A mixed race Seamus?!

[UsernamesHarderThanBabyNames]

Seamus is one of the only boy names we both like. I have Irish-ish roots and he's black/mixed-race. The baby will presumably be quite dark and we have a French surname so can we pull off Seamus? Family seem to think it's a ridiculous idea and picture a ruddy cheeked old Irishman not a mixed race baby but surely this doesn't matter?!

Oddly I wouldn't think twice if I met a Seamus, but a black Tarquin or Walter would make me blink. Even Hamish would be lovely.

I would expect a Tarquin to be white but I wouldn't be surprised to meet a West Indian Walter as West Indians often favour quite traditional names like Winston.

Tarquin was an Etruscan name, from central Italy, before the Romans. So the original Tarquins would probably have had typically Mediterranean dark hair and eyes and olive skins. Later, the Roman empire included people from a very wide area, from the Scottish borders to North Africa, Turkey, Iraq and beyond.

Phil Lynott was mixed race, you don't get more Irish than him

Sean og and setanta O'halpin are both famous GAA amd rugby player and mixed race.No harm in recognising all of the babys heritage.
Be prepared for Seamie(shay-me) or Shay as a nickname though as its a name often shortened for some reason.

I love Seamus (one of ds's closest friends is Seamus. He was ironically referred to by mil as "the famous Seamus" and it's stuck!).

I was going to mention the O'Halpins too (Fijian-Irish). You really can't get a more Irish name than Sean Og O'Halpin . Ireland has become much more diverse in the past twenty-five years, so there's a new generation of non-white Irish people growing up.

It's absolutely fine. Was considering Niamh for mixed race DD!

I knew a black Seamus years ago (70s/early 80s) in Ireland and also a Nollaig. Irish names for babies who are not red haired or freckle faced is not a new concept.

And I know a French Kevin whose surname is 'very' French - starts with silent H..

Love Seamus. Do it! :)

The name is fine! and just to add. I'm mixed race white English/Indian and I'm olive skinned and Dd's father is mixed white English/black Caribbean and has black skin...Dd however, is snow white, blond hair and had sky blue eyes until they turned green at almost 5 years. Little Seamus might look very Irish! :)

Brilliant name !

Re Kevin above, it's actually a pretty usual name in France