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Baby names

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

Original poster

Irish names for girls - suggestions please

61 replies

extremelychocolateymilkroll · 30/12/2009 13:39

My parents are Irish and I'm keen to give dd2 an Irish name - but would prefer one with easy spelling which rules out quite a lot! Any suggestions? Really need help as dd due in February and it was 6 weeks after dd1 was born when we agreed on a name for her! TIA

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mathanxiety · 31/12/2009 23:26

Realtin?
Dearbhla?

I like Una (prefer this spelling). Good name for child and adult alike, and it travels well.

lamg · 31/12/2009 23:01

Thanks happy, it is a lovely name, very unusual but with a beautiful sound[especially with an Irish accent]. Does your sister like her name?

happyharry · 31/12/2009 22:55

I have a sis spelt Una. Not sure if dated now. Think other spelling may be more common in Ireland though.

lamg · 31/12/2009 22:45

Una or Oonagh are really unusual Irish names. Are they considered dated in Ireland, and which spelling is correct?

Sesi · 31/12/2009 17:57

Fiona is a nice, easy to spell Irish name.

Less easy to spell but v. nice is Aoibheann .

Also like Orlaith & Róisín.

crumpette · 31/12/2009 17:34

I love Roisin and Erin

Orlaith and Naimh are nice

Not being Irish myself everything else is really hard to pronounce for me or spell!

MaggieMnaSneachta · 31/12/2009 16:41

Caitni, yes, those awful soups!! Erin will always be packet soup to me! like calling your daughter Tayto! that might take off in America?!

OhBuggerandArse · 31/12/2009 15:46

Sadb (alt. spelling Sadhbh). Wish my family would let me use it!

MaggieMnaSneachta · 31/12/2009 15:33

loulou, that is what they do in his family, but they're not representative of Ireland in that respect!

Original poster
extremelychocolateymilkroll · 31/12/2009 14:15

Thanks all for so many responses.

OP posts:
MamaLazarou · 31/12/2009 11:09

My favourite Irish girls names are Sinead and Imelda.

thesecondcoming · 31/12/2009 11:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LouLouH · 31/12/2009 10:42

MaggieMnaSneachta my daughters real dad is irish and his side of the family all have double barrel first names.

mathanxiety · 31/12/2009 07:18

Dare I suggest Caitriona?

SHEE-fra is lovely (Siofra). I love Liadan (LEE-a-dhawn), Ailbhe (Alveh), Caoilfhionn/ Caoilin (pr. Keelan), and Aoibhin (pr Eeveen). Then there's Alanna, which is an anglicisation of a term of endearment ("a leanbh" = dear child, approximately).

Monisey · 30/12/2009 23:12

Siofra I pronounce Shee-fra like you suggested Caitni, its a lovely name.

LittleMontyontheDustyRoad · 30/12/2009 23:10

Maggiemcsnow - You are so right! You said what I was thinking!

(My gaelic translation of your name is crap isn't it?). lol

Caitni · 30/12/2009 23:08

LondonMackem has a great list of easy of names easy to say and spell.

maggie I like your festive name (very apt with the weather we've been having recently ) and I'm starting to love Siofra more and more...there's a similar sounding one I also love (and rather superstitiously don't want to say on MN ) so my own quest for an Irish girl's name is down to Siofra and the other one...can I just ask how you'd pronounce Siofra? Would you say "SHEE-fra"?

Am also baffled by the double-barrelled name thing being Irish...I actually think of it as quite English (like Sarah-Louise in Corrie).

Cara is also a lovely name, so simple and elegant...

Caitni · 30/12/2009 23:05

Erin is Irish, in that it's a name used in poetry/song/literature for Ireland itself, hence the line in Hail Glorious St Patrick. So for me isn't really a girl's name, which is why it's a stereotypical Irish-American name (as in only in America would they effectively name a girl "Ireland", in the same way that Colleen is a stereotypical Irish-American name, which is terrible imo as Colleen is the anglicised version of the Irish word for girl - it must be awful to be just called girl!).

With Erin there's also the Erin brand of soups in Ireland...another excellent reason to avoid calling your daughter Erin!

midnightexpress · 30/12/2009 22:58

I love Caiomhe, but nobody outside Scotladn or Ireland will be able to pronounce it.

Monisey · 30/12/2009 22:56

Erin is Irish, its the irish word or one of them for Ireland.

Have to agree with MaggieMnaSneachta about the doubled barrelled names, I'm Irish, and have never heard that about irish names.

Caoimhe, I pronounce Kwee-va, but I know people pronounce it Keeva also.

What about Cara? It means friend.

thesecondcoming · 30/12/2009 22:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

happyharry · 30/12/2009 22:30

Erin may sound American but I am sure it is Irish. There is a line in Hail Glorious Saint Patrick " On erin's green valleys"

MaggieMnaSneachta · 30/12/2009 22:25

Erin and Shannon sound American to my ear tbh.

happyharry · 30/12/2009 22:23

I really wanted to name my dd Erin. Couldn't persuade DP though.

MaggieMnaSneachta · 30/12/2009 22:20

Hang on LouLou, I have to stop you there. I think your information is flawed. I don't know a single child in my children's schools or amongst my cousins' many children who has a double-barrelled name!

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