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Baby names

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

Original poster

Help me find a beautiful Irish name that isn't too hard to pronounce/spell!

63 replies

Glittermania · 22/04/2011 18:20

Please help me! I am Irish, but my DH is English, and we live in England. I really want to give DD1 a beautiful Irish name,

My favourites are Aofie, Saoirse, Caoimhe and Aoibheann, but no-one is able pronounce/spell them!

DH is suggesting Niamh, because its quite common and well-known, but I'm not keen on Niamh.

Do you know any other Irish girls names that are easy for non-Irish people to say? Thank You!

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crystalglasses · 22/04/2011 18:22

Is Ciara Irish? It's lovely.

BibiBelle · 22/04/2011 18:25

Erin
Muiranne pn Mirren - I love this one

Whatevs · 22/04/2011 18:27

Cara
Ciara
Emer (ee-ma)
Bronagh (Brona)
Clodah (Cloe-dah)
Ita
Nuala
Orla

irishqueen · 22/04/2011 18:37

Millions of niamh's! My eldest is Caoimhe and everyone loves the name but spelling is a problem in Scotland. I have a 7 week old Maeve snoozing on my knee and its had fantastic reactions. My shortlist had Clodagh and Emer on it too! I lost a baby who if had been a girl would have been Saoirse but its quite republican meaning freedom! We have the same tastes lol! Go with Maeve ... Its worked for me lol. Congrats

irishqueen · 22/04/2011 18:37

Millions of niamh's! My eldest is Caoimhe and everyone loves the name but spelling is a problem in Scotland. I have a 7 week old Maeve snoozing on my knee and its had fantastic reactions. My shortlist had Clodagh and Emer on it too! I lost a baby who if had been a girl would have been Saoirse but its quite republican meaning freedom! We have the same tastes lol! Go with Maeve ... Its worked for me lol. Congrats

Whatevs · 22/04/2011 18:39

Maeve is beautiful.

TapselteerieO · 22/04/2011 18:39

Dervla
Maeve
Roisin

IngridBergman · 22/04/2011 18:42

how do you say Caoimhe?

I know an Aoibheann who is called Evie by everyone.

Also an 'Emer' but it's spelled much longer, can't remember how Blush

TapselteerieO · 22/04/2011 18:42

I quite like Nuala but dh (who is Irish finds it a bit comical).

ILikeToMoveItMoveIt · 22/04/2011 18:44

You may have Orla.

It has always been on my name list, but I am pg with ds3 and he'll be the last Grin

Whatevs · 22/04/2011 18:45

Caoimhe is pronounced either Kweeva or Keeva depending on where in Ireland you are from. Lovely name.

Mairead (Muh-rade)?

BibiBelle · 22/04/2011 18:46

Meabh and Eibhlin are both lovely

what about Maude

agree that Orla is lovely too Smile

Jemma1111 · 22/04/2011 19:24

My Irish cousins are Sinead , Eilish ( I-leesh ) and Aine (Arnya)
and I think these are lovely names!

BibiBelle · 22/04/2011 19:32

How would you spell the name that's pn Ashlin? I can't remember and nothing I type looks right

vintageteacups · 22/04/2011 19:39

I love Orla (sounds best though with an irish accent imo).

Also love Sinead, Dervla and Niamh.

Ellie4 · 22/04/2011 19:39

Is Siobhan Irish?

vintageteacups · 22/04/2011 19:41

Oh I emant Siobhan, not Sinead, although I do like it but not as much.

TopCatInBoots · 22/04/2011 19:42

Eimear (ee-mar)

vintageteacups · 22/04/2011 19:48

Mairead is pretty - one of the 'Celtic Woman' girls is called that.

hester · 22/04/2011 19:51

I really like Roisin and Cara. I reckon Caoimhe is going to become more popular.

usuallydormant · 22/04/2011 19:53

Emer is pronounced ee mer, not ee ma or e mar! It seems to be quite hard to pronounce with an English accent, it always seems to end up sounding like Emma.

GwennieF · 22/04/2011 19:54

Aisling is how you spell it.

I love Roisin and Dearbhla as well....

BibiBelle · 22/04/2011 19:55

Thanks Gwennie - that's been annoying me!

BikeRunSki · 22/04/2011 19:58

Oonagh?
Caitlin

libelulle · 22/04/2011 20:01

If I had even a fraction of Irish heritage we'd've gone for Aoife, tricky pronounciation be damned! We considered it really seriously but decided it was just too irish and that she'd have a lifetime of explaining her non-existent celtic roots!