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Original poster

Eithne

32 replies

littlegreengloworm · 10/05/2014 22:51

I am going all around the houses tryin to think of a girls name (irish) that's not overused

I know it's not really common but I think I love it

Pronounced eth na

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FatalCabbage · 10/05/2014 22:55

Oh my goodness I LOVE this. It was very high on my list if DC3 had turned out to be a girl.

GMIL is Edna, which is the anglicisation of Eithne, so it would have been a meaningful name for us as well as a beautiful one.

Please use it, since I didn't get a chance and never will.

Original poster
littlegreengloworm · 10/05/2014 22:57

Oh thank you cabbage,

I love, love DS name and have another boys name but girls name - none I love

I had thought of maebh, Ellen etc but I feel a bit meh about Ellen and I love Anna but know to many

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FatalCabbage · 10/05/2014 22:59

It's the only Gaelic name we considered but I think it's more mainstream, and doesn't present the spelling challenges of eg Caoimhe!

NannyR · 10/05/2014 23:00

Eimer is a lovely name - certainly unusual in England, not sure about how popular it is in Ireland.

grocklebox · 10/05/2014 23:04

Its pronounced Et-na where I am.

adaloveslace · 10/05/2014 23:12

Eithne is a beautiful sound - it does feel a bit middle aged to my ears though.

Fia is beautiful too, easy to pronounce and not overused. or what about:
Neasa
Siofra
Ailbhe

I really love Maebh too.

ThingsThatShine · 11/05/2014 02:38

I have known 3 eithnes all pronounced eth-nee not eth-na, two from N. Ireland the other from the south, so I'm not sure if there might be a few different pronunciations as that's already 3 on the thread!

squoosh · 11/05/2014 03:00

Ummm, it's a bit dated and frumpy to me. Reminds me of a religion teacher who'd tell you'd go to hell if you indulged in any 'heavy petting' at the school disco.

Original poster
littlegreengloworm · 11/05/2014 09:38

Squoosh Grin ha ha

I actually like ailbhe but my aunt put me off ..said it sounds like vulva .. I know, I know. I didn't really see the connection

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grocklebox · 11/05/2014 12:12

Never in my life heard of ethnee as a pronounciation. It just doesnt make that sound in Irish.

MrsJoeDolan · 11/05/2014 12:18

Never ever heard it pronounced Eth-nee. I've only ever heard it pronounced Ethna. Thee were a few in my class in school. Not a name I've heard since. Up there with Deirdre (Deirdra not Deirdree) as a popular name in 80s but not so much since

ThingsThatShine · 11/05/2014 19:14

I honestly know 3 people who pronounce it that way! The 2 Northern Irish ones were in the same family so maybe had the same mispronounciation if it's wrong... The other I have no explanation for why she would have it wrong! She said it as Eth-nee herself and everyone called her that. I never questioned it as that's how I knew the name from the other 2!

Original poster
littlegreengloworm · 11/05/2014 19:21

Eth na is all I've ever heard.

It's growing on me though I will think about it a lot more. I want a name that's not Ellie or Amelia even though I love those names.

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Original poster
littlegreengloworm · 13/05/2014 20:07

Should I go for Ellen or Eithne?

Ellen might be safer???

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florascotia · 13/05/2014 20:16

Eithne (Eth-na) has such nice meanings - either from nut/kernel = new life or else from Gaelic aodh = fire (also a symbol of life and hope).

apermanentheadache · 13/05/2014 20:29

I've never heard it before but it's got a really nice sound. I'd go for it.

NinjaLeprechaun · 14/05/2014 10:25

I've only heard Eithne pronounced as Enya, not Ethna/Etna. But I only know one person with that name and her mother is a native Irish speaker, so maybe that makes a difference.

squoosh · 14/05/2014 10:28

I think the Enya pronunciation is in NI. In the South I've only ever heard eth-na and I know a fair few. Three of my cousins are called Eithne!

NinjaLeprechaun · 14/05/2014 10:36

She's from Donegal, I think, so maybe it's an Ulster thing - rather than strictly NI. Although I did look it up on a baby-name website just now, and that's the pronunciation they give for/in Irish.
But, some names obviously have more than one pronunciation anyway. So feel free to ignore me. It just took me by surprise a bit.

Original poster
littlegreengloworm · 14/05/2014 19:39

I it maybe safer to go for Ellen? I just think it could get shortened to Ellie at some stage and like it but a lot about.

Is it dated in a bad way? I only know one. She's 29 and a bit funky.

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Summerbreezing · 15/05/2014 13:51

I'm Irish and over here it's a very dated name - probably the Irish equivalent of Vera or Edna.

RedLentil · 15/05/2014 14:00

Ailbhe is lovely as is Maebh (biased on that one though Smile).

I know a 40yo Eithne here and it's pron Eth na.

But you will get big dialectal differences between here and Donegal.

Named one daughter Eibhlín after an NI friend who is Ev-Lin but all of cork assumes it's Eileen Grin

ILoveCoreyHaim · 16/05/2014 08:45

Ethne was on my list for DD2+3 - Ethane from the film the three feathers. DD has an Irish name with her dad's English surname, my surname is Irish. I wouldn't use another Irish name as DD1 hates her name with a passion. She always looked uncomfortable at group events when people shouted her name the way it reads to someone in England and it sounds awful. Something I didn't think about tbh

ILoveCoreyHaim · 16/05/2014 08:47

Ethne from the film the three feathers. Damn autocorrect but now I am pleased I didn't use it

PunkAssMoFo · 16/05/2014 08:49

Ellen is pretty.
To my none Irish ear, ethne sounds a bit frumpy. If you're in Ireland, fine. If not, it might not cross the waters so well. I do like Irish names in general, just not keen on this one.