Can I name my baby Ira?

A much more reasonable choice

For a little bit I wanted to cal my daughter Isis but then the terrorist group hit the headlines. Eventually I had a boy whom I named a really standard old fashioned name that nobody would ask him how to spell 😉

I know a boy whose name sounds like that but different spelling, not sure what it is maybe Ayra or Aiyra or something like that pretty sure it has a Y and an A somewhere but basically sounds the same nad I would never have linked it to IRA.

Not this thread again 🤦‍♀️

I will say it once and I will say it again to any new posters - if you want your child to be named after a terrorist group in order to cause issues/embarrassment every time they visit Ireland or NI then go ahead, name them IRA. If you’re a decent human being and don’t want these problems then make a more sensible and respectful choice

"as far as I know". Quite.

And yet my friend has a 3 year old with this name in England and as far as I know nobody has ever batted an eyelid.

Im not sure if you’re serious OP but assuming that you are then no, please don’t do it. Unless you’re moving back to Australia soon in which case it’s probably ok. No one in UK and Ireland will think it’s OK. And can you imagine having to spell the child’s name for every doctor app/school/creche etc .. “I R A” 🙈

I HRTFT but it's a man's name.

As far as I am aware it's a Jewish name - think Ira Levin - author - Rosemary's Baby, Stepford Wives..

Your choice !

It's very old school isn't it (like Asa which was popular early 20th century too).

Good point @JenniferBarkley

Bet you would if he spelled his name in Starbucks though

DD and her friends were all born in 2004 - they’re all fully aware of it and it would take an extremely sheltered + uneducated teen to not have heard of the IRA despite very few of their generation being directly affected. Of course kids learn things in places other than school, the lack of Irish history in the GCSE + A level curriculum is actually a big point of debate at the minute!

I didn't see the connection and I'm Irish 😮

We honestly could go on forever. But to me I don't think of IRA. I just think of my little boy, Ira. I say his name daily it never once crosses my mind. Not every one agrees. And thats fine

@765penny658 , how can kids know about something they aren't taught, that's why I don't think people his age will think anything of it.
They will know. Children learn from many different sources, as do adults.
Type ira into the search field on your browser and see what the results are.

I was born early 90s. So why would have I heard about it. I learned as I got older, much older. I never learnt about IRA at school, at any point. The the only time I learnt anything was as I got older maybe something was on the news and I asked my dad. My daughter is in yr7, and so far they've never mentioned IRA in any of her classes. But they've definitely learnt about the nazis. All I was getting at is, how can kids know about something they aren't taught, that's why I don't think people his age will think anything of it. And since I called my son Ira, I know quiet a few people that have too. So I'm sure people will just see it as a name, and actually separate it from a terrorist group.

I would assume the child was Jewish, I'm very aware of the IRA but on a child I would assume named after great grandpa (the age of the Iras i have come across)

I’m not picking an argument. For you to say that kids his age won’t know about it is simply untrue. The IRA left a lasting legacy which is still very much alive and well today. Personally I wouldn’t want to saddle my child with a name that would make their life very awkward should they ever want to study or work in Ireland but each to their own.. Considering the massive London bombings in the early 90s I am genuinely amazed that you’d never heard of it - the troubles weren’t just confined to NI in those days!

@765penny658, I wasn't taught about the Nazis at school and WW2 was well before my time, but I wouldn't call a child Stasi.

Which is why I said, I don't think it will be an issue kids in his year knowing about it.
They are very likely to know about it. It is our history.

I'm all open for discussions, but you're literally picking for an argument.
You are being ignorant about recent history and implying we are wrong to point out that we are offended.

Its a thread about a name. Not about the English schooling system
You're the one bringing education into it, and BTW not all of us UK citizens are English. Some of use were educated in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

How does it, I honestly didn't know much about it. I found out more, reading things as I got older. But I never learnt about it at school. Which is why I said, I don't think it will be an issue kids in his year knowing about it. I'm all open for discussions, but you're literally picking for an argument. Its a thread about a name. Not about the English schooling system

It's a fairly popular name in the states and Australia but I am aware it has some other connotations

First part is debatable. I’m Australian and while the name would be okay here, it’s not a popular name by any stretch. I wouldn’t though, just in case my child wanted to travel/work in the UK when older, it would be an unwanted chain around their neck.

As for the ‘some other connotations’, that’s putting it mildly surely ………. And yes, your kids g that the name Isis would not be appropriate in this day and age is also pretty spot on! And before you get to it, you should also strike Adolf from your list.

@tinytemper66 , I don't know if you speak Welsh, but the name is just 'Snow' and pronounced (approximately) eyra.

Imagine if Snow became a first name and people said it to rhyme with How - that's how weird the Eye-ra pronunciation is to me.

Problematic in UK Ireland. 12 years of teachers saying, 'how are you spelling that, I. R. A......'.

I am Welsh and I pronounce it Eyra. I worked with someone who said it that way so that maybe why I say it that way.

@765penny658 I suggest you read up on your Irish history. Your post comes across as very ignorant and naive