Page 2 | Seánna? - correct spelling

suzettenoisette · 2023-09-25T22:21:59+00:00

This is just for a middle name, the second middle name to be exact. We want to honor a Seán. I do like Seán and I do like shaw-na, the way it sounds. I do, however, dislike the way Shauna and Shawna look. I don't mind Seána, but I think it would get see-ann-a, but as a middle name it won't matter much. I do like Seánna a lot. Now my questions is, would this be spelt Seánna or Seanna correctly? I know that Seán is the Irish spelling, but does the fada stay, when it is feminised? Does Seánna work? First name is still not decided on, but we like Samantha, Sabrina, Poppy, Holly, Selena and Haley.

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LizzieAnt · 27/09/2023 14:16

ammpersand · 27/09/2023 13:53

And just to flag, looking on Facebook it also seems to be a name also given to boys (with and without the fada).

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Séadna, with the fada on e so Shayna, is definitely a boy's name, though not much used now I'd say. It was anglicised Sidney and is the name of a well-known Irish book.

Resentful2023 · 27/09/2023 14:09

Well I've lived in Ireland all my life and Shauna is a real name as far as I'm aware. Plenty of Shaunas in the country.

TheMurderousGoose · 27/09/2023 14:02

not in Irish accents at least

TheMurderousGoose · 27/09/2023 14:00

Shona doesn't sound like Seána/Shauna though.

KirstenBlest · 27/09/2023 13:58

Seonagh is the scottish spelling.
Shona is straightforward.

Seana looks like it should rhyme with Deana

ammpersand · 27/09/2023 13:53

ammpersand · 27/09/2023 13:48

I know someone called that who does pronounce it 'shaw-na', but I see from Googling that it seems to be an unusual spelling so might need more checking/vetting.

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And just to flag, looking on Facebook it also seems to be a name also given to boys (with and without the fada).

ammpersand · 27/09/2023 13:48

suzettenoisette · 27/09/2023 13:37

Thanks, it's a good idea. Is it pronounced shaw-na?

I once read that DH is silent in Irish, but maybe I'm wrong.

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I know someone called that who does pronounce it 'shaw-na', but I see from Googling that it seems to be an unusual spelling so might need more checking/vetting.

TheMurderousGoose · 27/09/2023 13:46

If it's to honour a Seán just go with Seána. Seems a no brainer to me.

itsmyp4rty · 27/09/2023 13:45

If you like Selena then why don't you use that as it includes all the letter of Sean.

Stoopid people like me are going to think Seanna, accent or no accent, is pronounced See -anna

Original poster

suzettenoisette · 27/09/2023 13:40

Thank you for your thoughts, but I won't name my daughter Seán. Maybe that works in the US and some locations, but here it would be very odd. Kind of like naming you daughter Robert or Thomas.

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Original poster

suzettenoisette · 27/09/2023 13:39

Resentful2023 · 27/09/2023 08:55

Sorry @suzettenoisette I think you can't square this circle. You can't invent a name in a different language and want it to be feminine, obey the same pronunciation as a different word, and have the same meaning as a particular name. I'd suggest getting over the fact that it's masculine and just use Seán. Or as surnames are often used as first names maybe you could honour them by their surname? Or just go with Shauna as it's a real name, even if you don't like the look of it. Seánna is a made up name and I'm not sure how it would be pronounced (I think Shay anna but I'm not sure). Or if you really love that one just say it's a made up name and pronounce it the way you want.

I accept your opinion, but Shauna is also made up, so I don't really see a problem with changing the spelling to look more like Seán.

Shauna isn't a traditional Irish name but a recent feminisation and anglicisation, as far as I'm aware.

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Original poster

suzettenoisette · 27/09/2023 13:37

ammpersand · 27/09/2023 12:46

What about Seádhna?

Thanks, it's a good idea. Is it pronounced shaw-na?

I once read that DH is silent in Irish, but maybe I'm wrong.

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ammpersand · 27/09/2023 12:46

What about Seádhna?

peaceinourtime · 27/09/2023 12:29

You could always just use Sean as a female OP. I know of a few and many male names are used as unisex names. You may also put something like Mary in front of it and make it Mary-Sean so Hyphenated.

LizzieAnt · 27/09/2023 10:11

I do think Seánna would be pronounced Shauna/Shawna.
That spelling is often used for plurals as pp said - trá (beach) becomes tránna (beaches) for example - but sometimes it's just part of a word (gránna/ugly).
They're pronounced traw-na and graw-na respectively.

That said I've never seen that spelling used before. I've seen Seána written, but the couple of women I know with the name spell it Shauna.
I agree with others that it's not exactly an Irish name (though Seán is of course) as 'a' (or 'na') is not usually added to names to feminise them in Irish.

Resentful2023 · 27/09/2023 08:55

Sorry @suzettenoisette I think you can't square this circle. You can't invent a name in a different language and want it to be feminine, obey the same pronunciation as a different word, and have the same meaning as a particular name. I'd suggest getting over the fact that it's masculine and just use Seán. Or as surnames are often used as first names maybe you could honour them by their surname? Or just go with Shauna as it's a real name, even if you don't like the look of it. Seánna is a made up name and I'm not sure how it would be pronounced (I think Shay anna but I'm not sure). Or if you really love that one just say it's a made up name and pronounce it the way you want.

SunnyFog · 27/09/2023 07:14

Seánna would be a plural of a word “seá”, so I would pronounce it Shaunee. That’s the only way -ánna is used in Irish.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 26/09/2023 16:09

suzettenoisette · 26/09/2023 15:55

Thanks, everyone, but I don't want a form of John such as Joanna, because I feeld the connection is not so much there anymore. Same with the middle name. Seán is strictly masculine to me so I don't want to use it.

I don't like Sinéad and Siobhan, but thank you for the suggestions!

Seánín is cute, but masculine as well.

Seánin is incorrect as, unless it's a compound word, a and i can't be on either side of a consonant. A, o, and u are broad vowels and i and e are slender vowels. You can only have broad with broad and slender with slender. You would add in an i before the n if you're adding the "ín" so it would be spelt Seáinín.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 26/09/2023 16:06

suzettenoisette · 26/09/2023 15:54

Thank you. Out of curiosity, how would Seánna be pronounced?

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I'm a bit hopeless on phonetics but the double n is pronounced differently to a single n. It's stretched out a bit and, depending on the dialect, can have a kind of a g sound but not as strong as ng in english. It also changes the pronunciation of the preceding vowels slightly. It's kind of elongated a bit.

Sorry. Completely useless explanation.

Original poster

suzettenoisette · 26/09/2023 15:55

Thanks, everyone, but I don't want a form of John such as Joanna, because I feeld the connection is not so much there anymore. Same with the middle name. Seán is strictly masculine to me so I don't want to use it.

I don't like Sinéad and Siobhan, but thank you for the suggestions!

Seánín is cute, but masculine as well.

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Original poster

suzettenoisette · 26/09/2023 15:54

OchonAgusOchonOh · 26/09/2023 15:52

It may be an actual name but it's not an Irish name. It's looks like some form of bastardisation of Seáinín, which means little Seán and would be used for a boy in this instance.

op - adding the extra n changed the pronunciation. If you want it pronounced Shawna, the spelling is Seána.

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Thank you. Out of curiosity, how would Seánna be pronounced?

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chaos76 · 26/09/2023 15:53

I know 4 girls with this name 3 out of four are fluent Irish speakers from families that speak Irish as first language
2 Seána (the Fada should be included )
2 Shauna

OchonAgusOchonOh · 26/09/2023 15:52

PlasticSheetingRTÉNews · 26/09/2023 15:46

How about Seáneen? It’s an actual name, and is the female diminutive of Seán?

It may be an actual name but it's not an Irish name. It's looks like some form of bastardisation of Seáinín, which means little Seán and would be used for a boy in this instance.

op - adding the extra n changed the pronunciation. If you want it pronounced Shawna, the spelling is Seána.

PlasticSheetingRTÉNews · 26/09/2023 15:46

How about Seáneen? It’s an actual name, and is the female diminutive of Seán?

KirstenBlest · 26/09/2023 15:37

or the welsh versions Sioned and Siwan? (SHONN-ed and SHOO-ann)