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Original poster

Fiachra - thoughts?

246 replies

pontipinemum · 09/04/2024 11:14

I'm Irish and live in Ireland.

I found out I am having a boy 🤗I already have a Pádraig, we are looking for something else Irish, and preferably not super popular. I've posted before, I have a massive family so a lot of names have been used already

What are thoughts on Fiachra? Non Irish people, would you have any idea how to say it?

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WillYouPutYourCoatOn · 09/04/2024 21:29

LapinR0se · 09/04/2024 11:32

I am Irish living abroad and have a colleague called Fiachra.

He gets called:
Fee-ACK-rah
FIGH-ah-crah
Fee-ah-cah-ah-rah

And everything in between

I would read/say it Fye Akk Ra

With hard "a" sounds, like in tan.

In fact, not dissimilar to Viagra, which I pronounce Vye Agg Ra.

Bananabredd · 09/04/2024 21:23

Awful. No matter how you want to pronounce it, remember your daughter in (probably 18-20 years) will want to go out on her own in to the world.

Adding a name that the vast population of the world can't say or understand, is not a good move.

Original poster
pontipinemum · 09/04/2024 21:12

@Blackcats7 everything sounds better in an Irish accent 😉I'm not getting the Viagra sound at all. But it's Fee-ah-cra

OP posts:
PlasticOno · 09/04/2024 21:04

Blackcats7 · 09/04/2024 21:03

I tried saying it and it comes out like either firecracker or viagra. Better in an irish accent?

It’s better if pronounced properly. FEE-a-kra.

PlasticOno · 09/04/2024 21:03

pontipinemum · 09/04/2024 21:00

@PlasticOno people would think we were very republican! Someone else said Ferdia, not that it's a bad thing but for some reason I think that sounds very Portuguese not Irish, not a fan of Iarla

Naoise was the other one we seriously considered for DS. And Fergus.

But now I really want you to have Pádraig and Pierce.

Blackcats7 · 09/04/2024 21:03

I tried saying it and it comes out like either firecracker or viagra. Better in an irish accent?

Lesina · 09/04/2024 21:02

Gorgeous name :)

PlasticOno · 09/04/2024 21:01

Procrastination4 · 09/04/2024 20:48

Yes I know that, but people in Ireland-where you’re living-most likely would be able to pronounce it, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
If I really wanted to use an Irish name for my son or daughter, and I was living in Ireland, I’d do so. Anyone not familiar with the name will learn it easily.
.Think of the Welsh name Siân-my colleague pronounced that as “Cee-Ann”, (and had her whole class of children doing the same!) Luckily it wasn’t a child’s name in her class, but rather, a character on a Maths programme. But I presume that, had she been Welsh, she would not have made that mistake.

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There’s also the problem of people who aren’t from a culture/don’t speak a language, but use a mispronounced version of a name. I had a hairdresser in England called Siân, pronounced ‘Sye-Anne’.

Original poster
pontipinemum · 09/04/2024 21:00

@PlasticOno people would think we were very republican! Someone else said Ferdia, not that it's a bad thing but for some reason I think that sounds very Portuguese not Irish, not a fan of Iarla

OP posts:
SunnyFog · 09/04/2024 20:49

It does matter for the future though. Mr Fog every so often points to a name and asks how to say it - he works with international teams. All mangling each other's names in a glorious Babel. The misreading isn't always based on English - and it's worth remembering that in many languages Viagra is actually the same vowel sounds as Fiachra.

Procrastination4 · 09/04/2024 20:48

pontipinemum · 09/04/2024 20:39

@Procrastination4 the majority of people on this site are not Irish so I was just curious

Yes I know that, but people in Ireland-where you’re living-most likely would be able to pronounce it, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
If I really wanted to use an Irish name for my son or daughter, and I was living in Ireland, I’d do so. Anyone not familiar with the name will learn it easily.
.Think of the Welsh name Siân-my colleague pronounced that as “Cee-Ann”, (and had her whole class of children doing the same!) Luckily it wasn’t a child’s name in her class, but rather, a character on a Maths programme. But I presume that, had she been Welsh, she would not have made that mistake.

piefacedClique · 09/04/2024 20:45

Fee-Kra?

PlasticOno · 09/04/2024 20:45

I love the idea of you roaring ‘Pádraig! Pierce!’ across a field.

PlasticOno · 09/04/2024 20:44

If you’re Irish and living in Ireland, I really don’t see why you’re asking the opinion of English people who, in a recent thread, will only countenance ‘subtle Irish names’ ie. not too incomprehensible to a Little Englander who thinks foreign names are mildly embarrassing and that it’s unreasonable to expect them to even try to learn how to say them. (And yes, not all English people, but they’re over-represented in these threads)

I do like Fiachra, though I didn’t consider it for DS because of the Fiachra Frog and fiacla associations, but it is a nice name. DS was nearly named Ferdia or Iarla, and if we’d been living in Ireland at the time, he would have been. Either of those do it for you?

Original poster
pontipinemum · 09/04/2024 20:39

@Procrastination4 the majority of people on this site are not Irish so I was just curious

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Original poster
pontipinemum · 09/04/2024 20:38

BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 09/04/2024 20:36

I like the name that sonjadog suggested Ruairi... I also love the name Niall.

We strongly considered Ruairí with our first DS. But had a few people say Rory/ Ruairí are pronounced the same so it put me off.

OP posts:
Procrastination4 · 09/04/2024 20:37

@pontipinemum if you’re living in Ireland, why are you worried that people won’t be able to pronounce “Fiachra”? If you’re going up put the question to people living in England, I’d expect a totally different answer, and if you were not living in Ireland yourself, I can understand why you’d be concerned. But surely Irish people are going to be able to pronounce it? It’s not that unusual. If you like it, use it. (As for it reminding people of Viagra -it’s nothing LIKE viagra! )

Had to edit-stupid phone autocorrected it!🙈🙈🙈

BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 09/04/2024 20:36

I like the name that sonjadog suggested Ruairi... I also love the name Niall.

sonjadog · 09/04/2024 20:28

It is a nice name, but yes, it does bring teeth to mind.

Ruairí is a great name.

BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 09/04/2024 20:26

I also thought it was the word for teeth in Irish. Not a big fan of it but it is your choice and once you are happy with it. I gave my son an Irish name and most people manage with it but often gets called out wrong if at a doctor appt. etc

Namerchanger1 · 09/04/2024 20:24

mathanxiety · 09/04/2024 17:15

No, it's FEE-ah-crah (emphasis on the first syllable).

It doesn't rhyme with viagra and it's not fay-cra.

That IA in Irish is always pronounced as two separate vowel sounds - it's always EE-ah.

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I’ll let my very close relative know that he’s pronouncing his own name wrong then 😉

AwfulTed · 09/04/2024 19:53

Love it! NI here, and only know of one, none of primary school age …also love Malachy which goes nicely with Pàdraig

SnowFrogJelly · 09/04/2024 19:25

Noooooo

ScubaDivingSpiderMonkey · 09/04/2024 19:18

this thread has reminded me that all the viagra in the world is made in Ringaskiddy.

Abhannmor · 09/04/2024 18:20

featheryfancy · 09/04/2024 17:58

I apologise but I’m another that read it like siracha but with an f

That would make sense if it was spelled Fia- racha. But it isn't.

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