Oisin / Donnacha / Naoise

It’s often met with resistance when an Irish person in England chooses a traditional Irish name for their child. Comments about the potential for misspellings or mispronunciations underscore a lingering, if subtle, undercurrent of anti-Irish sentiment still present in English society.

No other minority seems to encounter quite the same challenges regarding names. In my experience with my son, who has an Irish name, once we clarify the pronunciation, people generally make an effort to pronounce it correctly. My son's name is Caoimhín. Much to the horror of my very English in laws, I'm raising him in the Irish language. My husband consequently, is picking up the language😁
OP, all three are beautiful names, use all three😃

Naoise and Oisin are both lovely.

Róisín and Oisín don't rhyme. There is an accent (called a fada) on the o in Róisín whereas there isn't in Oisín. Even if people leave the fada off in the spelling, it is still pronounced as if the fada was there.

@BeatrizBoniface , I said Oisín and Niamh are Osian and Nia in Welsh.
The same story appears in Irish and Welsh mythology.

I've no idea if Naoise and Deirdre have Welsh equivalents.

I found this What is Naoise in Welsh? | Wales but it's complete bollocks.

No, it's not.
Nor did I suggest that.
I can see that I was somewhat confused by your post at 14.18.
I'm not surely why people are being so unpleasant on here, I have not been rude or unpleasant in any post.
No need. So I'm off.
Good luck with the naming, OP. They all seem like nice names.

@BeatrizBoniface , Is Niamh the same as Naoise? No. Both are names from Irish mythology, but a bit like asking 'Is Othello the same as Olivia?'

I mean the same.
Because that was what @JimNast said, (at 14.18) and I didn't know that, so that's why I asked for clarification.

I assumed they were all girls names.

My 20 year old likes that part of her Irish name.

How do you mean, the same? I can’t speak for Wales, but no, they’re completely different names, with completely different pronunciations. Niamh is a girls name. Naoise is used for both, but all the Naoises I know are male. Niam is, roughly ‘NEE-uv’. Naoise is roughly ‘NEE-shuh. Second syllable is a schwa in both.

No. Niamh is a girl name. Naoise was a warrior / lover in the old legend Deirdre of the Sorrows.

Oisín has a nice legend - where he is taken to the Land of Youth by Niamh the fairy queen.

Donnacha - couple of rugby players have the name.
Naoise - English people have decided it is a girls name so it might die out among boys? Like Beverly, Tara , etc. Though in fairness Tara is a place name so it is unisex I suppose.

Oisín for me. Have known too many arsehole Donnachas and although Naoise is used by both boys and girls I only know girl Naoises so wouldn't calm a boy that.

Oisin is such a lovely name.

The world doesn’t need anymore Noahs and Olivers

Is Niamh the same as Naoise? @JimNast ?

I have a foreign name which no one ever gets right. I have to spell it out and often people confuse part of it with my surname. I've always loved it though as no one else has it and am perfectly used to spelling out and explaining my name every single time. My brother however was very relieved that he was given a name that people in the UK have no trouble with, but he's a boy and he's less tolerant.

@IkaBaar , Oisín and Niamh are Osian (OSH-ann) and Nia (NEE-ah) in Welsh.

On here, it's perfectly OK to use any name you like and say it an way you like, as long as you don't insist on the original pronunciation.

DS (born in London) was almost Naoise. It’s gorgeous.

@MiddleParking Even if we accept the premise that the thread was aimed at you personally (that isn’t how the internet works btw), you still didn’t answer that question. You decided to show yourself up as ignorant and unpleasant instead.

No, I didn't. The thread wasn't aimed at you personally either. My answer wasn't aimed at you personally. But here you are, spreading joy and love with your sunny personality.

I love them all. My favourite is Oisín. If I had a boy,that would be his name.

Even if we accept the premise that the thread was aimed at you personally (that isn’t how the internet works btw), you still didn’t answer that question. You decided to show yourself up as ignorant and unpleasant instead.

Oisín
and please keep the fada.
comhghairdeas!

Osian is the Welsh version.

Personally I think it's a bit nuts to choose names based on where you are living - I had Nigerian neighbours when I lived in London... would you expect them to call their kids Rosie and Jim? Spoiler alert: they didn't! Names are a really good way to get insight into another culture - those who talk about bullying (and bear in mind I grew up in a place where no one could pronounce my very easy Welsh name) should maybe think about the other side of the coin.

Apologies! I have only ever heard it as a girl’s name. I know three women called Naoise and had no clue it was traditionally a male name. Good to know!