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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Is Aoibhe a step too far in the UK?

260 replies

mika2 · 09/05/2013 23:09

I'm Irish, living in the UK and due DD1 in 4 mths. I really want to give the baby an irish name - DH has reluctantly agreed - and had come up with an extensive list of boys names i liked (and was convinced it was a boy!) but now i know it's a girl I'm still struggling. Not helped by the fact that a lot of them (Ciara, Tara, Niamh, Beibhinn, Saoirse, Siun) have already been taken by my very extended family. At the moment this is the best we can come up with;

Clodagh (klo-da) - but DH is insisting on nn chloe (which defeats the purpose of giving the baby an Irish name IMO)
Aoife (ee-fa) - pretty, but v v common in ireland and getting more so here?
Caoimhe (quee-va) - I love, but DH isn't so keen
Aoibhe (eva) - alternative to aoife, but a bit more "out there" than the others as even Irish ppl seem v confused on how to pronounce. And with such an obvious english alternative, can see DH/DD giving up and spelling it Eva eventually

Thoughts on the above for a baby growing up in the uk? And any other suggesions gratefully received!

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elah11 · 10/05/2013 22:57

How about Tierna ( Tee-er-na) or Laoise (Lee-sheh)?

Designjunkie · 10/05/2013 23:00

I think Saorsia is a beautiful Irish name - unsure of spelling.

I fail to see how having an Irish name is a hindrance in the workplace. The city is full of foreign workers from all parts of the globe. Many in positions of power. Perhaps a made up name can hold you back, even then I'd have my doubts. I have an English surname and am always asked how to spell it, so what ? This is true of many names.

blueshoes · 10/05/2013 23:00

In my limited experience of African names, they appear to be pronounced phonetically. So not as tricky as Aoibhe. Azubuike would probably become 'Azu'.

intheshed · 10/05/2013 23:00

I honestly think there is much more diversity in names for our DC's generation anyway. When I was at school there were always at least 2 Sarahs, Catherines, Emmas etc. In my class there were 5 boys called James! Given the wide range of names of kids I meet, I think attitudes like BlueShoes has described will thankfully become obsolete in time.

MorrisZapp · 10/05/2013 23:00

Are you an Irish speaker, op? I'm Scottish and tear my hair out at the endless 'Scottish' names chosen by people who don't speak Gaelic and who grew up in eg the Central Belt where traditional names are Andrew, James, Margaret etc

If those names are from your native language then fair play. But if you are an English speaker then I dunno, these names don't seem appropriate. Fwiw, I don't know how to pronounce any of them, and would need to be told.

blueshoes · 10/05/2013 23:02

Intheshed, I think you will find I am actually living in the thick of funny unusual names here, so I represent the future, not the past ...

MummyBurrows · 10/05/2013 23:05

Perhaps,I can't really say,Jim had been working for the company for many years before I came along! He did tell me his real name,but I honestly can't remember it,I know it was a very long and difficult name to say though,he was pushing 80 though so it was a very old African name...think it ended in something that sounded like kim-bay and it was the kim sounding part that inspired him to go by Jim...something like that anyway!

I don't think there's anything wrong with having a "stand out" name as such,providing its not ridiculous obviously,but Irish names aren't ridiculous,they just look somewhat ridiculous on paper to those of us who don't know/understand the Irish language/spellings,but pronouncing them is easy-especially once you've been told/heard it! So I can't see that it would hinder any work promotions/advancements as obviously everyone will know the name...

forgetmenots · 10/05/2013 23:05

Hear what you're saying on this morriszapp, I'm in the central belt of Scotland and a Gaelic speaker so a bit of both, think a lot of Gaelic names have been taken to mean 'Scottish' when there are several other traditions, including Norse names in Orkney and Shetland.
We've settled on Angus for dc1 if he is a boy - works with slightly different pronunciation/spelling as a Scottish name in Gaelic, English and Irish (a lot of our family ties are in Ireland and are Irish speaking). Didn't want to pick one that only worked for one of those 'threads' if that makes sense.

RedLentil · 10/05/2013 23:07

Sowornout. - we have an Eibhlin. Don't get me started about using a more ulster pronunciation than Cork people can live with.

I grew up in the UK when my Irish name was unpronounceable, but evidently it's become obvious since then. The Bananarama effect ...

mrspaddy · 10/05/2013 23:09

I have an unusual Irish name and I really like it but don't want to 'out' myself.

What about Mairead, Grainne or Kathleen (coming back into fashion!)
Edel is lovely.

Sinead

Nora is also a name I have heard for a newborn. Roisin.Ciara, Finola

forgetmenots · 10/05/2013 23:10

totally fair enough mummyburrows. As i said before I'd live with that for the sake of the nice name with meaning, heritage etc etc, but everything you've said there is fair.

deleted203 · 10/05/2013 23:10

Oooh...you're a Siobhan!

5madthings · 10/05/2013 23:16

There are children with Irish names at the toddler group I go to and last my boys school. Its not an issue children quickly learn their friends names and if I ask not sure re spelling I simply ask.

There was a little aoife at toddlers today, its a lovely name :)

ReindeerBollocks · 10/05/2013 23:17

I love Caoimhe and Aiobhe, they are on my list of future DD names despite the fact I'm not having any more.

I know an Aoife which is pronounced with the 'a' sound rather than the traditional 'ee' sound. But I think even now you would be fairly safe with Aoibhe.

I adore Caoimhe. This is my top girls name, but have seen the bastardised version Keeva - to help those who can't get to grips with the Irish version. I also love Orla, but that is rather popular too.

DH wouldn't let me have Caoimhe - he can't even spell Niamh FFS! Silly man has welsh ancestry, he has no rights to be giving out about Irish spellings

RedLentil · 10/05/2013 23:21

Got it in one. And repeating 'like the one from Bananarama' for 20 years before we moved here did me no harm .

I love Nuala and Aoibhinn, but here it's names like Maggie, Eliza and Kate that seem to be catching on.

Xmasbaby11 · 10/05/2013 23:21

I think they are all quite difficult, TBH. Depends how much it would bother you to continually spell/pronounce it over the years.

MummyBurrows · 10/05/2013 23:23

In all fairness,its not just Irish names that can cause confusion...my name causes some confusion despite how simple it is,but only because it can be spelt 2 ways,either with a G or a J,I'm a G but I have to state this over to people over the phone...I find it highly annoying. Also my name sounds like another name so sometimes I even have to spell out my full name if they've misheard me! Sometimes I wish my mum and dad had chosen a simple name that has only one spelling and can't possibly get confused with any other name! Like Penelope for example!

forgetmenots · 10/05/2013 23:25

Similar to my name problem mummyburrows, wish if I had to spell it out at least I was called something amazing!! :)

5madthings · 10/05/2013 23:26

My ds's have their name spe,t wrongly sometimes, mainly ds3 and ds4. They are Dylan and rudi, so not difficult names to spell...

Allalonenow · 10/05/2013 23:29

Maeve and Grainne are my favourites, and both have lovely meanings, so many pretty Irish names it is hard to choose.

MummyBurrows · 10/05/2013 23:33

Same here! It really doesn't help that even spelling my name out doesn't always help..."No its M for Mother,not N for November"...grrrr!! It should be pretty obvious what my name is by the G so why on earth some people still need it spelling out is beyond me but hey! If it began with a J I could understand the confusion past the G or J bit but the other name isn't even spelt with a G!...sorry,completely off subject and ranting now lol!

DamsonJam · 10/05/2013 23:39

Are you a Gemma by any chance? (just being nosey now!) :-)

MummyBurrows · 10/05/2013 23:43

Hahaha! Yes damsonjam! What gave it away lol?! The G or J bit or the "No its M for Mother,not N for November" part

Quangle · 10/05/2013 23:47

Agree with mummy burrows. I know an AOife a little bit through work and I do find it hard to keep the name in my head because I have never heard the name before and the spelling of it gives me no clue as to how to say it. As I only come into contact with her once a year or so, each time I have to go back and check on the sound. To be fair I have it now but the first few times it was a conscious effort.

Aoibe would be a real struggle I think. Yes her friends and teachers will get it but you often share your name with lots of other incidental people and I don't think it's fair to expect people to have a notion how to say it. Not through ignorance - just through that not being the spelling in use in this country. I actually don't think it's fair to talk about ignorance in this context. After all, how's your Cyrillic ?

It's very nice to have an unusual name but don't expect anyone to have the remotest idea how to say it. (though Clodagh I do know and it's perfectly easy to render that with just English sounds at your disposal so most people could probably guess that one)

DamsonJam · 10/05/2013 23:52

MummyBurrows - I used to work with a Gemma who has the same problem so it was the first name I thought of with the G or J issue (although also worked with a Gill who had the same issue so that was a contender too), but when you said M for Mother not N November, that nailed it. (am now feeling super sleuth clever though! :-)

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