Lovely unusual / Celtic names

[aufaniae]

Thinking of names for DC2.
Here are some that I like, any suggestions would be gratefully received!

We have Scottish, Welsh and - a generation further back - Irish heritage. Also English so I'd be up for an old-English name perhaps too.

Inigo
Taliesin
Osian
Aneurin
Idris

Arianwen
Mhairi
Ceridwen

(We'll use something more well-known for a middle name, perhaps Thomas, Marianne.)

Please, no people telling me I shouldn't choose names which the English struggle with, you'll get my standard death-of-Celtic-culture-in-action rant!!

TIA :)

what about Eilidh

.

Cuchulain is unusual and most certainly Irish but not celtic as there is little to no celtic blood in Ireland.

I love Idris and Inigo. They are the only boys names on your list I have come across and would be comfortable judging. Give me the pronunciation of the others and I'd be happy to comment - they look nice based on my (rubbish) guesses!

Mhairi is also lovely. And Arianwen.

I don't understand the 'the English will struggle' argument. I have a perfectly sensible English name which, whilst unusual, is pronounced phonetically and spelled exactly as it sounds. You should see the mangling it has had over the years. You know what, it is not a major hardship. It hasn't damaged my quality of life. I actually think it is more annoying to have a name which people think they can spell but routinely get wrong (both my surnames fall into that category).

'Celtic blood' doesn't actually mean much, as Celtic-speaking peoples lived from Asia Minor to Spain to Ireland.
Irish is certainly a Celtic language, and I think that is more relevant with regard to names.

Oisin
Myrddin
Emrys
Ardal
Aedh
Beathan

Aoife
Mab
Marsalie
Rhian
Aelwen
grainne
aine
Ailsa
Alba
Gaynor

"I actually think it is more annoying to have a name which people think they can spell but routinely get wrong (both my surnames fall into that category)."

I've got one of those!

YoullLaughAboutItOneDay - especially for you :)

Pronunciation (stressed syllable in caps)

Taliesin "Tall - YES - in""
Osian "OSH-an"
Aneurin "An-EYE-rin"

I see Celtic as a culture rather than a blood type.

Ciar/Keir
Nairn or Nairne for a girl
Logan
Gregor
Lachlan/Lochlan
Rowan
Ivo
Alastair
Creag
Cairn
Lorne
Colm

I have been told that Mhairi would be pronounced Varry with the 'h' in it and means that you are shouting but I don't know if that's true, either of my sons would have been Mairi (without the h) if they had been a girl, or alternatively Kirsty as a back up.

Tierney
Rowan
Lorna
Blyth
Doon

Aoife - love this name, almost enough to have another child for!:-D

Eithne

Thanks!

In that case I think I like them all! Osian is really nice.

Mairi is the nominative case of the name, not Mhairi -- that is the vocative case.

Lovely name but don't use Marianne as a mn with it.

Suggestions:

Angharad
Marsaili
Beibhinn (pr Bevin)
Rhiannon
Ailbhe/Alvy

Fergus
Hamish
Struan
Owen/Owain
Eoin
Geraint

Beibhinn (pr Bevin) - That reminds me, we also had Blaven (Bla Bheinn) on the list for No1 son - it's a mountain in Skye - but we weren't brave enough - No2 was almost Cairn until we chickened out :(

I am going to (once again) suggest my own name... Cerian.

I live Oisin and Grainne. Have relatives with these names and they're both lovely people. (always puts me off a name if I knew someone with it that was vile.lol)

Grainne is a lovely name but unfortunately it gets pronounced Grain or Granny quite frequently outside of Ireland.

Fabulous names, Amck

I have to be the voice of dissent when it comes to Gráinne, sounds too much like Gránna, which means ugly.

Osian actually is pronounced Osh-i-an with the i said very quickly, all letters are pronounced in Welsh. Aneurin is in between an "eye" and a "neigh" sound, and Taliesin is Tal-i-es-in.

Siún or Fraoch (shoon or FRAYok) very soft k there like in lough

The only one I like on your original list is Mhairi / Mairi.

Here are some of the names we considered - I'm not sure of their celticness though tbh

Boys
Daragh
Fingal
Lachlan(n)
Innes
Rannoch

Girls
Mairead
Isla
Ailish
Ishbel
Elspeth
Flora
Ealasaid

Fraoch is Heather isn't it?

Oh and Cailean for a boy too.

Love Lochlann/Launghlin for a boy, this is for future DS. Also really love Thane.