Using an Irish baby name

Sorry, you do know it's spelt Aoife?

Lovely name and one I think is becoming more recognisable in the UK too.

Well, my children are only 50% Irish but they have English names and nobody has objected!

I really don't think you need anybody's permission to use an Irish name. Ireland is geographically part of the British Isles and the two countries are obviously very linked. It doesn't seem on the same parr as choosing a German name for example! Even though there is perhaps not much logic to that. Hans for an English boy would make me wonder, but Sean wouldn't..

I do think it's sad that Irish names seem to be perceived negatively by Mumsnetters. I say mumsnetters rather than British people, as there is a difference here!

Perhaps you could use a name such as Roisin or Clodagh? Or Diarmuid for a boy. Clodagh and Diarmuid sound posh in Ireland lol! I don't think they are going to become mainstream in the UK anytime soon. Maybe that's the key to avoiding a name that other people might label chavvy? Choose a name that isn't mainstream in the UK. If it's mainstream then it has 'baggage' already. Choose something totally fresh. The down side of that is the spelling issue, but tbh, that's a problem anyway. I think Aoife and even Caoimhe might be about to become much more popular in the UK, and they might be perceived the way Conor and Calum are (very unfair and ridiculous imo). I have seen Liam described as the C word on this board, and Liam is a form of William!!

Good luck. You don't need anybody's permission to use the name you choose.

I think it's a lovely name.

Even people who are named, for example, Shaun/Sean/Sion or similarly Katherine/Katharine/Kathryn have the requirement to spell their name.

We are thinking of a possibly difficult to spell/pronouce name for DC2 if a girl, and although I am concerned about this too slightly, I think it's much more important to have a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.