URGENT-IRISH GIRLS NAMES....

[niamhsmam]

Honest opinions please, baby arriving by elcs in less than 48hrs and having a last minute wobble on the name..DD1 called Niamh we had chosen Orla for this one but now not so sure ..i'm just not in love with the name if ye know what i mean ,DH likes Aoife but when i mention it people look at me funny and all say they pefer Orla..I like Eimear but DH really against this one. Is Orla just more popular because thats the one English folks have heard off!!!Oh help.

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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

You don't have to decide yet! Neither of my babies had names for the first three days as I wanted to get to know them first and see what suited them!

Talking Irish names my daughter is Maeve, I love it and it is utterly her.

Great list at:

www.babynames.org.uk/irish-girl-baby-names.htm

...and Aoife always is one that folks struggle with.

Caoimhe (Keeva)
Aisling (Ashleen)
Siobhan (Shevorn)
Eilidh (Aylee)
Ciara

I like Aoife though

Is it between Eimear and Orla? Or do you want other suggestions too?

Siofra
Sullan (river in Cork, inspired a nice piece of music by Sean O Riada, pronounced Sull-awn, fada on the A)
Davnat (means little fawn)
Liadan
Aifric
Una
Moya/ Maire
Eithne (pronounced Enya; I don't like the Eth-na pronunciation)
Seoighe ('shoya'; this was the Irish college name of a girl I knew whose English name was Joy. I think it translates Joyce)
Beibhinn
Aoibheann
Caoimhe
Deirbhile
Muireann
Riona
Ailbhe
Cliodhna
Caoilfhinn
Honora/ Nora
Roisin
Sibeal
Neasa

I would be tempted to spell Eimear 'Emer' if you're in the UK.

GOOD LUCK!

Thanks for all your help so far,there are so many beautiful irish names out there..but was looking for something simple ,that people won't struggle too much with, hense Orla! I think Niamh is such a pretty name and want the same for little one.

Orla and Aoife are both lovely.
My personal favourites are Aisling and Iseult (pronounced E-sult, though those unfamiliar with it may say insult!)

What about Ashling (very good friend's name )
I love Aoife though.

Love Orla and Aoife, unfortunately I have nieces named these so they are off my list! Also have nieces names Oona, Aisling and Maeve which I also think are lovely!

My personal favourite is Saoirse

I Like clodagh?

prefer Aoife to Orla.

I prefer Aoife to Orla. Gorgeous name.

Orla (or Orlaith ) is nice, though.

Saoirse lovely, but quite 'up the 'RA'

How about Ailis / Eilis
Maeve (Maebh)
Sorcha

I prefer Aoife to Orla, but both are nice.

Orla does have the advantage of being easy to spell and pronounce (not Orlaith, please).

Do you like Aoife? It's weird you say people give funny looks because of all Irish girls' names it is the one that ime is universally liked. Irish people love it, non-Irish people who've never heard it love it.

IMO the only downside with Orla is the English pronunciation of it - i.e. the r is not pronounced. Sounds so much nicer in an Irish accent!
What about Cara or Rhona? Maybe not as obviously Irish as the Aoife and Orla, but still Gaelic-y!

How about Maeve, Méabh?

Do you live in England op?

There was a thread a while ago about how Orla Wright sounded like All Right, took me ages to get it but I think in some English accents it does. Awla not as nice as Orla.

Maeve is a beautiful girls name but then I am biased as that is the name of my 6 month old! I know a mum who has a Niamh and a new 3 week Orla and I do think they go lovely together.... There are so many nice names suggested here that maybe you should wait and see who she looks like when she makes an appearance... P.s in my elder kids north London catholic primary there are 5 (yes 5) Niamh's, 2 Orla's and 3 Conor's in my son's year 1 class (one of the Conors is mine!) so beware the common-ness of Irish names in england! All the best with your imminent arrival, whatever name you choose will be lovely... Mums know best after all!

I love Orla and think it goes beautifully with Niamh

I loved Aoife but decided that living in Scotland it would be a nightmare for DD to have to repeatedly correct/explain the pronounciation. So we went for Eva.

Now we discover that people keep calling her Ava when it's Eva with an E and pronounced as such even when we have verbally introduced her as Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeva.

So my advice is pick whichever name you like and spell it however you like. Nae b@gger listens anyway...

DD2 was nearly Orla, but we went with Sorcha in the end; I like both names but am happy with our decision. We live in England but have Irish DH.

Aoife is lovely. So is Orla but up here, we have rhotic accents - whereabouts do you live?

Going to be unhelpful and say I love them all. Orla and Niamh really gorgeous together--I think you might want to consider that having 2 Irish spelling names could be a bit too much? Unless you are very Irish indeed.

Orla is gorgeous, I may steal that myself (if it turns out I'm having a girl). I like either Theo or Milo for a boy ..

Ciara, Sínead, Roisín and Dearbhaile are all names used by English families I know (am in Ireland) Of those four Dearbhaile is the only one that seems to cause issues over in England.

Meave is lovely as is Aishling (pronounced Ash-ling not Ash-leen as suggested up thread )

Siobhán is lovely but rarely pronounced right over in England (Shiv-awn)

I love Aoife though, it's one of my favourite Irish names (pronounced E-fa), less mad about Orla but it's still a lovely name... spelled Orlaith in Irish though, Orla is the anglicised spelling

You can not have an Aoife and a Niamh.

Dervla as suggested by pp is a good idea. Everybody has heard of Dervla Kirwan. I like Orla too, that goes with Niamh and is easy for British people.

What about Maeve or clodagh? Roisin is very versatile in the uk as can be Rosie...

Siobhan is far too dated for a baby imo!