Help us name our Irish-Scottish baby!

[Stroan]

We've still got months to decide but feel we need a few more boy options - bit of a baby boom amongst family and friends this year and a bit worried someone uses our favourite name before us! Also turns out we are a lot fussier than I'd first thought.

I'm Scottish, DH is Irish and we live in central Scotland. Surname is Irish but quite rare, it has a soft, vowel-y sound - starts with an "ah" sound and ends with an "ey". This is quite important as a lot of my favourite names sound too singsongy with our surname! Eilidh, my top girls name, sounds silly.

We're looking for something that "works" in both countries (and both of our accents but that's a whole other challenge!), but leaning more towards Irish names. Not too concerned about spelling, but prefer something easily recognised in Scotland.

My personal preference is for softer names having grown up with what I felt was a hard/harsh first & last name.

Middle name will be my maiden name, which carries on a family tradition.

Don't want to use any family names so these are out - Mhairi/Patrick/Mirren/Cara/ Sean/Seamus/Aoife

Boys names
The only one we're sure of just now is Ruairi or Ruaridh (spelling to be agreed!). We love it, but would like a back up in case we go off it or someone uses it.

Girls names
We have a longer girls list, which we seem unable to narrow down. Also happy to add to the list if there's any new suggestions.
Orla/Orlagh
Niamh
Aisling
Ciara
Eilis or Ailis (like both pronunciations)

Well done if you've made it through all that! Any suggestions or thoughts?

I have a Ruairidh and other names we considered for him were Aidan, Struan, Alasdair, Duncan.

We have a Ruairidh, Innes, Alasdair in our family . Girls in the family - Salaidh, Fiona , Flora

Mairead

Torin

I was also going to add Aidan and Innes.

For a girl Emer and Erin. I like Ailis best from your original list.

We considered Orlaith and Ciara if DS had been a girl so I love them from your list (Orlaith top choice) and also liked Erin and Caitlin.

For boys we liked Aiden, Daniel, Finn and Ciaran and used one of them.

For a boy, Caelan, Liam, Conor
Girl, Orlaith/Orla, Saoirse

But I do love Ruairi.

As soon as I read your title I was going to suggest Eilidh, my daughters name. What about Saoirse? (I think that's how it's spelt.

From what you say about the surname, I think Aisling is the best of the girls' names. Niamh would be nice too. Anything ending with a vowel is going to run into the Ah sound of the surname. I would not use Ailis as the A would be the same first letter as the surname. But Eilis would work.

I also think Ruairi/Ruaridh is going to sound as sing-songy as Eilidh would.

Suggestions:
Fergus
Fintan
Cormac
Eoin/Owen
Eoghan
Ronan

Beibhinn (pr Bevin)
Maeve or Maebh
Muireann
Roisin
Aibhlinn (pr Ev-leen)
Caoilfhionn/Keelin

You like similar names to us. I also had Ciaran & Cillian on boys list and Aine, Nuala on girls list

Erin is not a traditional Irish name, and it is also a brand of packet soup.

I like Ailis, and previous posters have suggested some lovely Irish names. So what about a few Scottish suggestions: Ailsa, Catriona, Elspeth, Fenella (anglicised, but quite soft sounding), Gilda, Maura/Morna, Rowena (origin debated, but used by Sir Walter Scott). For boys, Aengus, Ardan, Odhran, Blaise (Arthurian-Celtic), Colm, Dougal ....

Iv'e got a Niamh, nightmare in England, she hates it as no one can pronounce it, gets called various ridiculous variations of it, constantly asked what her name is even though i think it's pretty popular now. She keeps asking me to change her name either to Neve or a totally different name altogether, that's how bad it is. Don't know if its the same in Scotland.

Niamh is fine in Scotland but a bit "common" where I live.

I like Cormac or Callum or maybe Gregor or Keir/Ciar for a boy

My current favourite for a girl would be Lorna but I like Ailis from your list.

Callum
Douglas
Robert
Gregory
Dougal
Dara

Saoirse?

Singinghinies that's surprising, I am also in England (North) and Niamh is very popular

I'm in West Yorkshire and there are small Niahms all over the place! Also Neves, Nieves, and Neaves. Niamh and Siobhan are pretty mainstream now, I'd say the spellings and pronounciations are pretty well known in England.

I have a Ewan (Scottish spelling, yay be an Irish version out there!) it sounds strong I always think!

Greer?

Going by your mn name I suggest Struan

She is in senior school, it wasn't popular when i named her, maybe it will be easier for the younger ones as people will know the name if there are a load of them, there are a few now in primary, she gets called, Ny-am, Nee am, Nyumph, eerrrmmm what this name all the time, had it in clubs she went to, with teachers. She absolutely hates her name

Ciara

There is also a Neeve in her class and she never gets anyone asking what her name is, she ask's why i didn't spell it like that, it's stupid and she hates it, she was quite a shy kid so when she went to clubs she hated it when they went down the list of names and always stopped at hers, looked around and went erm Ni am, Neeam, Nyamph, she would have to let them catch her eye and say it's Niamh, honestly happened every time she went somewhere new, shes been called all sorts, i seen people joking about it last week on FB with her about it copying her into a funny video about kids being called the wrong name and asked her what's up, she said usual, had a different teacher and they called me Nyamph which seems to be the most common mispronunciation

I have a Calum (now 24!). Irish spelling although he is Scottish, spelling is with two ls.

I called him after my late DDad was most unusual, but became surprisingly popular.