Jocelyn ‘Joss’ but neither is quite right. Nearly sold on Beatrix ‘Bea’ but not 100%.

For me it needs to have a meaning eg something natural, or meaning ‘joyful’, ‘kind’ - something positive! I’d love a name that has some nature/elemental connotations but not too out there eg Storm/Fern are a bit far out for me.

Can’t start with a hard C cos surname does.

Thanks!

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mathanxiety · 27/02/2023 02:19

Suggestions-
Ailbhe or Alvy
Fionnuala or Finola
Nora
Darina

mathanxiety · 27/02/2023 02:12

Muireann is pronounced Mwer-inn. It's a lovely name imo.
I don't see a similarity to Miriam - are you pronouncing it mur-ee-ann? Mur-ee-ann?

How about Merryn?

Tryingwithheart · 27/02/2023 02:04

Meitheamh - June in irish pronounced Meh hiv

Snooozername · 27/02/2023 01:51

Indigo and Violet. Obviously.

CallieQ · 27/02/2023 01:22

Merryn

Pennyplant19 · 27/02/2023 01:22

Orla = golden Princess

CallieQ · 27/02/2023 01:21

Aurora

RiverSkater · 27/02/2023 01:08

Ochil, or Eithne ?

Sleepwhatsthazzz · 27/02/2023 00:59

Róise (Row-shá or Raw-shá depending if ulster irish or not). Means Rose

Verbena17 · 27/02/2023 00:30

Nuala
Orla
Mairead

TheOriginalEmu · 27/02/2023 00:20

LaTangerina · 23/02/2023 10:54

Caoimhe - means beautiful & pronounced "Kweeva" so no C sound.
Iseult
Niamh (Neev) - means radiance
Fiadh (Fee-a) - means untamed/wild
Aoibhe (Aa-vah) - means beauty
Eithne (enya) - means little fire
Bria
Imogen
Ailia (aa-lee-aa) means light
Saibh (Sigh-ve) means sweet girl

I had never realised that Eithne was pronounced Enya! I really need to learn some Irish phonetics!

Luredbyapomegranate · 23/02/2023 20:31

Chiara - Ari
Cassia - Cassie
Serena - Ren, Seren
Cecilia - Cece
Calliope - Callie
Jessamy - Jess
Finnola - Finn
Ffion - Fee
Estella - Stella, Esta
Fernanda - Nanda, Ferdy
Allegra - Ali
Alicia - Lissa

I used to know a girl called Bonhomie! You could shorten that to Bonnie

I also know an Isabella who is known as Bonnie (as in Bonnie Bella) so I could work as a short Annabella, Arabella or Christabel

I love Oona

Also like Jocelyn

user1492757084 · 23/02/2023 11:07

Indigo and ..
Joy Saoirse
Skarlet Birdie
Rose Cordelia
Roisin Clover
Midori Clover

LaTangerina · 23/02/2023 11:00

Teagan - little poet
Maebh (mave) - happiness & joy
Elva

LaTangerina · 23/02/2023 10:54

Caoimhe - means beautiful & pronounced "Kweeva" so no C sound.
Iseult
Niamh (Neev) - means radiance
Fiadh (Fee-a) - means untamed/wild
Aoibhe (Aa-vah) - means beauty
Eithne (enya) - means little fire
Bria
Imogen
Ailia (aa-lee-aa) means light
Saibh (Sigh-ve) means sweet girl

UnOeufIsEnough · 23/02/2023 10:37

Sonas is lovely

Indáirire · 23/02/2023 10:31

Rua is more of a surname. The English translation is the surname Roe or Rowe e.g. pádraig o' ruadh

Indáirire · 23/02/2023 10:30

Bláithín - little flower (blawheen)

Magenpie100 · 21/02/2023 20:48

I love Aisling, but husband doesn’t. Also really like Áine but we have one in close family.

Thanks so much everyone for your input. Feel like for now I’ve got a shortlist of 4: Amber, Róisín, Merryn and Ruah. Still a few months to go so hopefully one will shine brighter for us than the others, or will particularly suit her when she gets here!

OP posts:
LadyEloise1 · 21/02/2023 11:52

Blathín - blaw heen - little flower

Anoisagusaris · 21/02/2023 10:04

LadyT27 · 20/02/2023 20:20

Eimear (ee-mer)
Mairead (Muh-rawd)

It’s not Muh-rawd, it’s Muh-raid.

harrietm87 · 21/02/2023 09:53

@rhetorician i mentioned blathnaid on page 1 - love it!

@SuzyQ12 youre thinking of Caoimhe (Keeva/Qweeva, though the “a” is more of an “uh”).

SuzyQ12 · 20/02/2023 20:37

I always really liked the name Keavy, which is of Irish origin, but had two boys so never got to use it! Means gentle.

SomersetBrie · 20/02/2023 20:36

My DD would have been Aisling, meaning dream or vision. It's an Irish word that means so much more than its translation.
Living in UK, we might have gone for Ashling (same pronunciation but easy to explain).
Ended up having a boy!

Zigazagah · 20/02/2023 20:29

Briona with Bri for short?