Anne, Bridget or Siobhan

[fatfingers]

Baby is due in just over a week and we still can't agree on a girl's name! Our shortlist consists of the above 3 names and I don't think we can really have Siobhan because dh and I pronounce it differently so the child would be confused!

Bridget might be a bit too Irish because we have an Irish 'O' surname.

Anne is nice and simple but still doesn't sound quite right to me having first name and a surname starting with a vowel. Probably the strongest contender though.

What do you think?

[Vijac]

I like Anne best, but love Anna and Annie.

[adaloveslace]

I worked with an Iseult who pronounced it Ih-salt. Totally ruined it for me alas.

I like almost all of squoosh's suggestions, OP.

[adaloveslace]

I worked with an Iseult who pronounced it Ih-salt. Totally ruined it for me alas.

I like almost all of squoosh's suggestions, OP.

[buttercrumble]

How about Annie

[AHardDaysWrite]

Iona?

[JanineStHubbins]

Iseult Gonne?

[squoosh]

Yeah I think you're right, different accents produce slightly different sounds.

I've only ever known one, and she was a very cool Iseult. The history of the name is just swoon-some as well.

[JanineStHubbins]

Think that's what I was aiming for with Iz-sult. Could be a Caoimhe/Keeva thing, different pronunciations for different regions.

Love, love, love the name. Have never met a real-life Iseult so I'm hoping it stays relatively unusual.

[squoosh]

Interesting, I pronounce it as iss-sult.

[MrsJoeDolan]

FADA not dada. Fucking iPad argh

[MrsJoeDolan]

Ee-sult

[MrsJoeDolan]

Siobhan and Bridget are quite dated (Peig chic as opposed to granny chic)

My top 2 names - Roise and Beibhinn (bevan)

I also love Dara (for a girl)

Apology for lack of dada. My American iPad doesn't do em!

[JanineStHubbins]

Squoosh as a matter of interest, how would you pronounce Iseult?
I would go with Ee-zult but have also heard Ee-sult or Iz-sult.

[MrsJoeDolan]

Grainne also v close to grainneog (hedgehog)

[GinUtero]

My name is Anna and I'm really glad my parents gave me that name. Yes, it's only one letter different from Anne, but IMO Anne sounds plainer.

[squoosh]

The Bookshop on the Quay was my favourite.

[JanineStHubbins]

Loved Patricia Lynch - especially Sally from Cork.

Both she and her husband RM Fox were very cool people.

[FlipFantasia]

Glad I wasn't the only one! I used brogeen as a nickname on our local message board (just outside NYC) in honour of her but everyone shortened it to 'bro' which was not cool! Already planning to pick up old copies off abebooks and read with the kids when they're old enough...

[squoosh]

Oh I loved Patricia Lynch! Blast from the past.

[FlipFantasia]

Though thinking about it I prefer Siomha (fada on the i).

Sorry OP - newly pregnant and daydreaming about names! If your dh is tricky about Anwen just remind him who's about to give birth!!

[squoosh]

Sibéal (sh-bale)
Laoise (lee-sha)
Siún (shoon)
Eimear (ee-mur)
Sorcha (surrika)
Caoileann (kee-lin)
Eavan (ee-vun)
Líadhan (lee-uh-dun)

I love Iseult as suggested above though.

[FlipFantasia]

See the changeling/bean si connection/connotations of Siofra don't bother me at all. In fact, I love all the piseog stuff my granny used to come out with and all the fairy folk stories I grew up with (anyone else read any Patricia lynch as a child?). It would connect my (hypothetical) daughter to a great part of her maternal culture!

[JanineStHubbins]

Síofra means changeling. Can't imagine why anyone would want to name their child it.

What about:
Muireann
Doireann (Dirr-in)
Sorcha
Clíona
Iseult
Aoibhinn (Ave-een)
Laoise (Lee-sha)
Eimear
Fiona
Nessa

[LemongrassGinger]

oh yes, Eithne is a great suggestion ! (Enya)

That is very pretty.

I know what you mean by horribly unphonetic. Giving your child a name that can be read phonetically by at most 3 million people is a decision to pause over imo.

[LemongrassGinger]

Wow, has to be Anne. I prefer Annie or Anna, but I like Aine and the pronounciation is similar to Anya.

Siobhán is ok but I know way too many my own age to get excited about it. As a pp says, sinead has survived the ravages of the decades passing much better. Can imagine a baby Sinead but a baby Siobhan is a stretch. Or Mairead. Mairead is lovely.

Bridget is not my cup of tea. It's ok in itself but the risk of being called Biddy is just too real and too cruel.

Orla and Maeve are lovely simple Irish names. IMO

Siofra ok but did you know that the sheee part of Siofra has the same mean as bean si (banshee)