Irish baby girl names

My comment that "irish people use English names" was strange?

Eh no its not at all! I know LOADS of people in Ireland who have English names. Their parents use the names just because they like the names.

Yes i see in a later post now - that OP said she is living in Ireland.

I was replying to the poster who said that its tacky to use Irish names in the UK. I don't think it is

OP has already said she’s in Ireland.

If you’re Irish the earlier comment is a really strange one imho. Anyway let’s leave it.

I'm not sure how I could lack historical awareness about Ireland

Seeing as I am Irish myself. You didnt ask!

Also no one has asked the OP if she is Irish herself or if she has an Irish husband/parent. She might do.

Everyone knows about the troubles in the past between the UK and Ireland.

A lot of families in the UK are mixed these days.
eg. An English father, Irish mother.

So a lot of people in the UK are going to use Irish names. Its nothing to do with the trouble in the past.

Using Irish names in the UK often happens because people are PROUD of their Irish heritage. it is a nice thing. Some people just like the sounds of Irish names too, and thats okay in my opinion

I didn’t say that English people (or anyone else) couldn’t use Irish names you know…

I thought your earlier comment regarding Irish people’s use of English names lacked historical awareness.

On my phone I can just press down on a letter on the keyboard for a second or two and the accented letters appear for me to choose from. I’m not sure if it’s the same on all phones.

They are not being forced to use them now, and Irish people still use English names.

No country owns a name. Names start somewhere and then spread out to the rest of the world. We are all from the world.

They're all lovely but I think Aoife is my favourite.

I have always heard Béibhinn pronounced as Bay-veen so I always assumed there was a fada on the last i and spelt it Béibhín like Blaithín, Seoidín, and Róisín. And Aoibheann is Eev-in like in the Irish sentence - Is aoibheann liom an t-ainm Aoibheann.

As someone with an Irish name in England, I don't mind when people say my name incorrectly the first time they see it. I do mind when they continue to say the wrong name even after they've been told the right way to say it!

I've no idea how to get the fada on my phone. Advice greatly appreciated!

@Helenalove , that's a separate debate.
There is background as to why names from the culture of a country that was formerly a part of the British Empire might be problematic.

Maybe because for a long time they were forced to.

Maelisa is the only one of those that’s unusual in Ireland (where OP is) so people may be unfamiliar with the spelling, which is an anglicised one.
Maeve has many different spellings so that would be the only issue there.
Bríd and Siobhán need their fadas.

Irish people also use English names

No, not really unfortunately for more unusual names. Aoife is fine, Saoirse too I’d say. Bébhinn will cause issues I’d say.
I don’t think OP is pronouncing Etain correctly, but open to correction.

Fionnuala
Siobhan
Maeve
Maelisa
Brid

None are likely to be spelled properly or pronounced properly but that's the risk you take with any Irish or Gaelic name.

Exactly. English people can, despite many of the claims made on the Mn baby names forum, manage Irish names perfectly well. I lived there for almost 30 years with an unusual Irish name and an Irish language surname, as did DS.

Then I imagine the concern about people not being able to pronounce or spell the name is misplaced?!

A few pronunciations here. Not sure how it could be Eh-tane.

forvo.com/word/etain_%28old_irish%29/

https://forvo.com/word/%C3%A9ta%C3%ADn_-_%C3%A9adaoin/

I don’t think Etain is pronounced Eh-tane, is it?
Étaín is an old Irish spelling and it’s Éadaoin in modern Irish, pronounced like Aideen.

Aoife is probably the only one you won't get variances in pronunciation and/or spelling. That goes in Ireland as well as UK.

Op is living in Ireland 🇮🇪

I would pronounce it Ay-veen, but I know that's not correct.
I know 6 Aoibhín/Aoibheann/Aoibhinn - and only one goes by the Ee sound.

Aoife is not as popular as it was 10/15 years ago, it's dropped out of the top 5 (maybe even top 10) now.

I love Etain, but DH didn't.

I think we have different experiences of having Irish names living in the UK and that’s okay. My experience is different to yours but it doesn’t negate it, yours is not less valid because it was different for me and both perspectives may be useful for the OP.

@Psychologymam , school might have got them right, mine did, but as an adult I find people don't.
If you are in a multi-cultural area, people will almost certainly speak more than one language, and that makes a difference.

people really made an effort The making an effort is worse than just saying it phonetically in my case.
and once it was corrected once (generally) doesn't work. People don't really care, or they just don't get it.

Imagine it was something Caitríona and people saying Kay-Tree-Owner, Cat-tree-Owner, Katreena etc, and spelling it Katrina, Catriona, Ciatriona etc.
(it's not my actual name).

my experience is different - people really made an effort and once it was corrected once (generally), I/my kids had no issue, people did pronounce them correctly in nursery/school but the r sound is tricky I will grant you that! we were in a urban multicultural setting though interacting with lots of nationalities, maybe that made a difference?

I think Aoife is beautiful and the most familiar outside of Ireland from your list.

I like Saoirse too but even though I know one I still have to check the spelling every time - it just won’t stick in my head for some reason! Plus the one I know pronounces her name more like Sair- sha (which is pretty but adds more confusion if there are different ways of pronouncing it!).