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Baby names

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

Original poster

Non-ugly Irish girls' names

219 replies

skidoodle · 22/07/2009 13:22

I'm looking for suggestions of Irish names (broadest interpretation of same OK) for a girl that are not hideous.

Irish boys' names are easy, but girls are way trickier as so many of them are just not very attractive IMHO. Others are lovely when pronounced properly but very lumpen in the mouths of non-Irish speakers, and DH (and family) are English.

So, what am I not considering? The more unusual the better here.

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Hi there - this thread is a little old. [[https://www.mumsnet.com/baby-names/most-popular-irish-baby-names
If you’re looking for an Irish baby name, find inspiration here]]. MNHQ

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ILoveCoreyHaim · 19/05/2014 15:58

Wow yeah its from 2009

FlipFantasia · 19/05/2014 15:57

Old thread! But one I posted on (under a different name) when pregnant with my first. Now pregnant with my 3rd and back to the 'what to name a girl' (though it could be a boy). Happy memories reading through it!

ILoveCoreyHaim · 19/05/2014 10:49

I have a Niamh from when Niamh wasn't as popular as it is now. She hates her name with a passion and has spent years being called Ny-amp Ny-umph Ny-am

mathanxiety · 19/05/2014 01:13

Ooooooooollld thread.

hollyisalovelyname · 18/05/2014 23:58

Iseult / Isolde
Beautiful names
Love Macushla.

bouncingbelle · 18/05/2014 23:48

Nyree

Angelto5 · 18/05/2014 21:11

Is the name Isolde Irish???

Angelto5 · 18/05/2014 19:13

caomihe pronounced kee-va

bluewisteria · 18/05/2014 19:04

My daughter is called Macushla, we've had wonderful reactions to it, nn Mac which is quite funky on a little girl

irishgallovesjames · 17/05/2014 20:28

My name is Grainne

scotagm · 28/08/2009 21:08

Caoimhe? (kee-va)

Patsy4 · 27/08/2009 23:52

By the way..Alannah means "Darling Child"

(pronounce "a lanna" not "Alarna" )

NotanOtter · 27/08/2009 23:35

bernadette so lovely

ds has one in his class

Patsy4 · 27/08/2009 23:26

Alannah is a beautiful old Irish name..

Maj1 · 27/08/2009 22:48

Proper irish spelling for Laois is Lis (fada on i), Ailbhe (alva), Saidhbh (Sive), Fiadh (Fia), Doireann.

RedLentil · 26/08/2009 13:09

We have a Maebh and Eibhlín here.

There are lots of Jacks and Chloe's here in west cork at the moment.

Of the 8 mums of children in DS's class, 4 are Marys and 2 are Margarets.

Is your boy's list closed or can I squeeze Fintan on to it?

Gateau · 26/08/2009 12:48

One of my favourite names is Clodagh, but DH won't have it

aoifesmama · 16/08/2009 22:41

I am Irish, DH is Ghanaian and 4 month old DD is Aoife. We've had to pronounce and spell to every single person who has asked her name. Just back from 2 weeks in Eire, Limerick followed by Galway before which I smugly informed DH EVERYONE would know the name Aoife...um, they didnt!

If I had another (still at the stage of saying never again) I would go for Saoirse, despite the fact that I'm sure Aoife will go nuts with me for having a PITA name!!

shivishere · 16/08/2009 21:01

Hi...my daughter is Nuala (pronounce 'Noo-la')...I have an Irish name, and my maiden name was Irish, so we gave both our kids Irish names. Living in England, Nuala is easy to pronounce, spell and means 'fair shouldered one'...I think it's sweet !

Fluffypoms · 15/08/2009 22:50

Raegan my DD1 name

ludog · 14/08/2009 20:37

Dd1's middle name is Bernadette, she was born on the 7th anniversary of my friend Bernie's death. There's a few Bernies in my family, but none under 40!

MuffinToptheMule · 14/08/2009 19:54

Bernadette is always auntie Benny to us

MuffinToptheMule · 14/08/2009 19:52

I have two aunt Marys, an aunt Dymphna, an aunt Bernadette and an uncle Ignatius. My mum is Onagh.

GrapefruitMoon · 14/08/2009 17:54

You've just reminded me that there's a Philomena in my dd's year at school!

frogs · 14/08/2009 17:49

On the elderly nun theme, I know a 9yo Philomena who is very sweet. And a 10yo Ursula. Or how about Perpetua?

Actually, back in the day most of the nuns I encountered had boys names. It really threw me when I started school and had Sr Mary John as my classteacher.