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Baby names

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

Original poster

Irish girl names

65 replies

Coffeeaddict14xo · 06/12/2024 05:45

What do you think of these names:

Erin
Cara
Caitlin
Sorcha
Roisin
Aisling

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MarnieRey · 07/12/2024 06:40

I don't love Erin but there's nothing wrong with it. Caitlin depends on whether you're using it in actual irish or going for the angliscisation of Kate-lin. Sorcha is nice if it's sor-ka or sor-uh-ka but I don't love the way they pronounce it Sor-sha in the North but that's different dialects for you. I would go for Aisling or Cara personally, love both.

And ignore the colonial minded comments telling you not to call your child a name from your culture in case others can't cope , they will.

I'm called Niamh and people manage just fine, I've lived in 5 different countries and it's never been enough to make me wish my name was different.

nornironlady · 07/12/2024 06:26

Agree with others if you are not in Ireland. Some of these will not be pronounced correctly even when you tell people. I say this as having one of the names on the list and dealing with England from NI for many years. It's no fun having to continually repeat your name or have people always say it incorrectly. Aisling is similar and is my sisters name. The variations I've heard over the years!

mrspresents · 07/12/2024 06:17

My fav Irish girls names is Caoimhe and Saoirse

AnonymousArmadillo · 07/12/2024 06:10

My Cara knows her name is Italian and Irish. Still a beautiful name!

Rainbowandgrey · 07/12/2024 01:23

theduchessofspork · 07/12/2024 00:06

I love Caitlin and Sorcha, I love Aislinn (not so much Aisling) - I'd probably go for Caitlin, as Cait/Kate is such a classic and underused in that generation.

Not so keen on the rest, and I'd tend to think of Erin as more American and Cara as Italian.

Yes, I’d also think of Cara as more of an Italian name. I know cara is the Irish word for friend but it’s not pronounced as the name is, but as corra.

Pallisers · 07/12/2024 01:02

Sorcha is my favourite name - would have loved to use it. But I live in the US and just couldn't do it - I tried it out on pretty cosmopolitan american friends and they had no clue how to go about pronouncing it (plus when I was pregnant with the daughter who might have had that name I met a Sorcha from Ireland who told me not to do it)

Have you thought of Liadan?

2024BabyNameIndecision · 07/12/2024 01:01

I have an Erin so obviously that's my fave from your list ☺️ I'm not Irish - DH is, and we live in London. But the other names on our final list for DD2 were Roisin, Maeve, and Orla. In the end we went with something totally different.

FutureFry · 07/12/2024 00:56

I was dithering between Aoife and Niamh when 9 months pregnant and then when she came out, I gave her a Spanish name!

My other favourites are Róise, Cara and Orla.

Enough4me · 07/12/2024 00:30

Love Erin and Cara.
(My DD has a short name, 2 syllables easy to say and she's 18 and loves it.)

Copperoliverbear · 07/12/2024 00:27

Sorcha.
Roisin
Aoife
Neave

Fiadh
Caoimhe
Laoise
Caragh
Saoirse
Niamh

WarmFrogPond · 07/12/2024 00:23

BibbityBobbityToo · 07/12/2024 00:20

A thousand apologies, I didn't realise my contribution to this thread had to meet with your approval first. Would you like me to PM you to get permission next time?

🫡🙄

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Are you normally this reactive? You’re suggesting names from another culture without having any idea of their connotations in that culture. Though I would have said Kerry was obvious.

Deadringer · 07/12/2024 00:23

My lovely mam was called Moira which I love, I also like Ciara, Fianna, Callin and Cadhla.

BibbityBobbityToo · 07/12/2024 00:20

WarmFrogPond · 07/12/2024 00:13

Maura is the equivalent of Gladys or Beryl, and Kerry is like calling your child Gloucestershire or Somerset, though.

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A thousand apologies, I didn't realise my contribution to this thread had to meet with your approval first. Would you like me to PM you to get permission next time?

🫡🙄

ThisIsClearlyMe · 07/12/2024 00:17

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns.

WarmFrogPond · 07/12/2024 00:13

BibbityBobbityToo · 07/12/2024 00:10

I say this as a Scottish person - Unless you live in Ireland I would avoid any with a Celtic spelling to save them a lifetime of explaining/correcting.

My favorites are Maura and Kerry.

Maura is the equivalent of Gladys or Beryl, and Kerry is like calling your child Gloucestershire or Somerset, though.

WarmFrogPond · 07/12/2024 00:12

Caitlin is Irish-American (unless you’re pronouncing it Coyt-leen or Coytch-leen and spelling it with the appropriate fadas), as is Erin (which is an uneasy alliance between a packet soup brand and calling your child after a country).

Probably Cara or Sorcha, as long as you’re not labouring under the delusion it’s pronounced Sore-sha (not assuming you are, but people do).

Janedoe82 · 07/12/2024 00:10

Blaithnaid or Clodagh

BibbityBobbityToo · 07/12/2024 00:10

I say this as a Scottish person - Unless you live in Ireland I would avoid any with a Celtic spelling to save them a lifetime of explaining/correcting.

My favorites are Maura and Kerry.

theduchessofspork · 07/12/2024 00:06

I love Caitlin and Sorcha, I love Aislinn (not so much Aisling) - I'd probably go for Caitlin, as Cait/Kate is such a classic and underused in that generation.

Not so keen on the rest, and I'd tend to think of Erin as more American and Cara as Italian.

salamithumbs · 06/12/2024 23:15

I like Cara the best! Followed by Aisling and Sorcha

Catlover1705 · 06/12/2024 20:46

Maeve and Niamh

AnonymousArmadillo · 06/12/2024 20:38

I have a Cara and an Aoife. Irish names are beautiful.

Cara is my favourite from your list obviously.

Lalaloveya · 06/12/2024 20:34

mugglewump · 06/12/2024 19:51

Saoirse is preferable to Sorcha in my opinion. If you want to anglicise it, go for Sorsha.

"Sorsha" sounds closest to Seoirse. Which is George.

Stresshead84x · 06/12/2024 20:01

BootballJoy · 06/12/2024 09:55

Aisling is my favourite from that list. My favourite Irish girls' names are Aoife, Caoimhe and Fiadh.

I have a Fiadh - such a pretty name

mugglewump · 06/12/2024 19:51

Saoirse is preferable to Sorcha in my opinion. If you want to anglicise it, go for Sorsha.

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